Developed electric vehicles in China and reached an agreement with top universities in China to accelerate electrification research and development using domestic resources.
Nissan (China) Investment Co., Ltd. General Manager Masashi Matsuyama stated that Nissan is considering exporting its existing internal combustion engine vehicles produced and developed in China, as well as its upcoming pure electric and hybrid vehicles, to overseas markets.
He said that Nissan is considering targeting the same market as Chinese competitors such as BYD.
Foreign brands such as Tesla, BMW, and Ford are expanding exports of Chinese made cars to take advantage of China's lower manufacturing costs and improve factory capacity utilization, and Nissan is a new member of this trend.
In the first 10 months of this year, China accounted for slightly over one-fifth of Nissan's global sales of approximately 2.8 million vehicles, down from more than one-third of the same period last year.
Japanese automakers are facing severe sales challenges in China, the world's largest automotive market, this year due to the popularity of domestic brands and fierce price competition in the rapid transition to electric vehicles.
Hand in hand with Tsinghua University
Earlier that day, Nissan announced the establishment of a joint research center with Tsinghua University to launch joint research on a new topic starting from 2024. The research topic focuses on effective communication methods for Generation Z, as well as the role and social responsibility of enterprises in the electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem, including charging infrastructure, battery recycling, reuse, and energy management.
"We hope that this collaboration will help us gain a deeper understanding of the Chinese market and develop strategies to better meet the needs of Chinese customers," said Makoto Uchida, President and CEO of Nissan
The establishment of this research center is an extension of the company's joint research with Tsinghua University since 2016, which focuses on intelligent mobility and autonomous driving technology.