- Nissan is revising plans to build EVs in the US
- Plans to build a small electric crossover have been canceled, and other EV plans have been delayed
- Questions remain about the timing, status, and production plans of the Nissan plant in Canton, Mississippi
Nissan has scrapped plans to bring an undisclosed small electric car to the US, Automotive News reported Wednesday.
The automaker originally planned to build this EV—code PZ1L-At its headquarters in Canton, Mississippi, sold in the US. But it is now consolidating production at its plant in Sunderland, UK. That likely means the PZ1L will not be sold in the US
“We will continue to explore market opportunities for new models and make changes accordingly,” Nissan spokesman Brian Brockman told Automotive News, adding that Nissan is focusing on other high-end electric models at the Canton plant.
2025 Nissan Leaf
Reportedly sized between the current Leaf hatchback and the Rogue gasoline crossover, the PZ1L was one of five EVs slated to be built in Canton by mid-decade, noted Automotive News. The PZ1L was one of three crossovers, the trade magazine added, with the other two models likely to be sedans.
Nissan may be suspending plans for other electric vehicles that were planned to be produced in the US. Last week, a Nissan executive confirmed to the Madison Country Journal that plans to build one Nissan and one Infiniti EV in Canton have been made. delay from 2025 to 2028. A Nissan official would not confirm rumors that workers at the Canton plant will be cut as the facility transforms into a Nissan Intelligent Factory that includes more robots and a zero-emission production system.
It is not clear if the PZ1L is one of the electric crossovers that Nissan has confirmed will arrive at its Sunderland plant in 2023. Two of you—electric versions of the Juke and Qashqai– unlikely to reach the US The third is expected to be a crossover-influenced sequel to the Leaf, which is expected to arrive in the 2027 model year and is seen as the best option for the US.
The Nissan EV will be manufactured in Mississippi
Nissan first discussed building EVs at a plant in Mississippi—which currently combines gasoline Altima sedan and Frontier pickup truck—by 2022, confirming Nissan's now-delayed EV plans and Infiniti's luxury model. Last summer, Nissan told suppliers it was halting EV production plans in Canton and halting a $500 million investment in the facility, Automotive News reported.
A few months later, Nissan announced that they would lay off approximately 9,000 workers worldwide, representing 6.7% of the global workforce, and reduce production capacity by 20% due to declining sales, particularly in the US and China. This situation has led Nissan to pursue a merger with Honda, which the company hopes to complete in 2026.
—Executive editor Robert Duffer contributed to this report.