Toyota pushes Japanese automakers to share components amid EV shift

Toyota CEO Koji Sato, also chair of the Japanese Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA), is urging Japan’s major carmakers to collaborate on non‑visible vehicle parts such as wiring harnesses, hoses and connectors. The push aims to eliminate duplicate engineering work, lower production costs and free resources for technologies that directly influence customers, including advanced driver‑assist systems, faster EV charging, battery development and software platforms.

Nissan chief Ivan Espinosa has voiced support for the proposal, noting increasing pressure from global rivals, especially in the electric‑vehicle market. While brand‑specific styling and driving dynamics would remain distinct, the shared‑parts approach mirrors strategies used by groups like Volkswagen, which employ common architectures across multiple brands to streamline manufacturing and improve competitiveness worldwide.