Nissan was one of the world’s first mass market manufactures of electric vehicles (EVs) with its leaf model ten years ago. Now, it aims to introduce 23 “electrified” vehicle models by 2030 – 15 of the vehicles will be fully electrics whilst the remainder will be hybrid.
“The role of companies to address societal needs is increasingly heightened,” said Makoto Uchida, Nissan chief executive. “We will drive the new age of electrification, advance technologies to reduce carbon footprint and pursue new business opportunities.”
Its UK plant in Sunderland will “take the lead towards electrification” in Europe, said Ashwani Gupta, Nissan chief operating officer, with a goal of EV sales targets of more than 75% in Europe by 2026.
In other areas, sales targets aim to reach 55% in Japan and 40% in China by 2026, and the US target is 40% by 2030.
Nissan’s recent announcement that declared a £1 billion investment in the UK is a part of the plan, and will help turn Nissan’s Sunderland operation into an EV production hub.
The spending, which will be twice the amount spent in the last ten years, will also help Nissan reach their goal of carbon neutral by 2050.
“We want to transform Nissan to become a sustainable company that is truly needed by customers and society,” Uchida said.
Nissan aims to hire 3,000 staff in advanced research and development globally while “continuing to upskill current workforce.”
It is also looking to lower the cost of lithium-ion batteries by 65% within eight years, and is also seeking to launch an all-solid-state battery-powered car by 2028 – which will give greater range and power at a lower cost.
Uchida said that “we will advance our effort to democratise electrification.”
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