FILE PHOTO: The GM logo is pictured at the General Motors Assembly Plant in Ramos Arizpe, state of Coahuila, Mexico October 7, 2019. REUTERS/Daniel Becerril
(Reuters) – U.S. automaker General Motors (GM.N) and Japan’s Honda Motor Co (7267.T) have joined hands to make and sell a range of vehicles under their distinct brands in North America, the U.S. automaker said on Thursday.
Under the alliance, Honda and GM intend to share common vehicle platforms, including electrified and internal combustion propulsion systems.
Talks to plan co-development will begin immediately, with engineering work starting in early 2021, GM said, underscoring the pressing need in the auto industry to share technology and development costs to meet demands for cleaner vehicles.
GM and Honda in April announced that they would jointly develop two new electric vehicles for Honda and were planning to explore more ways to expand their alliance.
The two companies already collaborate on autonomous vehicles and fuel cell vehicle technology and have worked together on the design of an autonomous vehicle called Cruise Origin for GM’s majority-owned Cruise Automation unit.
Reporting by Sanjana Shivdas in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli and Saumyadeb Chakrabarty