Nissan previews three new EVs to dealers, including a next-gen LEAF and Maxima successor
Nissan showed off its next-generation electric vehicles to dealers this week, previewing its future lineup. The automaker presented three new EVs, including a successor to the LEAF hatchback, a performance sedan that could take the Maxima’s place, and a third electric model.
Nissan shows three new EVs to dealers
Top Nissan executives were shown about a dozen new and updated products, according to Automotive News, as Nissan moves to electrify its lineup.
The automaker is expected to kick off its EV campaign around 2025, with dealers being informed that it plans to launch 27 electrified models by 2030, including 19 all-electric vehicles.
Nissan previewed three new EV models expected to roll out in the next few years. According to the report, the LEAF successor will be a crossover-style coupe. One dealer described it as a “mini-Aryia.”
Dealers were told it would offer 25% more range than the current version, indicating around 265 miles of range (compared to the 60 kWh battery on the Nissan LEAF SV Plus).
The second EV shown was a performance sedan that, the report notes, could replace the Nissan Maxima. Dealers were also shown an electric crossover SUV built on the dedicated CMF-EV platform used for the Ariya EV.
Last month, Nissan’s supplier production schedule revealed plans for two new Nissan and Infiniti electric sedans starting in 2025, followed by a pair of electric crossovers at its Canton assembly plant the following year.
Sticking to a hybrid strategy
Despite previewing three new EVs, dealers were also shown Nissan’s upcoming ICE lineup. CEO Makoto Uchida committed to investing in both ICE and EV, sticking to a hybrid approach like its Japanese rival Toyota.
Nissan said it will bring its e-Power series-hybrid tech to the US in the second half of 2026. The technology, introduced in Japan in 2016, uses an electric motor to power the vehicle’s wheels but still uses a gas engine to charge the battery.
Also, like Toyota, Nissan touted details about the solid-state batteries under development. The automaker says the batteries are smaller and can provide 100 miles of range in 15 minutes via fast charge. Nissan plans to begin pilot production at its Yokohama plant next year.
Electrek’s Take
Although Nissan was once seen as a pioneer in electric vehicle tech with the release of the LEAF, the automaker has fallen behind the past several years.
The LEAF, released in December 2010, was the best-selling EV for several years. However, most automakers have caught up, releasing all-electric models of their own.
Nissan has failed to update the LEAF over the years, leaving the market wide open for the taking. It took over a decade to release its second pure EV, the Nissan Ariya, which is already outselling the LEAF in the US.
Despite plans to accelerate EV production, Nissan is sticking to a hybrid approach, which only delays the inevitable. If Nissan revealed these EVs three or five years ago, it could be lightyears ahead of the pack. But instead, Nissan insists on a diversified approach.
The LEAF is in need of a replacement, with sales slipping consistently, but it should have been done several years ago, not in another two years.
Rather than focusing on increasing EV production and meeting demand, Nissan will have its hand in several segments, making it even harder to transition in the long run.
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Environment
U.S. could reach deal with Canada that avoids oil and gas tariffs, energy secretary says
HOUSTON — The U.S. could reach an agreement with Canada that avoids tariffs on imports of oil, gas and other energy resources, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Monday.
Wright said such a scenario is “certainly is possible” but “it’s too early to say” in response to a question from CNBC during a press conference at the CERAWeek by S&P Global. The U.S. is in “active dialogue” with Canada and Mexico, the energy secretary said.
President Donald Trump has paused until April 2 tariffs on Mexican and Canadian imports that are compliant with the agreement which governs trade in North America. Trump originally imposed broad 25% tariffs on goods from both countries as well as lesser 10% tariffs on energy imports from Canada.
It’s unclear, however, how much of the oil, gas and other energy that the U.S. imports from Canada is compliant with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Wright declined to provide specifics when CNBC asked how much of those imports are USMCA compliant.
“I’m going to avoid the details for now,” Wright said. The energy secretary said, “We can get to no tariffs or very low tariffs but it’s got to be reciprocal” in an interview with CNBC’s Brian Sullivan.
Canada’s energy minister, Jonathan Wilkinson, warned last week that energy prices will rise in the U.S. if the tariffs on energy imports go into full effect.
“We will see higher gasoline prices as a function of energy, higher electricity prices from hydroelectricity from Canada, higher home heating prices associated with natural gas that comes from Canada and higher automobile prices,” Wilkinson told CNBC’s Megan Cassella in an interview.
The U.S. has been the largest producer of crude oil and natural gas in the world for years. But many refiners in the U.S. are dependent on heavy crude imported from Canada. The U.S. imported 6.6 million barrels of crude oil per day on average in December, more than 60% of which came from Canada, according to the Energy Information Administration.
