Nissan plans $500M project to build 2 new EVs at Miss. plant

CANTON, Miss. — Nissan Motor Co. will begin U.S. production of two new electric vehicles starting in 2025 as the EV pioneer seeks to reclaim relevancy in the now-burgeoning segment.

As part of the expansion, Nissan said Thursday that it will invest $500 million to transform its Canton, Miss., assembly plant into a “center for EV manufacturing and technology.”

The sprawling 4.7 million-square-foot factory brought automotive production to Mississippi when it opened nearly two decades ago.

The new EVs — one a Nissan model and the other an Infiniti — have a sedan-like profile with a sloping roofline and new headlight and taillight designs. Product details were not revealed.

The models will be assembled on a new line at the Canton factory, which has a 410,000-vehicle annual production capacity and builds the Altima midsize sedan and the Frontier and Titan pickups.

But Nissan’s plan to bring electric sedans to the U.S. is a head-scratcher for some retailers.

“I’ll be honest, I’m shocked,” said a Nissan dealer, who requested that he not be identified. “Why in the world would Nissan be spending their limited R&D dollars developing sedans, when their most important market is craving SUVs?”