Nissan accelerates its electric vehicles strategy after realizing buyers prefer EVs

As the auto industry moves toward a sustainable future, Nissan has made the strategic decision to ramp up their efforts in the electric vehicle market. The decision to accelerate its strategy comes as demand for zero-emission EVs continues climbing at a record pace.

Nissan is recognizing the shift in consumer preference and is now doubling down on its EV strategy.

After establishing an early lead with the release of the LEAF in 2011, Nissan is now falling behind as most automakers have a fully electric vehicle on the market.

Despite Nissan’s LEAF climb to become one of the top-selling electric vehicles globally, it’s taken over a decade for the Japanese automaker to release its second fully electric vehicle, the Ariya crossover SUV, which had to be delayed several times.

The 2023 Nissan Ariya is the Japanese automaker’s first electric SUV, and it comes with up to 304 miles of range and an MSRP of $43,190 (for the Engage FWD trim with 216 miles range).

As part of Nissan’s Ambition 2030, introduced in November 2021, the company announced it would introduce 23 electrified models, including 15 fully electric vehicles, by the end of the decade. The initial plans included 50% of total models across Nissan and Infiniti’s lineup to be EV or hybrid.

However, in response to “changes in customer needs and the business environment” toward fully electric vehicles, Nissan now plans to accelerate its strategy.

Nissan accelerates Ambition 2030 electric vehicle strategy

Nissan announced Sunday in a press release it would ramp up efforts to bring fully electric vehicles to market.

The Japanese automaker is now planning to release 27 electrified models, including 19 new EVs, by 2030 with an electrification mix of 55%, up from 50% previously. In addition, Nissan is forecasting higher electric sales volumes sold in key markets by 2026, including:

• Europe: 98%, up from 75% previously
• Japan: 58%, up from 55%
• China: 35%, down from 40%
• United States: 40% (EV only)

Nissan projects the US to remain the same as previously forecast at 40% electric vehicle volume. To address the drop in China, Nissan says it will introduce an EV designed explicitly for the Chinese market.

In other news, Nissan is finding different ways to reduce emissions from its operations. The Japanese automaker is among the first to run a trial with all-electric heavy-duty trucks carrying new 2023 Nissan Ariya EVs to dealerships.

Electrek’s Take

It’s good to see Nissan doubling down on its electric vehicle strategy as the industry transitions to zero-emission EVs.

With a slate of new EVs and ambitious new targets, Nissan is taking steps toward hitting its goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. However, the company will need to move quickly because nearly every other automaker has also recently increased its EV targets.

As Nissan is learning in China, showing up late makes it harder to breach the market, even with heightening demand.