Honda Motor is seeking to strip roughly 1.5 trillion yen, or about $9.4 billion, from cumulative costs by 2030 and has told parts suppliers to slash prices, based on internal documents and people familiar with the matter. The drive is among the clearest signs that Japanese automakers are overhauling procurement as BYD and other Chinese manufacturers take share in Southeast Asia, Latin America and Europe with software-heavy electric vehicles priced well below industry norms. The world's largest motorcycle maker is trying to stabilize a car business hit by EV-related losses expected to exceed $12 billion after posting its first annual loss as a publicly traded company in May and shifting focus toward gasoline-electric hybrids; motorcycle operations and a weaker yen have offered some cushion. At a spring briefing in Utsunomiya, suppliers received company-specific targets as Honda pursues 30% cost cuts in pressed and forged parts, electrical and functional components, and software-defined vehicle parts, while pushing standardized sourcing and greater use of Chinese-made components where safety and geopolitical risks can be managed. Honda is also reviewing multi-supplier commodity procurement, weighing Chinese firms as possible tier-one vendors, expanding local U.S. sourcing, and plans to cut next-generation hybrid system costs by more than 30% versus the 2023 model. A spokesperson said the company works globally to improve competitiveness and evaluates suppliers regardless of country when safety, quality and supply stability are assured. Honda and Nissan plan jointly developed standardized electronic control units for SDVs, with shared architecture from the fiscal year starting April 2029. CEO Toshihiro Mibe secured board support for reappointment in June. Broader pressures include U.S. import tariffs, higher labor costs and rising R&D spending, while Toyota under President Kenta Kon has signaled plans to lower its break-even sales volume.