Jan 27 (Nikkei) - Nissan Motor is set to make all of its new vehicles launched in key markets electrified by the early 2030s, the Japanese carmaker announced Wednesday, as it seeks to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 amid increasing pressure from investors and other stakeholders for a strong environmental focus.
The move follows those of other global automakers making aggressive pushes for electrification, recently highlighted by General Motors announcing it would launch 30 electric vehicles by 2025.
Nissan, known for its early embrace of electric vehicles, says it will develop more efficient and cost-competitive EVs through battery innovations, while also emphasizing renewable energy sources to enhance decarbonization.
"We're determined to help create a carbon neutral society and accelerate the global effort against climate change," Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida said in a statement. "Our offering in electrified vehicles will continue to expand around the world, and this will make a major contribution to Nissan becoming carbon neutral."
Nissan expects to introduce only electrified models -- which include purely electric vehicles as well as hybrid cars with motors and engines -- in Japan, China, the U.S. and Europe. Its new target to reduce its carbon footprint to net zero by 2050 was set by reviewing vehicle life cycle, which includes raw material extraction, manufacturing, use, and the recycling or reuse of vehicles.
The automaker has been enhancing electrification of its vehicles. The effort is visible not only in its EV model Leaf, which was first launched in 2010, but also in its e-Power hybrid system based on technologies adopted in the Leaf. In November 2020, Nissan unveiled a new model of its bestselling Note compact, making it available solely as a hybrid and ending a gasoline-powered version of the model.
Source: ANNnewsCH
