Nissan wants to position itself ahead of any other manufacturer on the market with a complete range of electric cars at a reduced price but without giving up the right finishes and technology. Just a few years ago, the market battle was to see who would buck the trend and launch their first electric car. Now, just a few years later, he’s focused on seeing who can sell the most affordable electric vehicle. This is how the automotive landscape has changed in just under a decade. As has already been heard on numerous occasions, a good part of the ‘blame’ for this lies with the Chinese manufacturers for implementing affordable electric models both in their country of origin and for export to new territories such as Europe.
Nissan wants to be the next brand to match this trend. Companies like Dacia, with the Spring, or Citroën with the new ë-C3 have already sought to stand up to manufacturers of Asian origin. However, the plan announced by Nissan goes one step further. It hopes to have a whole range of cheap electric models, according to what Autocar has learned.
Nissan, the new access brand?
“We thought that the process was going step by step, but it has accelerated much faster,” said Makoto Uchida, CEO of Nissan, in a recent speech during the 2023 Tokyo Motor Show where he assured that the electric vehicle market is “moving much faster” than they expected. He also stated that, in his opinion, the arrival of affordable electric vehicles from China is nothing more than “a wake-up call” and that they should “respond as soon as possible.”
The person in charge pointed out that Nissan is currently “holding discussions about the price” of its electric cars. At the same time, they want these cars to be “for everyone,” something he called “a key priority for the future.” However, Nissan’s plans are not to simply manufacture small and cheap cars, but rather it wants its vehicles to simply have an attractive price for customers without giving up finishes, technological elements, or comfort for its passengers.
After the words of the CEO of Nissan, there have been many who have asked about a possible roadmap for the arrival of said “affordable” range. However, the manager has not given explicit details about its launch or presentation, but simply stated that “at Nissan, we have a plan.”
The ability of Chinese manufacturers to produce electric cars of all types and sell them at an attractive price has been the key for brands like Nissan to advance their plans to produce vehicles until now scheduled for a few years from now.
However, as we have already mentioned, Nissan has not provided dates for the market arrival of this range of affordable electric cars. During the 2023 Tokyo Motor Show, the brand has shown some concept vehicles of all kinds, including a possible replacement for the acclaimed GT-R. At the event, there have been many rumors about a possible commercialization of some of them starting in 2025, although without official confirmation. Will this be the date chosen to launch your “affordable” range?
