Nissan is negotiating with Honda to make vehicles at a U.S. factory to combat upcoming U.S. tariffs on Japanese-made autos. Both companies seek mutual benefits.
Japanese peers, including Toyota and Honda, are also scaling back U.S. EV plans, while battery supplier AESC has paused a South Carolina plant tied to Nissan’s rollout.
De Meo’s departure has renewed concerns about Renault’s ability to remain competitive amid rising pressure from Chinese automakers and the costly transition to electric vehicles.
The company has launched US employee buyouts and suspended global merit-based pay raises as part of a restructuring plan that includes job cuts, plant closures, and a $7 billion capital raise to manage mounting debt and weak margins.
Ford has idled one of its $7B EV battery plants in Kentucky and will share the active site with Nissan, amid slowing EV demand, rising costs, and a looming $2.5B tariff hit.
Nissan announced major steps to reconfigure global operations, including cutting thousands of jobs and closing half of production plants to stabilize finances.
A Microsoft spokesperson told CNBC that the software giant continues to implement “organizational changes necessary to best position the company for success in a dynamic marketplace.”
Nissan has canceled plans for a $1.1B EV battery plant in Japan due to weak performance. It also announced a record net loss and plans for restructuring.
Jean-Dominique Senard was Nissan’s vice chairman and will step down at the end of the annual general meeting of shareholders scheduled for June, the Japanese automaker said.
