Nissan Delays US-Built Electric SUVs Amidst Market Struggles

On July 4, President Trump signed a massive bill that will, among other things, eliminate the federal government’s incentive to buy US-built electric vehicles. The credit will now wrap up at the end of September, and it is already having an impact on the auto industry.

A new report says that Nissan, which builds multiple models in the US including Frontier and Pathfinder, is pushing back two new electric crossovers. One Nissan and one Infiniti model, both slated for production at the automaker’s plant in Canton, Mississippi, will be delayed by almost a year. That moves one back until the end of 2028, and the other into early 2029.

Adventure-Focused And High-Luxury Models Both Delayed

“We’ve made the strategic decision to slightly adjust the production timeline for our EVs at the Canton plant,” a Nissan spokesperson told Automotive News. “Our goal is to ensure that this facility continues to bring highly competitive vehicles to market that exceed customer expectations.” AN reported that Nissan had been informing suppliers of the delays to the plans for the two electric crossovers.

The Nissan-branded SUV had already been announced as an “adventure-focused SUV.” Code-named PZ1K, it was a boxy design that we (and plenty of others) compared to an electric version of Nissan’s beloved and missed Xterra SUV. Nissan already offers more road (and style) oriented electric crossovers, so there was a place for this more rugged and off-road-oriented model.

Infiniti’s EV was more than just a rebadge. It will be a more luxurious model, inspired by the Vision QXe concept from 2023. Though we had few details about the new model, the brand said it would “blend the practicality of a crossover body style with Infiniti’s latest design form and a suite of advanced technologies.”

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We learned in March that the Nissan model was expected in Fiscal Year 2027, which meant sometime before March 31, 2028. The Infiniti was set to launch in FY 2028. The Infiniti, at least, may still just barely hit that target.

Nissan Continues To Struggle In The Market

After failed merger talks, bad financial results, and a host of other struggles of late, Nissan’s electric plans have not been going to, well, plan. In April, it announced that it was dropping two electric sedans and an electric crossover; the replacements for the Maxima and Altima and the electric Rogue-sized model were all meant to be built in Canton.

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Nissan Decides To Build Its New Crossover Outside America

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Nissan has recently appointed a new CEO who clearly has his work cut out for him. It seems like Nissan can’t catch a break, but CEO Ivan Espinosa is optimistic. “We are committed to investing in products that embody the very best of Nissan. To our passionate fans and loyal owners around the world, I can assure you, this is just the beginning of an exciting journey ahead,” he said in March.

Source: Automotive News