Nissan wants to go from no hybrids to ALL THE HYBRIDS! and the Japanese automaker is set to make the transition in a hurry. The company’s boss for North America made that clear earlier this week, saying that Nissan’s tech will be as efficient as Toyota’s, but better in plenty of other ways.
The new hybrids will also mean new jobs at Nissan’s American plants, which may get called up to produce the forthcoming Xterra and Rogue E-Power.
Most Of Nissan’s SUVs Will Be Hybrid In 4 Years
2027 Nissan Rogue Hybrid from the front three-quarter angleNissan
By 2030, Nissan plans to have hybrid versions of most of its SUV models. The range will include the Rogue e-Power hybrid that will be on sale shortly, as well as its upcoming line of body-on-frame trucks like the future Xterra.
Nissan expects big things for its hybrids. Nissan Americas Chair Christian Meunier said that the automaker wants hybrid sales to make up 30 to 40 percent of Rogue volume “very quickly,” Automotive News reports.
“We’ll be well-equipped,” Meunier said. “I think the hybrid is going to become, by 2030, probably the primary powertrain in North America but also in Latin America.”
Though the initial batches of Rogue hybrids will be built in Japan, that is set to change. Production of the gas Rogue is set to start next summer, and Nissan plans to start building the hybrid in Smyrna, Tennessee, in early 2028. Meunier said that move could lead to an extra shift at the plant, bringing it to full capacity. The Smyrna plant can build 600,000 vehicles per year, and right now it is only making about 400,000.
The executive also confirmed that the V6 hybrids will be built in the US. He didn’t say exactly what vehicles would get the system, but said that it could cover subcompact to midsize SUVs as well as pickups.
Could Nissan Match Toyota Hybrid Dominance?
The new Nissan Frontier Pro is a plug-in hybrid pickup truck designed for China.Nissan
An Xterra with the hybrid has already been confirmed. It’s possible the new system could end up in the Pathfinder, and subcompact implies that it could somehow be crammed into the Rogue or even the Kicks. The Frontier pickup seems like a sure thing for the system as well.
Don’t expect the V6, but an e-Power hybrid Nissan Kicks is set to arrive in 2028 as well. That will likely be after the Kicks gets a refresh, but before a new generation of the small crossover. Nissan already sells a Kicks e-Power hybrid in Japan and other markets.
The next few years could finally catch Nissan up to Toyota in hybrids. Hybrids have been an afterthought for the brand in the US, and the company has only offered a handful. The first was a short-lived version of the Altima sedan. It used Toyota’s technology under license and was built from 2007 to 2011. An unusual supercharged four-cylinder formed the combustion component of the 2014 Pathfinder Hybrid, which was discontinued due to consumer feedback the same year. Nissan also made a Rogue hybrid from 2017 to 2020.
Nissan’s plug-in hybrid, a Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV with Nissan badges, is already dead. The company ordered 3,000 for model year 2027 and has sold half. “The volume of plug-in hybrids in the U.S. has collapsed down to almost zero,” Meunier said.
CarBuzz Insight – Why This Matters:
2026 Nissan Rogue Plug-in Hybrid from the front three-quarter angleNissan
Nissan could go from hybrid zero to hybrid hero in just a few years, putting it ahead of rivals like Ford, GM, and Mazda. It could even end up with more hybrid options than Hyundai or Kia, though it’s not likely to top Toyota, which adds a hybrid to just about everything it makes.
The question is: Can Nissan execute? The company seemed on the edge of collapse just over a year ago, with talk of multiple failed mergers. But now it is back in the black and raring to go.
Source: Automotive News
