Nissan partners with top Chinese university, plans global export of locally developed EVs

Nissan Motor on Sunday announced that the company would globally export electric vehicles (EVs) developed in China, as part of a deal with the country's prestigious Tsinghua University. According to Reuters, the collaboration aims to leverage local resources and expedite research and development in the field of electrification.

Masashi Matsuyama, Vice President of Nissan Motor and President of Nissan China, revealed the company's plans during a press conference in Beijing. "We are considering exporting our current internal combustion engine vehicles, as well as the upcoming pure electric and plug-in hybrid cars developed and manufactured in China to overseas markets," Reuters quoted him as saying.

In addition, Matsuyama highlighted the company's aspiration to target markets already tapped by Chinese competitors such as BYD.

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As part of a growing trend among foreign automakers, Nissan joins the ranks of Tesla, BMW, and Ford, all seeking to exploit China's lower manufacturing costs by expanding exports of cars produced within the country. This move reflects a broader industry strategy to optimise factory capacity utilisation while maintaining cost efficiency.

Despite accounting for just over a fifth of Nissan's global sales in the first 10 months of the year, a decrease from the previous year's one-third, China remains a crucial market for the Japanese automaker. Intense competition from domestic brands and the rapid shift towards EVs have posed significant challenges for Japanese automakers in the world's largest auto market.

In response to the evolving market dynamics, Nissan has announced the establishment of a joint research centre with Tsinghua University, scheduled to commence operations next year. This centre will focus on comprehensive research and development of EVs, encompassing areas such as charging infrastructure and battery recycling.

Nissan's President and CEO, Makoto Uchida, expressed optimism about the collaboration. "We hope that this collaboration will help us gain a deeper understanding of the Chinese market and develop strategies that better meet the needs of customers in China,” Reuters quoted him.

The forthcoming research centre represents an extension of Nissan's existing collaboration with Tsinghua University, which began in 2016. The previous joint efforts centred on intelligent mobility and autonomous driving technology.

(With inputs from Reuters)

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