Nissan’s failure to embrace hybrids in the U.S. may prove

While the brand may have a year or more to survive, CEO Makoto Uchida may only have a few months to make progress

Day after day, Nissan’s troubles don’t seem to want to go away. In October, the brand announced a series of sweeping changes, including cutting 9,000 jobs, reducing production and possibly delaying upcoming models. CEO Makoto Uchida even cut his own salary by 50%. However, if he can’t pull the company back from the brink, he could lose everything.

This will be a massive undertaking with multiple moving parts. Unnamed sources within Nissan reportedly said the brand only has 12 to 14 months left to survive. To achieve this, automakers need to cut costs, maintain adequate production, and continue to develop desirable products.

More: Things are so bad for Infiniti that stores can now pair up with Nissan dealers

According to Reuters, Uchida is under immediate pressure to turn the ship around. Clearly, the next few months will determine his fate. But it’s unclear how the brand will continue to succeed. There are reports that the brand is looking for a new major financial backer. Additionally, brands like Honda that are already partnered with Nissan could end up being that lifeline.

Not everyone is pessimistic about the current situation. Activist shareholders are reportedly snapping up shares in Nissan, betting the market may turn around. Before that optimism can be realized, however, Uchida and Nissan must lead a new U.S. presidential administration with goals that are radically different from those of the outgoing administration.

Donald Trump has signaled his intention to impose steep tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada, which could hamper Nissan’s plans to increase sales and profits in the United States next year. Clearly, Nissan isn’t the only brand facing problems right now, but it may be in the weakest position among the world’s larger automakers.

Now, the brand is also allowing Infiniti stores to partner with Nissan dealers. Will this be a step in the right direction? We’ll see, but it sounds more like a Band-Aid for struggling dealers.

Nissan’s hybrid misstep: A belated realization of what America wants

When it comes to hybrids, Nissan’s timing couldn’t be worse. Uchida himself has admitted that the company missed the memo on demand for hybrid vehicles in North America, choosing instead to double down on electric vehicles, making it one of the leaders in the field. Now, as hybrids become more popular, Nissan is trying to make up for lost time. While it launched a hybrid Rogue in 2017, the model was discontinued in 2020 due to lackluster interest, and the company never followed up.

Nissan’s long-term abandonment of hybrid vehicles is rooted in a belief that the future is electric and nothing else matters, according to two sources who spoke to Reuters. But the market had other ideas. The high price of electric vehicles and a lack of charging infrastructure have made hybrids the preferred choice for many U.S. buyers, and Nissan has found itself caught off guard.

“It’s an excuse, but until this time last year, we couldn’t have foreseen the rapid growth in demand for hybrids,” Uchida admitted during an earnings news conference in November.

More: Nissan reconsiders U.S. plans after missing out on hybrid wave

Now, facing reality, Nissan is rushing to adjust its strategy. The company’s e-Power hybrid system has been available in Japan since 2016 and is expected to debut in the United States in March 2026. Reuters Report. A plug-in hybrid version is also in development for the United States. However, Nissan recently admitted that its ambitious electrification plan – 30 new models by 2030 – may face delays as the company prioritizes cost-cutting measures to stay afloat. By then, it may be too little, too late.

Nissan’s problem isn’t just lagging behind, it’s failing to keep pace with a changing market. Whether it can turn things around or slide further into the abyss remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: Survival will require more than a series of updated models, and time is running out.