It’s been a particularly troubled few months for Japanese carmaker Nissan as it navigates through financial distress, failed talks to form an alliance with Honda and a significant change in top leadership. The company recently invited select worldwide media to an event at its headquarters in Yokohama, Japan, where it shared details on upcoming product plans as well as other strategies to correct its course. Autocar India was a part of this event, and here’s what we learned.
Nissan global recovery plan
New products, market-specific strategies
Chief performance officer Guillaume Cartier acknowledged the gravity of the situation, stating, “We recognise that the challenge is both external and internal and are working towards reducing our fixed cost in order to be profitable.” Cartier also mentioned how the competition has outpaced Nissan in some cases and how the company is not quick enough in certain markets, citing how it is missing out on the hybrid market in North America and the EV market in China as examples.
Cartier also pointed out how new products are central to raising revenue. He elaborated that Nissan would now take on a twofold approach – to redefine its market strategy and to create market-specific strategies for different parts of the world.
North America and China key markets for Nissan
Following this, the current chief planning officer and soon-to-be chief executive officer (from April 1), Ivan Espinosa, revealed that the company will release several new and refreshed ICE vehicles and hybrids, as well as new EVs. He further stated Nissan’s two key markets, North America and China, are due to receive a multitude of fresh and updated models over the next two years. China, in particular, will get EV models that are being developed specifically for it. Two of these cars will be revealed very soon.
New Nissan launches for India
Nissan midsize SUV, compact MPV to join line-up
India might not appear to rank as high on the priority list, with just two models currently on sale (Magnite and X-Trail), but it is an important market nonetheless. The Magnite has been a life-saver of sorts for Nissan in India, and it has not only been popular in terms of domestic sales but is also exported to over 65 countries in both RHD and LHD guises. Nissan has revealed that it plans to bolster the Indian line-up with two more models.
The first will be a Renault Triber-based compact MPV, which will go on sale in FY2025. The second launch is slated for FY2026: a new midsize SUV based on the new Renault Duster that’s long overdue. It will be a more visually differentiated product from its platform sibling and will be launched around the same time as the Duster in our market. Also expected further down the line is the midsize SUV’s three-row derivative based on the Renault Bigster that recently debuted with a Dacia badge.
Nissan EV for India a challenge
As for EVs, the company said it is evaluating options for India but cited challenges in the form of tax and duty structures as well as localisation complications with the batteries. In 2023, the Japanese brand had plans to launch an entry-level EV based on the Renault Kwid’s CMF-A platform, but there has been no update on this model. However, Nissan is keen to expand its export potential from India, with the Magnite soon to be exported to additional markets, starting with Mexico. The upcoming midsize SUV for India will also be exported.
Multiple powertrains under development
On a broad scale, the company said it is keen to keep its options open, with plans to diversify its ICE, hybrid and EV powertrains. There are upcoming products based on the company’s latest, third-generation ‘e-Power’ range-extender hybrid powertrain, which is said to be quieter, more refined and more efficient.
Nissan has also shown off some exciting new EVs. First, there’s the third-gen Leaf based on the company’s new EV platform, which underpins the new Juke EV. Then, there’s the reborn Micra, which uses the CMF-B EV platform from the recently launched Renault R5. These products are mainly for European, North American and Japanese markets and aren’t currently on the cards for India.
Future Nissan technologies
Nissan solid state batteries developed inhouse
Nissan also shared some details on future technology platforms that are under development. Interestingly, the company said it plans to begin testing its own solid-state batteries on public roads in FY2026 and intends to start sales of EVs equipped with these batteries by FY2028.
The company has been working on its solid-state battery technology from as far back as the mid-2010s, and it has some ambitious targets in terms of promised capabilities. These include a high energy density of 1000Wh/L, exceptional heat resistance and a 5-minute quick-charge time for topping it up from 0 to 65 percent.
Next gen Nissan EV batteries to be smaller, safer
The company also plans to make its batteries cobalt-free and stated that it stands out from rivals by using a lithium anode instead of graphene. The advantage of this is a higher energy density, but it comes at the cost of being more difficult to engineer. Nissan said it has made some breakthroughs in terms of safety and has come up with a novel way of maintaining pressure on the pack to avoid density changes during charging and discharging – which can lead to serious safety concerns. The company didn’t go into more detail about this proprietary technology but told us it is about 70 percent more compact than existing mechanical spring or motor-driven solutions.
Nissan has already started a pilot plant within its Yokohama facilities to study how to ramp up the production for this battery technology. The company told us that according to publicly available data, their solid-state battery solution is superior to what else is currently being developed. This technology could be a significant breakthrough if Nissan can stick to the promised timeline.
Nissan ADAS and self-driving tech
Of course, like many other manufacturers, Nissan is also working on self-driving technology, but it does seem to be a bit behind the curve. Executives told us that the focus right now is not to take on technology leaders like Tesla but to refine the current Level 2 capabilities available in cars on sale in international markets before moving to Level 3.
However, the company has some interesting long-term plans for fully self-driving vehicles, with intentions to have some on the road in Yokohama by around FY2026, expansion of this to more regions by FY2027-28 and a foray into commercial vehicles like buses by FY2029-30.
Nissan future global plans are clear, transparent
This event showcased the fact that Nissan’s new leadership is making a shift in the way the company does things – and how it is willing to share those details with the public. Nissan certainly has challenging times ahead, but it also appears to be armed with a number of interesting upcoming vehicles – many of which were shown to us but on the condition that we can’t talk about them.
While Nissan shared little about financials, the company was open about the fact that it has now revised its focus on increasing speed and bringing costs down. Hopefully, all these moves will give this iconic Japanese brand the push it needs to regain the lost ground.
Hormazd Sorabjee
Anurag Chaturvedi
