Can Nissan salvage consumer confidence and push profits with a new scalable architecture? The Japanese automaker still seems to be thinking “yes,” and recently announced plans for an all-new electric vehicle platform that can support up to five U.S.-built models, ranging from sedans to a small truck.
According to Automotive News, the from-the-ground-up EVs will be equipped with a new generation of electric powertrains, which will return quicker charging speeds and lower costs on batteries. Initially, the new EVs were to arrive in 2026 to replace the Altima and Maxima. But, like everyone else, Nissan realized sedans are not the vibe to make money in the car business these days.
“But data showed that coming out with two sedans is not what the market is asking for, certainly not at a $45,000-plus price point,” said Nissan Americas product planning boss Ponz Pandikuthira. Luckily, the new EV platform is designed to adapt.
“The platform’s versatility and Nissan’s factory capacity in the U.S. open the door to partnership opportunities with another OEM to lower manufacturing costs,” added Pandikuthira.
Instead of sedans, Nissan will shift its focus to market-dominant crossovers. During a media event last month, the automaker showcased a selection of concepts that seemingly blur the lines between segments.
As AN put it, the EV CUVs had a longer wheelbase than a compact Rogue, but the interior spaciousness of a midsize Pathfinder. Then there was a Pathfinder/Xterra mashup of sorts. And sedans, too, but high-riding ones that are styled like a crossover but perform like a car.
Speaking of the Pathfinder, since the Rogue is getting a plug-in hybrid version later this year, the Murano, Pathfinder, and Infiniti QX60 and QX65 are “prime candidates” for hybridized variants. The Pathfinder was slated to go electric, but will likely be a hybrid instead.
There’s been talk of a lifestyle-oriented lightweight EV pickup as well. Nissan did unveil its Surf-Out truck concept at the end of 2021, but no one’s spilled any tea on that project since. AN reports that if a small Nissan EV truck did go into production, it could arrive in 2030. A planned electrified Frontier could arrive sooner, though.
Either way, it looks like Nissan is really going all in on electrification, wanting to offer both a HEV, PHEV, or EV model of its current lineup, plus new surprises along the way. As with the possible future hybrids, the new EV platform won’t be limited to the Nissan brand either.
Vehicles to be built on the new EV platform will be produced at the Nissan plant in Canton, Mississippi, but the first ones off the line won’t be arriving soon. The automaker said at least one of the new crossovers should arrive in mid-2028, but also didn’t divulge which brand.
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