Nissan, the Japanese auto giant has finally entered the highly competitive electric vehicle market in China. The company is allegedly taking a long time to compete in the electric car market in the country.
Quoted from Daily China, Monday (10/10/2022), Japan’s second largest car manufacturer launched the Ariya, its first electric car in China. The car measures 4,603 millimeters (mm) in length, with a wheelbase of 2,775 mm.
The product is available in two versions, namely with a single electric motor and a dual electric motor. The highest variant has a maximum output of 178 kilowatts and a peak torque of 600 newton meters.
In a single charge, the Ariya can go up to 623 kilometers (km). This product launches at a time when the Chinese electric car market is very busy and competitive.
The main players in the Chinese market today are local manufacturers and Tesla, an electric car brand from the United States (US). Not only that, German car manufacturers have also increased their EV portfolio in China, followed by other US companies, namely General Motors to Ford.
Among other major automotive manufacturers, Japan is the latest country to enter China’s electric car market. Honda was the first Japanese automaker to launch an electric car in June in China.
Toyota has yet to launch an electric car developed with Subaru. In fact, Toyota plans to enter the Chinese electric car market in the first half of this year, although it was decided to postpone it due to problems with the wheels.
Nissan is not a newcomer to the world electric car market. In 2010, Nissan launched the Leaf electric sedan and managed to sell 500,000 units globally.
However, the launch was too early, when the market was still immature so it didn’t produce the expected results for Nissan. The majority of Japanese car manufacturers prefer hybrid technology to release environmentally friendly cars because they are more economical.
As a result, Japanese car brands were reluctant to shift their production when EVs started to boom in China. At present, the Chinese market is full of competitors and it will be much more difficult for new players.
In contrast, German automakers moved faster. Volkswagen, became the first manufacturer to announce plans to invest heavily in electric cars. Its first EV came to China last year and now has three models on sale.
