Can Nissan Save Itself With LFP Batteries?

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Nissan is in hassle. It has been for a number of years now. For extra on the broader story, you may see Steve Hanley’s latest article: “Nissan Is In Deep Doo-Doo.” As a part of that, Steve wrote, “In the first half of 2024, the average Nissan dealership in the US earned 70% less in profit than in the same period a year ago, Automotive News reported last month. Americans simply aren’t buying Nissans like they used to, despite a splurge on advertising and sales incentives. Car lots are still stuffed with 2023 models. 2024 models will be leftovers as well, as 2025 models from other manufacturers are scheduled to go on sale soon.”

Simply wanting on the US market, you may see within the following charts I just lately created that Nissan gross sales had been down by practically 100,000 items in Q2 2024 in comparison with Q2 2019, greater than some other auto model besides Ford (which was down by simply over 112,000 items); and in proportion phrases, gross sales had been down 31%.

Naturally, total, that’s not an awesome development. I assume a part of that’s that Nissan was lengthy seen as a considerably vitality environment friendly, inexpensive automobile model, however comparable opponents have been outplaying Nissan and the corporate has fumbled the lead it as soon as had in electrical automobiles.

Simply wanting on the EV story now, the Nissan LEAF was the chief of the electrical automobile transition for a number of years — it led the US and the world in gross sales fairly routinely. It had essentially the most cumulative EV gross sales for some time, till the Tesla Mannequin 3 got here alongside and shortly handed that file (and later the Mannequin Y did even higher). The large downside with the LEAF, although, was that it used batteries that simply weren’t as much as snuff. They suffered from important degradation inside a number of years like different EV batteries didn’t. It took a bit too lengthy to regulate and go a extra frequent route on batteries with first rate thermal administration techniques.

Nonetheless, the LEAF’s early management has endeared it to many early EV lovers, and it’s not the worst promoting EV. The truth is, sales were up 188% in the 3rd quarter in the US! However only 3.2% of Nissan’s US auto sales are electricwhich is way beneath opponents Kia (8.7%), Hyundai (7.8%), and even Ford (4.7%).

How can Nissan get again its mojo with EVs? A method is likely to be to make use of tremendous cost-effective LFP (lithium-iron-phosphate) battery know-how just like what EV leaders in China, and thus globally, are utilizing of their EVs. Then, maybe, Nissan can compete effectively once more within the low-cost, value-for-money, environment friendly automobile enviornment and save itself from catastrophe.

Final month, Nissan introduced that “its development and mass production of in-vehicle, lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) batteries has been certified in Japan by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI).” Quite than shopping for EV batteries from Chinese language corporations, Nissan is boldly and admirably targeted (once more) on making an attempt to supply itself with the core EV batteries it wants as a way to paved the way into the long run. “Through the development and mass-production of LFP batteries, Nissan intends to establish a base in Japan by strengthening the supply chain of storage batteries, a Japanese government policy, and promoting the use of electric vehicles fitted with LFP batteries,” the company writes.

“Nissan will adopt LFP batteries to meet the diverse needs of customers and to provide more affordable electric vehicles. The batteries, to be developed and mass-produced in Japan, will be installed in electric minivehicles starting in fiscal year* 2028,” Nissan president and CEO Makoto Uchida says (emphasis added). “We aim to establish a base for LFP batteries in Japan by making the most of the government support approved by METI.” Once more, there’s the important thing: This is a crucial option to convey down prices, and Nissan is striving to once more lead within the inexpensive vehicles enviornment, however extra particularly the inexpensive electrical vehicles enviornment on this case. How will it do?