Nissan Says Nismo Performance Brand Will Not Go Fully Electric

by Carl Malek | September 24, 2024

Nismo reveals it has no plans to go all-electric as the brand confirms shifting market conditions are forcing it to alter its electrification plans and will instead take a more calculated approach on the creation of future performance models.

Nissan confirms that the Nismo brand will jot have an all-electric vehicle lineup anytime soon.

Nissan is one of many automotive companies that are getting ready to embrace an all-EV lineup with models like the Ariya and Leaf being early spearheads into a segment that still has the potential for long-term gain even as EV sales as a whole have begun to slow down with demand also starting to cool off too.

Some were wondering if the Nismo performance sub-brand would adopt the same strategy and go down a similar road towards creating an all-electric vehicle lineup. However, the company confirmed in an interview that Nismo would not be going all in on EVs just yet with changing market conditions and other factors forcing Nismo to alter its approach and some of its immediate plans.

Nismo changing gears on EVs

The admission comes as Nissan is continuing to navigate rough waters while still adjusting to changing market conditions in the EV market.

The confirmation came from an interview that Pierre Loing did with Top Gear and is also from the same series of interviews where Loing confirmed Nissan’s dashed hopes of making the current generation GT-R stick around for another 17 years. This time, Loing was asked about Nismo’s future plans with a focus on whether the brand would adopt an all-electric vehicle lineup like parent company Nissan.

Loing had a simple response by saying “Nismo has no specific target to go electric only.” This would mean that while the Ariya EV Nismo is already on sale in Japan, the sub-brand will not go all in on EVs and will instead take a more calculated approach to the creation of performance vehicles with ICE powertrains continuing to play a strong role in their sales plans. Part of this is due to Nissan’s focus on their E-Power system with the recently launched Qashqai E-Power which is the first production Nissan model equipped with the system. The company is using the model as an opportunity to gain real world data on the system and any potential plans for a Nismo version will depend on its sales numbers.

Nismo is trying to do a balancing act

Nismo will continue to rely on ICE-powered models for the bulk of its sales but also confirmed it will be taking a more calculated apporach to future models.

Nissan and Nismo know that performance buyers are willing to pay a considerable premium for a performance vehicle with the GT-R’s long run in production being a strong testament to that. However, not every model is fit for the transformation into a formal Nismo model with Lonig saying that a Nismo version of a model has to be created in a way that can allow it to fit seamlessly into the product line while still delivering the distinctive character that Nismo models are known for.

In addition, Nismo is also trying to stay within a defined price range for any future product and as a result, it’s trying to avoid “a super high level” price ceiling with the model in question playing a part in what that determined ceiling is and the point when the pricing crosses it and goes into the point of no return. Sales numbers will also play a role in whether a performance model is even worth doing but it will be interesting to see if Nissan is forced to potentially change the broader timeline for Nismo’s electrification plans as it continues to navigate rough sales waters of its own.