Nissan is considering shipping electric vehicles (EVs) built through its Chinese joint venture with Dongfeng Motor to Canada as the Japanese carmaker looks to capitalise on a recent shift in Canadian import policy, reported Bloomberg.
Canada lifted a de facto ban on China-made EVs in January, opening the market to up to 49,000 units per year.
The move has drawn interest from several Chinese manufacturers and prompted established carmakers with Chinese production partnerships to reassess their export strategies.
Nissan's broader plan involves exporting affordable electrified models produced with Dongfeng to multiple markets, including Brazil, Mexico, and Canada.
Chief executive Ivan Espinosa has set an initial export target of 100,000 units from China, with ambitions to scale that to 300,000 over the longer term.
The first models earmarked for Latin America under the initiative are the N7 electric sedan and the Frontier Pro pickup truck.
According to the report, the company has not confirmed which models would be destined for Canada, nor indicated a timeline.
Christian Meunier, Nissan's head of the Americas, acknowledged the company is actively assessing the opportunity without specifying models or timeframes.
“In Canada, the government has opened the door for some Chinese products,” Meunier said. “We are looking at this.”
Espinosa is navigating a company weighed down by an ageing model range, considerable debt, and prolonged leadership disruption.
Nissan is not alone in pursuing this approach.
Tesla has begun marketing its Shanghai-built Model 3 in Canada at C$42,132 ($30,900) including delivery fees.
The trend reflects a wider industry pattern of legacy carmakers using Chinese manufacturing capacity – valued for its lower costs and accelerated EV development timelines – to shore up their competitive position.
Elsewhere, Stellantis this month signed a deal with Dongfeng to produce Peugeot and Jeep vehicles through their existing joint venture, Dongfeng Peugeot Citroën Automobile, with production set to begin in 2027 and total investment surpassing 8bn yuan ($1.17bn).
Separately, Xpeng is reportedly in talks with Volkswagen and other manufacturers over acquiring a European production site as it looks to deepen its presence on the continent.
