Japanese carmakers to cut development times to counter Chinese rivals

Japanese car manufacturers are accelerating efforts to reduce vehicle development timelines in response to the rapid pace of new model releases from Chinese competitors. On average, Japanese automakers spend four to five years developing a new model, compared to less than two years for their Chinese counterparts. Nissan has embarked on a family-based vehicle development strategy, aiming to cut development times to just three years and one month for launch in North America in 2028, using a common platform for multiple models.

This will reduce development time by up to 40%, down to 2½ years. Nissan's plan covers 80% of the company's global sales and is expected to reduce the number of part types by 70%. Honda has introduced the "Triple Half" approach, halving development costs, time frames, and workloads from 2025 levels, and will incorporate AI and other digital technologies.

Toyota, the world's largest carmaker, is also focusing on reducing part types, aiming to improve plant space usage by 35%, and has named the project Area 35. The goal is to improve productivity and accelerate development work. Suzuki Motor plans to halve its current development time to around two years, while Mitsubishi Motors aims to cut the period by 20% to three years by around 2030.