Nissan bets on AI driving tech for 90% of cars as turnaround plan cuts 11 models from lineup

Nissan to trim global car lineup, boost use of AI driving tech

Nissan at the New York International Auto Show in New York City on April 2, 2026. Nissan Motor plans to streamline its global automobile lineup by exiting low-performing ones and deploy its artificial intelligence driving technology across 90% of its array over the long term as it targets a revitalization after years of turmoil. Japan's fourth-biggest automaker said in a statement on Tuesday it will reduce the number of its models to 45 from 56. It will target annual sales of 1 million vehicles each in the U.S. and China by the 2030 financial year and grow its annual sales volume in Japan to 550,000 cars by that time. CEO Ivan Espinosa also unveiled a hybrid version of the Rogue SUV - known as the X-Trail in Japan - and an electric version of the Juke model. "This is how our portfolio strategy comes to life, anchored in profitability and built around a leaner, stronger lineup," Espinosa said, outlining the company's long-term strategy. Nissan will also expand powertrain options in its models and reinvest in growth, he added. Nissan said it will give an update on the progress of its restructuring plan laid out by Espinosa last year when it reports full-year financial results next month and announce further elements of its strategic direction later in the year. Under Espinosa's sweeping turnaround plan, Nissan is reducing its global manufacturing footprint and cutting its workforce by 15%. Espinosa said that the moment was right for the automaker that trails Toyota, Honda and Suzuki in sales volume to sharpen its long-term vision as a guide for action as it reaches the midpoint of the turnaround plan. Nissan said it will establish exports as a strategic pillar in China, shipping its N7 electric sedan to Latin America and ASEAN, and its Frontier Pro pickup truck to the Middle East in addition to those markets. The company also aims to produce more vehicles in the U.S. by raising its local production rate to 80% over time from around 60% currently, and to rejuvenate its Infiniti luxury brand by introducing new models. In Japan, the automaker will introduce a compact car series from the 2028 financial year, it said. It will seek to deploy end-to-end autonomous capability in its new Elgrand minivan, scheduled for launch in Japan this summer, by the end of the 2027 financial year, it said. Nissan has partnered on developing robotaxis with Uber Technologies and British startup Wayve, aiming to roll out a pilot program in Tokyo by late 2026. Nissan shares last traded 0.7% higher by the lunch break, lagging a 2.4% rise in the benchmark Nikkei index. The company is scheduled to release full-year financial results on May 13. In February, it sharply cut its outlook for a full-year loss and reported a surprise third-quarter profit amid signs its turnaround appeared to be gaining traction.

Nissan turnaround plan pins hopes on 'AI-defined vehicles'

Japanese carmaker will add self-driving abilities to 90% of cars in future and cut a fifth of its models Nissan has said it will add self-driving abilities to the vast majority of its cars and cut a fifth of its models in the latest stage of the Japanese carmaker's drawn-out turnaround efforts. Ivan Espinosa, Nissan's chief executive, said the company was pinning its hopes on "AI-defined vehicles", with an aim of installing autonomous driving technologies on 90% of its vehicles in the future. The carmaker endured years of turmoil under a succession of bosses. Espinosa took over last year and has set about a painful programme of seven factory closures and 20,000 job losses in an effort to cut costs. On Tuesday he announced at an event at Nissan's headquarters in Yokohama, Japan, that the company will reduce the number of cars it makes from 56 to 45 models in order to divert investment to more profitable models. "Our performance pressures emerge from structural challenges compounding over time," Espinosa said. "Our portfolio aged faster than the market, costs rose faster than volumes, fixed costs and complexity remain high, even as scale declines." Nissan and other traditional carmakers have struggled with the need to invest in new battery electric technologies. Mid-sized Japanese manufacturers in particular have failed to keep up with the pace of change from Chinese manufacturers, who have rapidly become the world's leading producers of electric cars. Nissan also revealed its new battery electric Juke, a previously announced crossover SUV to be built in Sunderland, northern England. It will play an important part of its electrification plans in Europe. However, Nissan said that its main markets would be Japan, the US and China, and reaffirmed its commitment to hybrids, which combine a petrol engine with a smaller battery. It revealed a new hybrid Rogue SUV (known as the X-Trail in some places) targeted at the US market, where Donald Trump has torn up incentives to shift to electric cars. The fast rollout of self-driving abilities will be a key part of Nissan's efforts to increase sales in Japan by 550,000 a year by 2030, and to reach 1m apiece in the US and China. The self-driving push is likely to benefit Wayve, the British AI startup that signed its first technology deal with Nissan a year ago. Masahiro Akita, an analyst at Bernstein, a research business, said the plans were reasonable, but he added: "Amid ongoing macro uncertainty, it remains unclear whether Nissan can deliver sustained top-line growth and achieve a genuine turnaround."