Nissan unveils electric saloon and electric SUV concepts for China
According to a Nissan press release, the four electric concept cars epitomise the company’s latest achievements and its future direction for electrification in China. The Japanese company is putting the spotlight on the Epoch Concept saloon and the Epic Concept SUV in Beijing as a duo with an all-electric drive. The two PHEV concepts are also a saloon and an SUV – named Evo Concept and Era Concept. In addition to this quartet, another electric car is to follow, bringing the number of planned product launches in China to five by the 2026 financial year, according to Nissan. They are being developed together with joint venture partner Dongfeng so that they “better meet the future mobility needs of customers in China”, as Nissan writes.
Dongfeng Motor Company Limited (DFL), the Chinese joint venture between Dongfeng and Nissan, announced back in December 2023 that it was aiming to introduce ten new electrified models by 2026. At the time, four of the new models would be Nissan brand vehicles. This statement is therefore already outdated. However, the timetable for the launch of the first new Nissan model in China, which is scheduled to debut there in the second half of 2024, is unlikely to have changed.
According to a Nissan press release, the four electric concept cars epitomise the company’s latest achievements and its future direction for electrification in China. The Japanese company is putting the spotlight on the Epoch Concept saloon and the Epic Concept SUV in Beijing as a duo with an all-electric drive. The two PHEV concepts are also a saloon and an SUV – named Evo Concept and Era Concept. In addition to this quartet, another electric car is to follow, bringing the number of planned product launches in China to five by the 2026 financial year, according to Nissan. They are being developed together with joint venture partner Dongfeng so that they “better meet the future mobility needs of customers in China”, as Nissan writes.
Dongfeng Motor Company Limited (DFL), the Chinese joint venture between Dongfeng and Nissan, announced back in December 2023 that it was aiming to introduce ten new electrified models by 2026. At the time, four of the new models would be Nissan brand vehicles. This statement is therefore already outdated. However, the timetable for the launch of the first new Nissan model in China, which is scheduled to debut there in the second half of 2024, is unlikely to have changed.
The Nissan Era Concept is a plug-in hybrid SUV that Nissan has tailored to “young business people” who “see their car as a second home”. On board you will find a networked entertainment system, zero-gravity seats and all-wheel steering with active air suspension. The Japanese is positioning the Evo Concept plug-in hybrid saloon as a family car.
According to Nissan, the strategy behind the quartet is “In China, for China”, which aims to achieve a high level of competitiveness on the Chinese market. To this end, the Group intends to “partner with leading companies in the areas of intelligence to bring exciting intelligence system and AI-based services to customers in China and beyond”.
Makoto Uchida, President and Chief Executive Officer of Nissan, summarises his company’s China strategy as follows: “To achieve sustainable growth in the rapidly changing Chinese market, Nissan is committed to a China-tailored strategy as we announced in our new business plan, ‘The Arc’. Starting with new energy vehicles to be based on the concepts unveiled today, Nissan will build a balanced product portfolio of diverse and competitive new models. Our aim will be to provide a more exciting mobility experience to all customers in China.”
A few weeks ago, a report in Nikkei Asia revealed that Nissan’s back is probably against the wall in China. According to the report, Nissan is preparing to reduce production capacities in China. The background to this is that the Japanese car manufacturer is having difficulties keeping up with Chinese competitors in the race for electric cars. According to Nikkei Asia, Nissan is planning to reduce its production capacity by up to 30 per cent as part of its Chinese joint venture. The Japanese company can currently build around 1.6 million cars per year in China through the joint venture. If these capacities were to be reduced by 30 per cent, this would equate to around 500,000 fewer cars.
However, Nissan has not even utilised this capacity recently. In 2023, only 793,000 vehicles were built in China, a decrease of 24 per cent compared to 2022. Previously, DFL had remained constant at over one million units for more than a decade. According to Nikkei Asia, the total of eight factories are to be restructured and some plants, which have so far served the meagre domestic demand, are to produce for export in future. At least this is how the sources of the Japanese business newspaper Nikkei describe the plans, which remain unconfirmed by the company.
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