Nissan is looking to produce 80% of the vehicles it sells in the U.S. locally by the end of 2030 as the automaker seeks to mitigate the impact of tariffs and boost its hybrid sales.
The details: Christian Meunier, Chairperson of the Management Committee for Nissan Americas, shared the plans during a media roundtable while discussing how tariffs have impacted the automaker, according to Automotive World.
The Japanese automaker currently produces 65% of the vehicles it sells in the U.S. locally, making its new goal a 15-percentage-point increase over its current U.S. production level.
Nissan reduced its tariff exposure by $2.3 billion in its last fiscal year by increasing domestic production of SUVs and pickup trucks, including the Rogue, Pathfinder, and Frontier, according to Yahoo Finance.
Why it matters: Increasing U.S. production could help Nissan limit tariff-related costs while providing dealers with a more localized supply of vehicles, potentially supporting pricing and inventory availability.
What they’re saying: “In April of last year, we had significant headwinds from the tariffs […] we pivoted toward building more U.S. cars and localising all the cars and the parts,” Meunier said, per Automotive World. “The goal is to continue to increase this towards 80% in the future.”
OUTSMART THE CAR MARKET IN 5 MINUTES A WEEK
Get insights trusted by 55,000+ car dealers. Free, fast, and built for automotive leaders.
Between the lines: Amid the shift, one of the central products in Nissan’s U.S. production strategy is the new e-Power Rogue due in November, which will initially be imported from Japan, with U.S. production potentially following in 2028 depending on how the SUV performs in the market.
A U.S.-built e-Power Rogue would provide Nissan with a localized hybrid to compete against Toyota and Honda, notes Automotive World.
Nissan also plans to bring the more compact Kicks e-Power hybrid to the U.S. and Canada and offer hybrid powertrains in larger SUV models and pickup trucks in the future, said Meunier, per Reuters.
Bottom line: Nissan is pairing increased U.S. production with a broader hybrid push as it works to reduce tariff exposure and strengthen its market position, fueling more localized vehicle supply and an expanded range of electrified products to compete for hybrid buyers.
A quick word from our partner
Time is running out to join the biggest dealership event of the year for accounting and finance professionals.
This year’s AICPA® Dealership Conference will give you the specialized tools and knowledge you need to pull ahead of the pack.
Even if you can’t make it to Nashville on Oct. 19 and 20, you can attend live online, so don’t miss out on industry updates and expert insights.
Head over to aicpa-cima.com/auto with code AUT26CDG to claim your $100 discount.
