An electric pioneer, Nissan continues to bet on this engine for the future. The Japanese manufacturer, which markets the Leaf, the best-selling 100% electric car in the world until 2019, has indeed increased its ambitions for sales of electrified vehicles on a global scale. As indicated in a press release published on Monday, February 27, it is now counting on a 55% share for its electrified vehicles in its global sales by 2030. Its previous objective, announced at the end of 2021 as part of its long-term strategy “Ambition 2030”, reported a 50% share of electrified vehicles by 2030. These accounted for around 10% of its sales in 2020.
The increase in objectives concerns only 100% electric
To achieve its goal, Nissan plans to introduce 27 new “electrified” models by the end of its 2030/31 fiscal year, up from 23 previously, it said in a statement. Among them, 19 will be 100% electric vehicles, compared to 15 in the previous ambitions.
Nissan now says it is aiming for 98% “electrified” sales in Europe by its 2026/27 financial year once morest a previous target of 75%. The company says it wants to “pursue its robust electrification policy” et “study the possibility of strengthening its collaboration with the Alliance”.
In the rest of the world too, Nissan has raised its targets. In Japan, the manufacturer is now counting on 58% electrified sales (instead of 55% previously) by 2026/27. In the United States, the group still expects its future electric vehicles to represent 40% of its sales in 2030/31.
Nissan, on the other hand, lowered its forecasts in China. It is now aiming for 35% by 2026/27, a less ambitious threshold than the 40% mentioned so far.
The Alliance is going electric
Allied to the French Renault since 1999, Nissan therefore intends to rely on this partnership. As a reminder, the two manufacturers announced at the beginning of the month a new start to their collaboration, following nearly a year of complex negotiations. This overhaul provides for a rebalancing of their cross-shareholdings and new projects, precisely in the electricity sector.
Each of the two companies will now hold 15% of the capital of the other, while Renault previously owned 43.4% of Nissan, which had been a source of great tension in the past. Nissan will invest in Ampere, Renault’s future electric pole to be listed on the stock market. The amount of his investment has not yet been specified but it must relate to a maximum of 15% of the company.
The two manufacturers also indicated in mid-February that they would invest around 600 million dollars in India in order to launch six new models – three each – including two electric ones.
Nissan lowers sales forecast
Despite this momentum, Nissan once more lowered its annual volume sales target in early February. It now plans to sell 3.4 million vehicles over its entire 2022/23 financial year which will end at the end of March, a drop of 12.3% over one year, once morest a previous target of 3.7 million. of units.
The group quoted in a press release “Semiconductor shortages and the impact of the spread of Covid-19 infections in China” as reasons for the downward revision of its volume sales target, which it had already reduced last November.
However, Nissan maintained all of its annual financial targets, as it plans to ” compensate for “ the negative impact of this decline in volume by a “strict” management of its costs, the improvement of its selling prices and the positive exchange rate effects linked to the fall in the yen.
Nissan is therefore still aiming for an annual net profit of 155 billion yen (1.1 billion euros at the current exchange rate), which would be a jump of 28.1% compared to 2021/22. And it still provides for an annual operating profit of 360 billion yen (+45.6%) for a turnover of 10,900 billion yen (+29.4%).
For its third quarter (October-December), Nissan published very strong results, with a net profit of 50.6 billion yen (+54.7% over one year) and an operating profit of 133.1 billion. yen, or 2.5 times more than the same period a year earlier. Its quarterly sales also climbed 28.6% to 2,837.4 billion yen (20.1 billion euros at current prices), although its sales in volume over the period fell by 6.9 % over one year, weighed down in particular by China, North America and the shutdown of its activities in Russia.
(with AFP)
