Japanese auto giants Honda and Nissan confirmed they've scrapped merger talks announced in December​, ending a potential combination that would have created the world's third-largest automaker.

Less than two months after a potential merger was floated, Honda and Nissan have called the potential partnership off, forcing Nissan, which has been experiencing difficulties, to explore alternate collaborations.

It's official: the potential merger between Nissan, Honda, and Mitsubishi is dead. Both Japanese automakers released the same press statements announcing the end of their MOU, or "memorandum of understanding.