Nissan has announced that it will begin using more common parts in its vehicles in order to cut down on costs, according to Reuters.
The Japanese automaker's plan involves creating four "modules" for the cockpit, engine compartment, front and rear ends. The parts in each of these modules will be mainly the same, with slight variations depending on the weight of the vehicle. The automaker says that when all is said and done, only about 20 percent of its parts will be unique to each vehicle. The first models will appear next year.
"Everything we're trying to do is about two things: how we make things more in common with partners... and at the same time keep the specificity of each brand," Carlos Ghosn, the chief executive of Nissan, told the news source. "[It's about] how we can get the cost efficiency and investment efficiency while at the same time still get a very distinctive brand or product that people will not confuse."
Many other brands already employ similar strategies. Some vehicles are mechanically identical but have different names. Nissan said it hopes to eventually be on-par with Volkswagen in terms of using common parts, as the German automaker is well-known for this approach.
One benefit of vehicles with common parts is that the cars are a bit easier for auto maintenance experts to work with. If the parts are mainly the same, they become easier to find for car repairs.