Nissan and Infiniti on Thursday teased new EVs to be built at Nissan’s Canton, Mississippi, factory beginning in 2025.
It’s possible the duo will include a Nissan EV and a luxury Infiniti sibling model. Infiniti has teased the possibility of an electric model as far back as 2012, but hasn’t launched one yet.
The teaser photos show what appear to be sedans, though they could be coupe-like crossovers.
Nissan said it will invest $500 million to upgrade the Canton assembly plant for EV production. The automaker said the pivot to EVs will retain or “up-skill” nearly 2,000 jobs at the Canton plant, which currently employs about 5,000 people and builds the Altima, Frontier, and Titan.
Infiniti EV teaser
Canton will be Nissan’s second U.S. EV assembly plant. Leaf hatchbacks for the U.S. market are currently built in Smyrna, Tennessee. The Leaf is expected to stick around for the time being.
The next Nissan EV due in the U.S. is the 2023 Ariya crossover, which is scheduled to launch this fall. Nissan hasn’t said where U.S.-market Ariya models will be built, however. It’s also unclear what models will immediately follow the Ariya, although Nissan claims to have several in the pipeline. It showed three concepts late last year, and has also hinted at plans for solid-state batteries to lower costs.
Nissan wants EVs to make up 40% of its U.S. sales by 2030, with even more sales from hybrids and plug-in hybrids. The automaker plans to launch 23 electrified models (including hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and all-electric vehicles) for both the Nissan and Infiniti brands globally by 2030 as well, including 15 all-electric models.