Nissan Plans to Double US Production Without New Plants
Nissan is planning a significant increase in its U.S. production by adding third shifts at existing plants rather than building new facilities, aiming for an annual output of around one million vehicles from nearly 487,000 units in 2025. Nissan Americas Chairman Christian Meunier emphasized the strategy during an interview with CNBC on September 21, highlighting that maximizing current capacity is more cost-effective given recent import tariffs and financial constraints. The automaker previously considered reducing production at its Smyrna plant but reversed course after new U.S. tariffs were imposed in April 2025. Nissan's approach contrasts with Toyota’s $10 billion investment plan for the next five years, as it aims to achieve 80% domestic sales by 2030 without additional factory construction. The company is also preparing a hybrid version of its Rogue model, which will initially be imported from Japan before transitioning to U.S.-based production. Nissan's strategy hinges on increasing utilization rates at existing plants to spread fixed costs over more units and improve profitability. In the first half of 2026 alone, Nissan produced about 303,700 vehicles in the U.S., a 24% increase from the previous year.
Topics: 2027 Rogue launch investment strategy Nissan third shift U.S. production expansion