Nissan will not invest in new internal combustion engines for its vehicles; instead, it will maintain focus on an electric future.
Per Electrek, this commitment comes in contrast to several other Japanese automakers — Toyota, Mazda, and Subaru — teaming up to develop more efficient next-generation ICE engines, though Toyota also remains a leader in hybrid vehicle sales.
This spring, Nissan revealed new business plans to make electric vehicles account for 60% of sales by 2030. In the U.S., Nissan is updating 78% of its lineup with new "e-POWER" and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle models. In Europe, it is launching six new EVs, and has already unveiled plans to be all-electric in Europe by 2030, all per Electrek.
"Our future is EV," said Nissan's senior vice president Francois Bailly via Drive. "E-Power is a stepping stone to get there, and each market will go at their own pace. We're not investing in new powertrain for ICE, that's for sure."
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, about 28% of planet-warming gas pollution in the country is derived from transportation. Though a low-carbon electricity sector will also be necessary, EVs have significant potential for gas pollution reduction, per Earth.org.
This kind of commitment to progress from large brands will be hugely necessary in protecting a rapidly heating planet. Fortunately, Nissan is far from alone in its innovation — for example, Kellogg's is looking to create eco-friendly boxes, bags, and pouches, and Target has been using old car seats to create new products, including storage crates, for several years.
Nissan's announcement was met with praise from members of the public who shared their opinions in the comments section of Electrek's article, with some even calling the joint effort to focus on new combustion engines as feeling like greenwashing.
"I am happy for their strategy," one commenter said. "They are not as financially fit as Toyota and Honda so this is a bold move. It is also, IMO, the right one as the others see it as a niche and are treating it as such.
"Thus Nissan has an opportunity to leapfrog them and gain market share and momentum. This will give them the funds to move even further ahead. Kind of like Tesla."
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