Like many other automakers, Nissan is looking for ways to avoid being affected by tariffs. Recently, the Nikkei reported that Nissan may shift some of its Japanese production to the US for vehicles headed there anyway. This could happen as early as Summer 2025, as Nissan plans to shift production from its Fukuoka factory and the Rogue crossover to the United States.
The Rogue SUV is a Key Model
The Nissan Rogue is a key model for the Japanese automakers in the US market, and it’s currently being produced in Fukuoka and the United States. Nissan may shift more of its production to the United States in response to tariffs. Nissan also said it was not accepting new orders from the US for two Infiniti SUVs built in Mexico after the tariff announcements.
Nissan is now planning to keep two production shifts at its plant in Tennessee. This comes after the automaker announced that it would end one of the two shifts this month. Nissan sold roughly 920,000 vehicles in the United States last year, and about 16% of those were exported from Japan
How Nissan Is Adjusting
Nissan has experienced some tumultuous years since the Nissan Leaf EV hit car lots in 2010. Not everyone remembers that the Leaf was actually the first mass-produced EV before Tesla entered production. Now, 15 years later, the Japanese automaker is floundering. Nissan apparently didn’t see the rise of hybrids coming, and its failed merger with Honda is still fresh on everyone’s mind.
The chaos of tariffs is just getting started, and Nissan is trying to adjust and bring itself back. A new CEO is on tap, plus new EV models and a hybrid model for the US market. The industry is often full of bravado and false hope, but Nissan has been pretty straightforward about the issues it’s experiencing. According to sources at Nissan, the merger with Honda fell apart due to Nissan leaders being unwilling to concede Honda’s superiority in the industry.
However, Nissan would like everyone to focus on its next-generation Leaf model. No longer a hatchback, the Leaf has morphed into a crossover, expected to appeal directly to the US market. It’s expected to hit the market this year.
Nissan Seeks To Correct Hybrid Missteps
One area where Nissan has lagged is developing hybrids. To fix this huge oversight, Nissan is planning to produce an all-new Rogue hybrid and a PHEV as well. The Rogue is considered Nissan’s key model, and it competes with the ultra-popular Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. Both of those crossovers already have hybrid options.
The Rogue hybrid will use Nissan’s latest e-Power series technology. Unlike most hybrids, the e-Power system powers the wheels with an electric motor while a gas engine acts as a generator. The upcoming version will combine the gearbox, powerplant, and inverter into one unit with the same electric motor in Nissan’s EVs.
This will lower startup costs, and Nissan reveals that the e-Power system will give drivers low-end torque, smooth acceleration, and a quiet ride that is more like an EV than a regular hybrid.
