Nissan unveils "Ambition 2030" plans in electrification push

Japanese automaker Nissan has revealed plans to invest around 2 trillion yen (€15.6 billion) into a new electrification drive that will see the company attempt to catch up with its peers in the industry.

Dubbed "Ambition 2030", the company has laid out a long-term plan that will see the automaker release 23 electric car models by the end of the decade, with 15 of them being fully electric, with lofty goals of having 50% of its market share taken up by EVs by 2030, in a bid to "democratise" electrification.

Read more: Nissan plans to turn its Sunderland plant into a battery megafactory

As part of these plans, the automaker hopes 75% of its European market share will be taken up by EVs by 2026, targeting anywhere between 40% and 50% in its other main markets within the same time frame.

“The role of companies to address societal needs is increasingly heightened", Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida said in a statement. " We want to transform Nissan to become a sustainable company that is truly needed by customers and society".

Nissan has set itself a goal of becoming carbon-neutral by 2050, but has thus far lagged behind some of its competitors, such as Volkswagen, who have already unveiled electrification schemes.

While Nissan launched the Leaf in 2010, which became one of the first viable electric vehicles on the market, this is the first time it has made a public commitment to increasing its electric mix.

At the conference, the automaker unveiled new concepts, the Nissan Chill-Out, the Nissan Max-Out, the Nissan Hang-Out and the Nissan Surf-Out.

Nissan is currently also in the process of converting its Sunderland plant into a battery megafactory in a bid to help alleviate the losses attributed to the semiconductor shortage, which have caused manufacturing pitfalls for the automotive industry and stopped many pushed towards electrification in their tracks.

As part of a greater pledge to sustainability, it will also be looking to actively reduce the price of lithium-ion batteries by as much as 65% by 2028. These batteries will be manufactured without the use of cobalt,  a problem mineral due to associated child labour controversies.

It will also be attempting to set up global battery supply chains to meet demand, which has seen a slump due to the chip shortage.

“We are proud of our long track record of innovation, and of our role in delivering the EV revolution. With our new ambition, we continue to take the lead in accelerating the natural shift to EVs by creating customer pull through an attractive proposition by driving excitement, enabling adoption and creating a cleaner world,” said Nissan COO Ashwani Gupta.

Nissan also revealed it could be introducing potentially game-changing solid-state batteries in 2029.

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Electric vehicles continue to grow in popularity as potential bans on combustion engines continue to loom on the horizon and more conscious consumers hope to reduce their environmental impacts.

Like other manufacturers, the company was also hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, which caused it to halt production in the UK for several weeks.

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