The current generation of Nissan’s mid-size pickup truck was only unveiled in 2021, but the Japanese automaker is happy enough with it that it has already taken the decision to extend its lifecycle. That choice provides a small hint as to what it might be planning next, too.
Nissan was originally expecting the third-generation Frontier to be in production until at least the 2027 model year. At that point, it was planning to give the pickup truck a major redesign, which would be its fourth generation. However, those plans are changing.
The automaker will now extend the third-generation Frontier’s lifecycle by two years, and will continue making it in Canton, Mississippi until the 2029 model year, according to a memo seen by Autonews. That decision has led some to suspect that it is also changing its plans for the next-generation truck.
Read: With The Nissan Titan On The Chopping Block, Could Nissan Make An Electric Frontier?
According to a supplier who has been briefed on the matter, updating the Frontier in 2027 would have coincided with the Mississippi plant’s plans to start building electric vehicles. Nissan didn’t want to update a major model while it was revving up EV production.
That’s all well and good, but the supplier suspects that there’s more to the rejigging of the schedule than meets the eye. If the EV transition is going well, they suspect that Nissan may decide to phase out the internal combustion Frontier in 2029, and reintroduce it as an electric vehicle in 2030.
Meanwhile, keeping the profitable ICE truck on dealer lots a little longer could help pay for the expensive changeover to electric vehicle production. Nissan is investing $500 million into its Canton plant in order to get four EVs rolling through the production line.
Delaying the launch of the next Frontier to 2030 may also give the automaker a chance to iron out any production wrinkles before getting an EV into the competitive and highly profitable mid-size pickup segment.
Nissan has been looking at electric pickups and released the Surf-Out concept in 2021. The small pickup hints at what dealers believe the automaker’s strategy will be: an affordable electric truck that focuses on mainstream affordability and visibility for the brand.
Finally, if Nissan waits until 2030 to produce an electric Frontier, it may be able to take advantage of solid-state battery technology, which would allow it to be lighter, go farther, and charge faster, making it an attractive vehicle for a number of reasons.
