Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida said Monday that the Japanese automaker will expand its lineup of electric cars, develop more batteries and cut costs as part of an aggressive electrification strategy, AFP and the Associated Press reported.

“The auto industry now has to change its values ​​to be able to say that continuous change is the new normal,” Uchida said as he unveiled a business plan called “The Arc” that aims to grow sales by the end of the year. this decade.

“Nissan needs changes. We’re not going to succeed if we keep going down the same path,” he acknowledged, referring to the broader challenges facing the EV industry.

However, Uchida said Nissan wants to keep costs down for its electric models until they reach the price of conventional models. The deadline for which the Japanese automaker has set this goal is 2030, aiming to increase sales by one million units by then.

Nissan sold nearly 3.4 million vehicles last year, up 5% from 2022.

Over the next 3 years, the company plans to release 30 new models, 16 of which will be electric. Nissan plans to launch a total of 34 new electric vehicles between 2024 and 2030, and by the end of the decade they will make up 60% of the model range.

Makoto Uchida also said on Monday that despite an increase in the number of cars sold last year, the Japanese company had experienced some difficulties in the Chinese market.

Nissan recognizes the problems in China, and wants to sell only electric cars in Europe

“To be honest, we had problems with sales there. In the last 5 months, the situation has improved to some extent,” the Nissan boss said on Monday, but added that the company’s production capacity in China remains higher than demand.

“Working together with our partners (in China), we will continue to optimize production levels and work on products that will allow us to grow in the market. We are focused on giving Chinese customers what they want,” Uchida added.

His new comments came after Nissan announced last September that it plans to sell only electric cars in European markets from 2030.

“There’s no turning back,” Uchida said of the clear direction electrification is headed. Among other things, Nissan will launch an electric small SUV and an electric version of the Micra, while models such as the Juke, Qashqai and Nissan X-trail will have electric versions in the coming years.

The Nissan Leaf was the best-selling 100% electric car in the world for several years before Tesla Motors became a force.

Also last year, Nissan also announced plans to invest $725 million in Renault’s new electric car division as part of a partnership with the French automaker.