Japan's Nissan accelerates shift to electric vehicles
Nissan is speeding up its shift to electric vehicles, especially in Europe, where emissions regulations are most stringent
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Nissan is speeding up its shift toward electric vehicles, especially in Europe where emissions regulations are most stringent, the company said Monday.
Nissan Motor Co. said in a statement that it will make practically all its offerings in Europe electric or series-hybrids by fiscal 2026, at 98%. That's up from the previous target of 75%. In Japan, the company aims to make 58% of its model offerings, up from an earlier target of 55%.
Hybrids have both a gasoline engine and electric motor, but a series hybrid uses the motor to power the vehicle’s wheels, or powertrain. The engine powers a generator for the motor. Parallel hybrids, like Toyota Motor Corp.’s Prius, switch back and forth between a gas engine and electric motor.
Nissan’s sales target in EVs and series hybrids remain unchanged for the U.S., at more than 40%. In China the target was cut to 35% from 40%. That includes only pure EVs, not hybrids.
Nissan's target numbers do not include expected vehicle sales of Nissan’s alliance partners, such as Renault SA of France or Mitsubishi Motors Corp., a smaller Japanese carmaker.
The company was an early leader in electric vehicles, with its Leaf, which went on sale in 2010. It has been overtaken since then by newcomers like Tesla and Chinese automaker BYD.
Nissan officials say the company, based in Yokohama, have a wealth of knowledge about EV technology, especially about how consumers use the products, and what kind of wear and tear develop on the battery and other knowledge critical for the proliferation of green cars.
Nissan plans to roll out 19 electric vehicle models by 2030, up from an earlier 15, it said.
Earlier this month, Nissan said it will invest in up to a 15% stake in Ampere, Renault’s electric vehicle and software entity in Europe. Nissan and Renault have been working together on EV technology, with Nissan taking the lead in developing a next-generation battery.
___
Yuri Kageyama is on Twitter https://twitter.com/yurikageyama