This photograph, taken in the UK on 18 December 2020, shows the rear of a Nissan Leaf electric vehicle.
John Forsyth Bloomberg | Getty Images
Chief executive of Nissan reaffirmed the importance of electric vehicles to the vehicle’s future on Tuesday, telling CNBC that his company would “build (on) our strengths to 100% of our new car offerings.” collected from the early 2030s in key markets. “
Makoto Uchida’s comments are a replica of a announcement made by Nissan in late January, when the company said Japanese, European, U.S. and Chinese markets would be the focus of their electronic target for new vehicles.
In his interview with CNBC’s “Street Signs Europe”, Uchida also addressed the global shortage of semiconductors affecting the car industry, saying it had “affected our domestic and overseas production . “
Increased demand for electronic devices and appliances during the epidemic of coronavirus has contributed to global tensions over access to semiconductors. This has hit the car industry, which relies heavily on technology, especially hard.
“We are working with our suppliers to reduce this impact,” Uchida went on to add, “and we are closely monitoring the situation and changing our productivity. We are recognize that the uncertainties will continue. “
In the three months ended Dec. 31, Nissan’s operating profit hit 27.1 billion Japanese yen, compared to 22.7 billion yen in the same period a year earlier.
For the fiscal year ended March 31, Nissan said it now expected a net loss of 530 billion yen, or about $ 5.1 billion. A net loss of 615 billion yen was previously expected.
The company has also revised its sales forecast to 4.015 million units, compared to a previous forecast of 4.165 million units, a fall of 3.6%.
Changing times
As governments around the world announce plans to move away from diesel and gasoline vehicles, Nissan, along with many other carmakers, is trying to ramp up their electricity supply and challenge for companies such as Tesla Elon Musk.
South Korean carmaker Kia, for example, will launch its first dedicated electric vehicle this year, while Germany’s Volkswagen Group is investing around 35 billion euros (approximately $ 42.35 billion) in battery electric vehicles and says they want to roll out about 70 electronic models. ro 2030.
Last month, CEO Daimler told CNBC that the automotive industry was “in the midst of a transformation.”
“Alongside what we know best – to build the world’s most desirable cars – are two technological trends that we are doubling down: electrification and digitization,” Ola Källenius told CNBC’s Annette Weisbach .
The company with Stuttgart headquarters was “pouring billions into these new technologies,” he said, adding that they would “drive our path towards CO2-free driving.” This decade, he went on to assert, would be “transformative.”