Nissan announces $500 million investment in Mississippi

Published 9:43 am Friday, February 18, 2022

CANTON — Nissan increased its footprint in Mississippi Thursday with a corporate celebration announcing an expansion of production of two new electric vehicles at its Canton plant.

Nissan Chief Executive Ashwani Gupta said at the elaborate conference for news media, government officials, Nissan management and employees that the car manufacturer will be expanding its operations in Mississippi. Gupta said Nissan wants to be at the forefront of helping convert the United States and the greater North American market for electric vehicles.

Two of the new, all-electric vehicles, or “EV’s” as Gupta declared them, will be built at Nissan’s Canton plant.

“We want our vehicles to be cleaner and safer and more inclusive,” Gupta said. “That’s why we are focused on three areas: electrification, economy and connectivity. Nissan is prepared to capitalize on this with more lines of electrified vehicles. In our long-term vision of 2030, we will invest $80 billion over the next five years.”

Gupta said this investment will create 43 electric models, with 15 ready by 2030. Nissan’s goal is for 40 percent of its sales in the United States to be fully electric by 2030, “redefining the vehicle as we know it.

“Today, we embark on a new journey in the United States. We will bring two, all-electric, vehicles to our Mississippi plant and be produced by 2025. These models, one Nissan and one Infiniti, will represent a $500 million investment in reorganizing our facility. It will be a leader in efficiency and automation.”

Nissan North America Vice President of Manufacturing and Supply Chain Management David Johnson said Canton was an easy choice for the new EVs.

“I would call these an EV crossover. It will be a hybrid of a sedan and an SUV. It has a sleek design,” he said of the Nissan EV. “It will be re-tooled across the entire plant. Every shop will be touched. Trim and chassis will see the most transformation.”

Johnson said Canton was positioned best to manufacture these new EVs.

“Capacity, space and the industrial capacity that we have here made it the spot where we can move to EV,” Johnson said. “What we have been able to accomplish over the last two years, Canton is the best place.”

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves called Thursday’s news as good as a team winning a national championship.

“I’m that excited about this news from Nissan,” Reeves said.

Vicksburg-Warren Economic Development Partnership President Pablo Diaz said this would be good for everyone in Mississippi.

“It’s good news in what we refer to as the Greater Jackson area. Vicksburg, from a marketing point of view, is a part of the greater Jackson market. When we are looking for companies, we sell the metro area,” Diaz said.

“We have about 7,500 people who come from the Metro Jackson area here to work. About the same number goes from here to the metro,” he added. “It is great news the state was able to attract this type of investment ($500 million). It will make a difference to get Mississippi’s automotive industry to move in the direction of electric vehicles. The electric future is coming, like it or not. This gives us a leg up as a state.”