Nissan plans to buy 20 GWh of batteries from SK On, enough to power around 300,000 EVs to be sold in the US. However, after delaying EV production in the US again, when will the new EVs finally arrive?
Nissan revealed plans to invest $500 million in its Canton, Mississippi, plant almost three years ago to prepare the facility for its newest electric vehicles.
Production was initially set to begin in Canton this year, but Nissan pushed the start date back until 2026 last January with concerns over profitability and EV demand. According to the Madison County Journal, the company is now pushing the start date until 2028.
Just yesterday, an Automotive News report claimed Nissan was also canceling plans to build a smaller electric SUV in the US. The SUV was expected to sit between the LEAF and Ariya.
The smaller electric SUV was expected to be the fifth EV built in Canton, following a pair of Nissan and Infiniti electric sedans. Nissan spokesperson Brian Brockman said the company was focusing on other, more profitable projects that would see more demand.
Nissan to buy batteries from SK On for new EVs in the US
Despite the delays, the automaker is still expanding its supply chain in the US to prepare for the upcoming EVs.
A Nikkei report on Thursday claimed that Nissan secured a battery supply from SK On for EV models sold in the US. Nissan agreed to buy 20 GWh of batteries, or enough to power roughly 300,000 EVs.
The automaker will reportedly begin installing the new SK-supplied batteries by 2028, which is when it plans to start building EVs in the US.
Nissan’s battery supply deal comes as the company looks to establish a domestic supply chain for EVs in the US.
Although Nissan announced plans to team up with Honda in December to keep pace with EV leaders like BYD and Tesla, it doesn’t expect to realize any substantial benefits until around 2030.
Nissan Motor’s, including Infiniti’s, US market share has dropped 2.1% over the past five years to just 5.8%. In 2024, the automaker sold just over 31,000 electric vehicles in the US, including roughly 20,000 Ariya models and 11,000 LEAFs.
Honda, which began delivering the Prologue just last March based on GM’s Ultium platform, sold over 33,000 models last year.
The new battery supply deal is a start, but in 2028, Nissan will face an influx of new EV models with which it will have to compete.