Mitsubishi Snags Leaf EV : In an industry first and surprising show of goodwill that will bring about a monumental change in the face of electric vehicles, Mitsubishi and Nissan have opened a tech exchange door for the former’s and latter’s key eco cars.
A Disruptive Collaboration in the Electric Car Space
What industry watchers are referring to as a “game-changing strategic partnership,” Mitsubishi Motors and Nissan have announced a new vehicle technology sharing that will drastically change the electric and plug-in hybrid products of both automakers.
The collaboration, which was announced earlier this week, will see Mitsubishi share with Nissan its breakthrough electric vehicle technology, in exchange for Nissan’s proven experience in electric–and plug-in hybrid–vehicles.
This strategic switch comes as a logical progression of the filiation between these two Japanese automotive companies, partners on a corporate level in the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance ever since 2016.
The firms already develop on a single backbone, have common interior technology and share plenty of components, yet this new arrangement will forge them closer together as partners.
The Motivations for the Deal
There seem to be multiple forces that motivated this strategic exchange. Both automakers are under pressure to speed up their electric vehicle development schedules while minimizing costs.
Kicking around their respective top eco-conscious technologies, the two could quickly upsize their offerings for zero emissions vehicles without having to spend billions of dollars in R and D as you might in a typical arms race.
Mitsubishi will benefit from an entry to Nissan’s existing all-electric technology. Mitsubishi has already announced its intention to start selling its first electric vehicle in the US by 2026, and this collaboration gives them a stable electric vehicle platform.
At the same time, Nissan enjoys Mitsubishi’s competence in plug-in hybrid technology – a perfect ‘way in’ type techology for consumers not quite ready to ditch ICE only modes of travel?
That this probably suits both groups down to the ground, say industry observers. Mitsubishi has gained considerable experience with plug-in hybrid technology, starting from when the Outlander PHEV ― which hit the market in 2013 as the world’s first plug-in hybrid 4×4 SUV with all-wheel drive ― became first available in the Japanese market and was the target of high acclaim around the world when it was then introduced to overseas markets. As a result, it has been the world’s best-selling plug-in hybrid vehicle as of the end of December 2019, accounting for around 25% of worldwide Outlander sales and 33% of Outlander sales in Europe and Oceania. Nissan blazed the trail for mass-market electric vehicles with the Leaf, selling more than 650,000 worldwide since its introduction in 2010.
What Mitsubishi Gets: The Next Gen Leaf Platform
The technology Mitsubishi gets isn’t just the current Leaf, but instead gets into Nissan’s next-gen platform of electric vehicles.
Nissan has transformed the Leaf into a “sleek and spacious family-friendly crossover” that is said to be highly aerodynamic and built on a more advanced EV platform.
This new Leaf will be based on Nissan’s modular CMF-EV platform, shared with the Nissan Ariya and a number of Renault EVs.
Bringing this platform into its fleet enables Mitsubishi to avoid years of R&D work and establish itself as a serious player in the all-electric vehicle market from the get-go.
The new Leaf architecture is supposedly pack up to 600km (373 miles) of range which is a massive upgrade over the current car. For Mitsubishi, that’s a great base to build its electric future.
What benefits Nissan: Mitsubishi’s PHEV know-how
On the flipside of the equation, Nissan will gain from stages of Mitsubishi to be the expert in developing plug-in hybrid systems.
2026 MY Rumor is there Sal at Nissan is planning on a Rogue Hybrid possibly with a powertrain based on the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. What likely would be on board: a 2.4-liter, four-cylinder engine and dual electric motors.
The Outlander PHEV has become the best-selling plug-in hybrid electric vehicle of all time, with consistently improved iterations across all segments and now boasts a full electric range of 38 miles, along with an overall range of up to 420 miles.
Rogue PHEV specs like those would make it very competitive in the hurly-burly of the fast-growing plug-in-hybrid SUV category.
Most interestingly, some industry sources hint thatNissan may be aiming for an electric range of up to 70-miles with its implementation of the PHEV system, which would make its way into the longest-range plug-in hybrid on the market – if it should come to pass.
Manufacturing and Timeline Consideration
Both companies are on ambitious timelines to get these new vehicles to market. Nissan intends to launch the new Leaf around mid-2025, by which time it will have gradually been made available in several markets around the world between 2025 and 2026.
Mitsubishi’s first Leaf based EV isn’t due until 2026, which tallies with Nissan’s introduction date for the Rogue PHEV. It is a symmetrical cross-stepping in sync that alludes to a partnership in perfect tune.
Production sites have also not been decided, though between the two groups the pair boast substantial production facilities in Japan as well as the United States.
Nissan’s Canton, Miss., plant has been rumored to be a possible site for the automaker’s new electric vehicles, a plant that Mitsubishi could also use based on its alliance with Nissan.
Market impacts and consumer benefits
There are, however, huge win-wins for consumers both ends of this strategic exchange.
Mitsubishi customers get the best with proven EV technology plus the reliability that Mitsubishi SUV customers have grown to expect, while Nissan customers are introduced to a proven PHEV solution that can handle life’s adventures.
The partnership also is expected to help speed up the arrival of greener vehicles in the lineups of both automakers on possibly even lower price points than if the companies had tried to develop such technology alone.
This would help drive mass consumer adoption of electric and hybrid cars in both companies efforts to make the world more sustainable.
From the market’s perspective, this swap readies both companies to more effectively compete against those rivals, particularly in Europe, which have already invested heavily in electrification.
It creates a stronger force in the ecological car sector without overlapping investment in development Mitsubishi and Nissan join forces with Renault in the green car battle.
Moving beyond the initial swap to future collaborations
This cross-technology transfer could pave the way for greater integration within the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance.
They will also already collaborate on a new generation of a pickup truck that will be built in Mexico, with electric and plug-in hybrid versions among options being considered.
Industry analysts have further speculated that this initial swap would open the door to the sharing of more technology; Mitsubishi, for example, gaining access to Nissan’s e-Power hybrid system, while Nissan could integrate some of Mitsubishi’s Super All-Wheel Control (S-AWC) technology into its electric vehicles.
Literature Review-Trends and ChallengesThere are several issues and justifications which contribute to such above mentioned trends and those have been considered as listed below”Currently, the Web is growing much at faster pace.
While the arrangement has an abundance of benefits, it’s not without hurdles. Brand separation is also an issue, since both need to be able to differentiate their vehicles from the other despite having much of their core technology shared. This may be redressed in the shape of unique exterior and interior designs, and brand specific tuning of drive systems.
Regulations are also a factor, with particular focus on emissions credits and other incentives in different markets. Both companies will struggle to negotiate these complications to capitalise on the strengths of both technology sets.
The New Strategic Collaboration Climate
The Mitsubishi-Nissan vehicle exchange can be seen as a typical example to the automotive industry’s cars-for-cars approach in solving issues dictated by its market.
Through sharing of their high-end eco-friendly models, the two companies would be able to expedite the electrification schedules and reduce development costs.
Its structure might serve as a model for other automotive partnerships as the industry works through a shift to electric.
In a context where the price of developing vehicles is only going up, and the complexity of the technology is continuing to increase, strategic alliances provide a way of keeping pace with the market and with consumer demand for breakthrough transportation choices.
For customers, the winners are obvious — increased choice, improved tech and maybe even cheaper green vehicles faster than would happen otherwise.
So as Mitsubishi and Nissan push ahead with implementation, the industry will be watching very closely to see how this first-ever round of vehicle technology swap will go on to shape the two companies’ respective futures in the wider automotive industry.