As the global automobile business reacts to demand for environmental responsibility amid growing concerns about climate change, major carmakers are ramping up electric vehicle development.
Today, the Japanese multinational automobile manufacturer Nissan Motor has officially announced that it will invest $500 million to transform its Mississippi assembly plant in the United States, into a key production center for electric vehicles, with the goal of producing two new all-electric models, including the luxury Infiniti brand, starting in 2025.
Nissan presently produces four models at its Canton assembly facility in Mississippi, which opened in 2003. These include the Frontier pickup truck and the Altima sedan.
Recall that last year, the automobile giant announced the “Nissan Ambition 2030” which plans to invest 2 trillion yen (about 17.6 billion US dollars) in the next five years to promote the electrification of more products and plans to change the automobile industry and become the backbone of the company’s long-term growth.
With this, the corporation aims to sell 40% of electric vehicles in the United States by 2030. In addition, it is reported that the company is also looking for a new battery factory site in the United States.
The new vehicle will be built on two production lines at Nissan’s Canton facility, one for light trucks like the Frontier and another for midsize sedans like the Altima. The 2,000 staff at the plant will also be retrained as part of the new investment.
Nissan Chief Operating Officer Ashwani Gupta stated that the company will capitalize on the current rapid electric car development trend and use its skills to acquire a foothold in the electrification sector.
“Nissan is making a strong investment in Canton’s future, bringing the latest technology, training, and process to create a truly best-in-class EV manufacturing team.”
The automobile giant unveiled its first all-electric vehicle, the Leaf, in 2010, putting the company at the forefront of the rapidly growing electric vehicle sector. The Leaf, with a range of 226 miles (364 kilometers), has been surpassed in sales by Tesla’s Model 3 car, which has a range of 358 miles per charge. Nissan, Renault, and Mitsubishi announced a $25.7 billion partnership in January of this year to create 35 new electric automobiles by 2030.
