BEIJING: Nissan Motor announced on Sunday its plans to globally distribute electric vehicles (EVs) developed in China global, solidifying a partnership with the country’s premier university to expedite research and development in electrification.
Masashi Matsuyama, Vice President of Nissan Motor and President of Nissan China global, stated in Beijing that the Japanese automaker is exploring the exportation of its current internal combustion engine vehicle lineup, as well as upcoming pure electric and plug-in hybrid cars manufactured and developed in China, to international markets. Matsuyama revealed that Nissan is eyeing the same markets as its Chinese counterparts, such as BYD.
In a move following other foreign automakers like Tesla, BMW, and Ford, Nissan aims to leverage China’s lower manufacturing costs, optimizing the utilization of its factories. China constituted slightly over 20% of Nissan’s global sales of approximately 2.8 million vehicles in the first 10 months of the year, a decrease from over a third during the same period last year.
Facing stiff competition from domestic brands and intense pricing battles amid China’s rapid electric vehicle adoption, Japanese automakers have encountered sales challenges in the world’s largest auto market this year.
Japanese automakers have faced a severe sales challenge this year in China, the world’s biggest auto market, due to the popularity of domestic brands and heavy price competition amid a rapid shift to EVs.
As part of its strategy, Nissan disclosed plans to establish a joint research center with China’s prestigious Tsinghua University next year, focusing on EV research and development, including charging infrastructure and battery recycling. Nissan President and Chief Executive Makoto Uchida emphasized that the collaboration aims to deepen their understanding of the Chinese market and develop strategies that align with local customer needs.
The upcoming research center builds upon the joint research initiatives Nissan initiated with Tsinghua in 2016, focusing on intelligent mobility and autonomous driving technology.
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