The automaker has asked suppliers to stop work on two 2027 electric sedans while it makes the changes; It will eventually build three electric SUVs alongside it at its Canton, Mississippi, plant
by Chris Shelton
May 21, 2024 at 10:55
- Nissan has reportedly asked suppliers to stop work on a pair of electric sedans scheduled to enter production in late 2026.
- The automaker said it needed to make changes to “enhance product competitiveness.”
- Two electric SUVs will now be built before sedans at the Canton, MS, plant, and will later be joined by a Rogue-sized crossover
Nissan has halted production of a pair of electric sedans scheduled to begin rolling out at the brand’s U.S. factory in late 2026.
The automaker has asked suppliers working on the two four-door electric vehicles to “cease all development activities” while it makes changes designed to “enhance the competitiveness of the product,” according to a report from the automaker. Car News. This isn’t the first time the two sedans have been delayed – one bearing a Nissan badge, the other a production version of the Infiniti Vision QE concept. It was originally scheduled to enter production in June 2026.
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The suppliers cited in the report estimate that the sedans will be delayed by six to eight months, meaning that the two electric SUVs that Nissan also plans to manufacture in Canton will overtake them, making it to the market first. Nissan also revealed its desire to build a fifth electric vehicle at the same site, a compact crossover of the same size as the current ICE-powered Nissan Rogue, currently known only by its codename PZ1L. Car News He says.
It’s unclear exactly what changes Nissan is making to its sedans that would require delaying production, but in March of this year, the automaker said the next generation of electric cars would share engines, components and development to reduce costs. Implementing this strategy may be what caused the sedan to stall.
Cost savings have become more important over the past year as automakers have noticed that the electric vehicle market is failing to grow as quickly as they expected. Many were counting on electric cars to take the lion’s share of car sales by the end of this decade, but now they are changing their tune and some brands are working to extend the life of combustion cars, hybrid vehicles and internal combustion engine programs into the 2030s.
Car News He notes that suppliers near Canton are concerned about the impact the production delay could have on their business. The plant is building three models at present, the Titan, Altima sedan, and Frontier, but the Titan will be axed this summer and the Altima was scheduled to be retired in 2025 so it gets a temporary reprieve.
