Nissan has announced plans to work with Mitsubishi on electric trucks as it pushes toward a goal of more electrification in future years.
The partnership follows Ford CFO John Lawler making statements that the company is turning its focus toward smaller electric vehicles (EVs). His comments came as the company shifted two-thirds of its F-150 Lightning factory workers to other projects as demand for the vehicle didn’t appear to be meeting expectations.
Nissan’s “The Arc” business plan lays out the company’s goals through 2030. The plan talks of an accelerated transition to EVs supported by a balance of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. It plans to launch 30 new vehicles over the next three years with 16 electrified.
It plans for EVs to account for 40% of the company’s model mix by 2026 and 60% by 2030, a press release states. Partnerships with Renault and Mitsubishi will help Nissan stay competitive, the release says. The business plan doesn’t provide many details about the truck. It is described as a one-ton pickup with Mitsubishi utilizing Nissan EV assets in North America. Globally, the two could work together to produce an electric or plug-in hybrid truck.
Lawler also left room for Ford to continue to work on electric trucks when speaking at the Bank of America Automotive Summit March 26. “The real competition, where we see it, is the low-cost EVs from China, as well as Tesla,” Lawler said. “Of course, we are going to have large EVs as well but they are going to be very limited.”
Lawler said there is more cost in producing larger EVs because a larger battery is needed. He said that not only is the battery more expensive but the weight of the battery creates more costs as well. Ford is not the only automaker to have recent turbulence with EV production. ‘Apple has abandoned its EV plans in recent months and Fisker sits on the brink of bankruptcy.
Stellantis also announced in recent weeks layoffs of about 400 U.S. workers as it shifts focus to making a more affordable EV. BMW announced recently that it plans to spend more in research and development (R&D) than it ever has before in 2024 with a focus on electrification of its vehicle portfolio, in-car digital innovations, software stacks, and automated driving.
The shake-up in the EV world follows reports of the Biden administration relaxing its timeline for its push on EV production. A decision that has possibly caused states to also rethink their plans with Maine’s Board of Environmental Protection voting down a clean car program and Democrats and Republicans both sounding concerns about their state’s efforts.
