Dongfeng Motor, Nissan Motor’s joint venture with Chinese state-owned automaker Dongfeng Motor Corporation, announced a new strategy designed to revive the company’s flagging performance.

The joint venture, often referred to as Dongfeng Nissan, reported a 22% sales decline to 546,744 light vehicles in the first nine months of 2023, including locally made and imported models sold under the Nissan, Venucia and Infiniti brands.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

The company is currently struggling to keep up with the country’s rapid transition to zero emissions vehicles and intense price competition. It sells just one battery electric vehicle (BEV) model in China at present, the Ariya.

Dongfeng Nissan plans to launch 10 new locally developed new energy vehicles (NEVs), including plug-in hybrid and battery powered vehicles, in China by 2026 with the first model to make its debut in the second half of 2024. Four will be sold under the Nissan brand.

The joint venture also plans to begin exporting vehicles by 2025 with an initial target of 100,000 vehicles per year.

The company said it wants to “fully utilise” its assets in China and improve its research and development capability so it can respond more readily to the rapidly evolving domestic market.

The aim is to “develop high value-added products, technologies and services and improve the overall performance of the business”.

Just Auto Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Auto Technology Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Neonode has won the Innovation Award for Driver Monitoring Software for its camera-based, MultiSensing®-powered solution that delivers precise hands-on-wheel detection, regulatory-ready safety performance and low-footprint integration. Discover how Neonode is redefining driver monitoring, UX and compliance for next-generation semi-autonomous vehicles.

Discover the Impact