Nissan announced today that it will invest $500 million in its assembly plant in Canton, Mississippi, to bring it up to date with the latest electric vehicle manufacturing technology. Following the updates, the plant will produce two all-new, all-electric vehicles starting in 2025.
“Today’s announcement is the first of several new investments that will drive the EV revolution in the United States,” said Ashwani Gupta, chief operating officer, Nissan Motor Corporation, Ltd. “Nissan is making a strong investment in Canton’s future, bringing the latest technology, training, and process to create a truly best-in-class EV manufacturing team.”
Nissan’s investment in the plant will go towards updating the plant and upskilling the nearly 2,000 employees who run it. It’s part of a wider investment of more than $13.5 billion in its U.S. manufacturing operations.
Read Also: Nissan To Launch 23 Electrified Models By 2030, Unveils Four All-Electric Concepts
With that, the automaker plans to be able to make an all-new Nissan EV as well as an all-new Infiniti EV there. Details remain scant about the new models but teaser footage of the vehicles makes them look distinctly like sedans, which is an interesting choice, considering the market’s love of SUVs and crossovers.
The lighting display shown in the video does seem to suggest that aerodynamic efficiency will be a major consideration in their design, as has become common for range-obsessed manufacturers.
In December, the premium brand announced that most of its vehicles will be electrified by 2030, shortly after Nissan previewed a range of 23 electrified models set to go on sale by the same date. Of those, 15 will be fully electric and the automaker hopes to make its global operations carbon neutral by 2050.
To achieve that, it will introduce cheaper cobalt-free batteries by 2028 and more power-dense solid-state batteries in the same year. Nissan also intends to increase its global battery production capacity to 52 GWh by 2026 and to 130 GWh by 2030.
“For nearly two decades, Mississippians have kept our state at the forefront of the world’s automotive industry,” said Governor Tate Reeves. “The announcement that Nissan Canton is shifting some production to EVs further positions Mississippi as a leader in this crucial economic sector. We are a top state for automotive leaders, and this significant investment by Nissan in the Canton facility lets the world know that we are open for business and our workforce is ready to take on these in-demand jobs of the future.”
