In 2010, Nissan stunned the automotive world with the launch of the Leaf, the first mass-market electric vehicle. At a time when other major automakers hesitated, hedged, or outright dismissed electric vehicles as niche curiosities, Nissan took the bold step of positioning itself as the industry’s electric pioneer.
When I began leading the team that eventually delivered the Leaf, I remember an industry rival telling me I was better off throwing the four billion dollars required to deliver it, into the Pacific.
Today, however, despite its visionary past, Nissan finds itself playing catch-up, overtaken by rivals who capitalised better on the electric shift the company itself initiated.
To understand Nissan’s current predicament, one must first recognise its pioneering efforts. The Leaf was Nissan’s answer to the Toyota Prius hybrid that was performing strongly. Did Nissan seek to go toe-to-toe with a hybrid itself, or go the full hog with fully electric? Carlos Ghosn, CEO at the time, backed the bolder EV plan.
As Chief Planning Officer and then Chief Operating Officer during this critical period, I was immersed in the ambition and the internal excitement generated by our commitment to electric mobility. The Leaf quickly became the best-selling EV globally, illustrating Nissan’s ability to lead innovation convincingly. It had done similarly bold innovation with the Qashqai, Juke and GT-R.
New Nissan Leaf fully revealed with sleek SUV styling and 375-mile range
Yet, pioneering a market carries significant risks, and for Nissan, two challenges stood out. Firstly, Nissan misread the pace of battery technology advancements. The Leaf was groundbreaking, but the early bet on a 24kW air-cooled battery quickly became a limitation, restricting range improvements compared to competitors like Tesla. Nissan also failed to quickly embrace more adaptable battery technologies (such as NMC and LFP chemistries).
