Nissan is taking a big step with its latest endeavor to combat emissions. The automaker will now be delivering new vehicles in fully electric, heavy-duty trucks in a new trial with Nikola and Kenworth.
After jumping out to an early start with the LEAF, introduced in 2011, Nissan has fallen behind as most automakers have released their all-electric cars since then.
The Nissan LEAF was ahead of its time as it raced to become the best-selling EV in Europe in the first half of 2018. However, it took the automaker over a decade to release its second fully electric vehicle, the Ariya crossover SUV, introduced last year after delaying it several times.
The 2023 Nissan Ariya will start at $43,190 with range options from 205 miles on a 63 kWh battery and 250 kW motor to 394 miles on an 87 kWh battery and 278 kW motor.
Nissan announced last year it would invest $500 million in its Canton Vehicle Assembly plant in Mississippi to produce two new electric vehicles (perhaps a mid-size electric truck like the Frontier).
Although production for the two new EVs is slated for 2025, Nissan is finding other ways to cut emissions. The Japanese automaker is among the first to run a trial with all-electric heavy-duty trucks delivering new vehicles.
Nissan is using electric trucks for new EV deliveries
According to the press release, Nissan is working with Nikola and Kenworth, which will each provide an electric truck to pull traditional car haulers.
Chris Styles, VP of supply chain management at Nissan North America, said at the release:
Exploring the use of BEV trucks for new vehicle delivery is an important milestone in our journey toward carbon neutrality throughout our business.
The first deliveries will be to Downey Nissan in California, carrying the 2023 Ariya electric crossover.
Nikola’s Tre BEV zero-emission class 8 electric semi-truck has a 330-mile max range and 645 continuous HP.
Following the initial run of four battery electric trucks, Nissan plans to deploy additional trucks in the Los Angeles area. The automaker plans to build on the lessons it learns through the trial, potentially expanding EV trucks for other logistical use cases.
The electric trucks are expected to play a key role as Nissan aims to achieve carbon neutrality across its operations by 2050.
Electrek’s Take
Now, this is cool. Heavy-duty EV trucks carrying electric vehicles for delivery. This is the future unfolding before our eyes.
Nissan is among the first to implement EV trucks for deliveries, but it won’t be long before others do the same. Let’s hope it can help Nissan accelerate its EV rollout.