Wright acknowledged that the tariffs are creating uncertainty in energy markets as negotiations continue.
“We’re in the middle of negotiations for where things are going to go with tariffs, so that feels frightening and gripping right now but this time will pass,” Wright said. “Deals will be made, we’ll get certainty and we’ll have a positive economic environment for Americans going forward.”
U.S. crude oil fell more than 1% Monday to close at $66.03 per barrel, while global benchmark Brent closed at $69.28 per barrel. Crude oil futures have pulled back substantially as Trump’s trade policy creates uncertainty and OPEC+ has confirmed that it plans to gradually bring back 2.2 million barrels per day of production beginning next month.
Apple is rolling out a notable update to Apple Maps EV Routing for Ford drivers. Starting today, Ford Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning drivers can use Apple Maps EV Routing via CarPlay to plan road trips that include Tesla Superchargers – or any station that uses the North American Charging Standard (NACS) connector.
As I’ve explained before, Ford began shipping adapters CCS to NACS adapters that allow Mach-E and Lightning drivers to charge at Tesla Superchargers last year. Until today, however, Apple Maps was unaware of this change. This meant Apple Maps EV Routing would only route Mach-E and Lightning drivers to CCS charging stations, even though a route with Tesla Superchargers might’ve been more efficient.
With today’s change, Apple Maps via CarPlay will now include NACS fast charging stations, such as compatible Tesla Superchargers, in recommended route planning recommendations.
In a blog post, Ford explains:
Apple Maps EV Routing in CarPlay allows drivers to input their route and can view the estimated battery level they will have when they get to a destination, as well as suggested charging stations along the way if charging is needed. Previously, Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning drivers would have to manually open another app, then enter a NACS fast charger as a destination to have it added to their route. Now, with the Apple Maps EV Routing and NACS fast charger integration, the experience will be more seamless.
How to Use Apple Maps EV Routing in CarPlay:
- Connect your Apple iPhone to CarPlay.
- Open Apple Maps, go to Settings, and confirm your preferred charging network(s) – make sure you select a NACS fast charging station, such as Tesla Supercharger. You only have to do this once.
- Enter a destination.
- Apple Maps will then calculate the estimated state of charge you will have when you get to a destination.
- If a charge is required, depending on the fastest route, it will automatically route you to a NACS fast charging station.*
This is a significant update to the Apple Maps EV Routing experience for Ford drivers. Next up on my wishlist is support for battery preconditioning when using Apple Maps EV Routing. Android Auto added this feature last October.
The new feature is available now to iPhone users running iOS 17 or later. No software update is required for your car.
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James Murdoch, a Tesla board member and friend of CEO Elon Musk, has confirmed that he sold about $13 million in stock today as the stock (TSLA) crashed.
There has been a lot of insider trading at Tesla lately, and by trading, we mean selling – cause no insider is ever buying at Tesla.
We recently reported on Kimball Musk, Elon’s brother, and Tesla’s Chief Financial Officer Taneja Vaibhav recently selling ahead of a recent drop in the company’s stock price.
Tesla’s chairwoman, Robyn Denholm, also sold $33 million worth of Tesla shares last week and over $100 million in the last 3 months.
Now, it’s James Murdoch’s turn. The Tesla board member just confirmed, through a required SEC filing, that he sold 54,776 Tesla shares for just over $13 million today:
He sold as Tesla’s stock crashed 15% today. It is now down more than 50% from its all-time high just a few months ago.
Murdoch was appointed to Tesla’s board in 2017.
He is better known as the son of media mogul Rupert Murdoch and the former CEO of 21st Century Fox from 2015 to 2019.
Murdoch was one of the Tesla board directors who was forced to return almost $1 billion in cash and stock options to Tesla as part of a settlement for over-compensation.
Electrek’s Take
Tesla insiders are unloading, and those are just the ones we know about. Public companies only have to report insider trading for board directors and listed top executives.
For the latter, Tesla purposefully only lists 3 people: Elon, Vaibhav Taneja, Tesla’s CFO, and Tom Zhu, whose role at Tesla has bit quite fluid in recent years.
Therefore, we don’t know about the dozens of other top executives potentially selling their shares right now amid a giant correction.
It’s really suspicious because there are clear top leaders at Tesla who are often on Tesla’s earnings calls, and they are not even listed, like Lars Moravy, for example.
But it’s par for the course at Tesla, which has some of the worst corporate governance I have ever seen. It’s truly shameful.
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