Japanese automakers Nissan and Mitsubishi are joining forces to catch up as the US market transitions to EVs. Nissan and Mitsubishi will jointly develop an electric pickup for the US market. Is this the all-electric Frontier we’ve been waiting for?
Nissan and Mitsubishi electric pickup destined for the US
Shortly after confirming a new EV partnership with rival Honda, Nissan announced another collaboration with Japan’s Mitsubishi.
The automakers are teaming up after falling behind as the market shifts to electric beneath its feet. Nissan, once seen as an EV leader, with the launch of the LEAF in 2010, took over a decade to release its second global EV, the Ariya.
Now, it looks to make up for lost time. Nissan’s CEO, Makoto Uchida, revealed the automaker’s collaboration plans to take on the US market this week.
According to Automotive News, Nissan will launch its first plug-in hybrid in the US using a Mitsubishi-engineered system. On the other hand, Mitsubishi will launch its first North American-made EV using Nissan’s electric tech.
Nissan and Mitsubishi have bigger plans. They plan to jointly develop an electric pickup for the US market, which will be produced in Mexico. Fully electric and PHEV versions are being considered.
Nissan “Surf-Out” EV pickup concept (Source: Nissan)
The model will likely arrive in the US as an electric version of Nissan’s best-selling pickup, the Frontier. It could also expand Mitsubishi’s lineup with the midsize EV pickup buyers and dealers are asking for.
Nissan and Mitsubishi have been intertwined since 2016. Following an emissions cheating scandal, Former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn took a 34% stake in Mitsubishi.
Nissan “Surf Out” electric pickup concept (Source: Nissan)
The two have collaborated on minicars in Japan, but North America is a priority as they look to revamp sales.
Nissan’s Chief Planning Officer Ivan Espinosa said the electric pickup is expected to roll out between March 31, 2027, and March 31, 3031.
Electrek’s Take
Is this the electric Frontier we’ve been waiting for? Nissan sold over 76,000 Frontiers in the US last year, up 26% from 2021.
The automaker revealed its new “Arc” business plan this week, which aims to drive down costs and compete with Chinese EV makers and Tesla.
Makota said Nissan “Cannot continue old ways of business from the past into the future” in January. The second part of its two-part plan includes enabling the EV transition with partnerships and differentiated products.
From 2024 to 2030, Nissan will launch 34 electrified vehicles, covering all segments. This includes pickups. Nissan expects electrified vehicles to account for 40% of global sales by 2026 and 60% by 2030.
In the US, Nissan is investing $200 million with plans to refresh 78% of its lineup. The automaker said this includes launching e-POWER and plug-in hybrids.
Meanwhile, the electric truck market is already gaining competition, with the Tesla Cybertruck and Chevy Silverado EV joining Ford’s F-150 Lightning and the Rivian R1T.
By 2027 (or even 3031), an electric Nissan/ Mitsubishi pickup will already be (way) behind the market. Meanwhile, Ford announced it’s cutting its workforce at the facility where the F-150 Lightning is built by one-third. The changes go into effect April 1, 2024.
Would you buy an electric Nissan (or Mitsubishi) pickup over the Tesla, Chevy, Ford, or Rivian models already out? Let us know what it would take in the comments.
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Tesla is starting to replenish its Model Y inventory in the US after the design changeover, and it is ramping up incentives in China and Europe, suggesting that demand issues persist despite the new Model Y’s introduction.
After Tesla’s disastrous first quarter, shareholders attempted to blame the company’s issues on the transition to the new Model Y, which resulted in limited supply and buyers delaying their deliveries.
There’s no doubt that it impacted Tesla’s performance in Q1, but there were also other clear demand issues.
The automaker stated that it successfully resumed Model Y production to normal levels in record time. Therefore, Model Y supply can’t be blamed going forward and there are reasons to be concerned.
Now, Tesla has officially started to add new inventory Model Ys in the US – confirming that it doesn’t have a backlog of orders for the updated vehicle:
It’s challenging to determine the exact number of new Model Y vehicles Tesla has in stock.
The website Tesla-Info tracks new vehicle listings in the US, but Tesla only lists configurations available in specific markets. After depleting the inventory of the older version of the Model Y in late March, Tesla is now listing 93 new Model Ys in the US:
However, for any of those listings, there could be several Model Ys in inventory, especially considering that Tesla currently has a limited number of options for the new Model Ys.
Tesla’s Model Y configurations also lists most configurations as being available today in most major US markets. This again points to Tesla having no order backlog for the brand-new vehicle.
At least, Tesla has yet to introduce incentives to sell the vehicle in the US, but it does in other markets.
Tesla is having even more issues in Europe, where its sales are crashing. The automaker is also struggling to sell some older Model Ys from its inventory.
Tesla produced about 30,000 more vehicles than it delivered in the first quarter, and it increased its inventory by $1.7 billion.
Electrek’s Take
Some people think that I’m happy to see this, but they couldn’t be more wrong. I’m just emphasizing it because recognizing the problem is the first step toward fixing it, and I want it to be fixed.
The biggest EV automaker failing is not good for EV adoption, and Tesla is going in that direction.
Tesla shareholders need to recognize that the Model Y refresh is not saving Tesla. Sales have been declining since last year, while electric vehicle (EV) sales continue to increase in most markets.
The combination of Elon Musk alienating half of Tesla’s potential customer base and Tesla’s stale lineup due to the focus on self-driving is resulting in an impossible situation for Tesla right now. Something needs to change.
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Greenlane, which is rolling out a US EV charging network for big rigs, just switched on its first electric truck stop in Colton, California.
April 24, 2025: The flagship facility, at the intersection of Interstates 215 and 10, was completed eight months after breaking ground. It’s got 41 OEM-agnostic chargers with 12 pull-through lanes and CCS 400 kW dual-port chargers with liquid-cooled cables. They’re built to handle big Class 8 electric rigs with ease. Twenty-nine bobtail lanes feature CCS 180 kW chargers.
Colton offers a spacious lounge with food and drinks, a water refill station, and restrooms. There’s free wifi, mobile charging stations, and 24/7 customer support. Security includes round-the-clock on-site attendants, security cameras, gated access, and enhanced lighting. Office space is available for leasing, and there’s overnight truck and trailer parking.
It’s the first of several electric charging truck stops planned for the company’s I-15 commercial EV charging corridor. Greenlane plans to expand its network with future sites expected roughly every 60 to 90 miles in Long Beach, Barstow, and Baker, California.
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Greenlane has also secured its first commercial fleet customer, fully electric truckload carrier Nevoya, which will begin operating its fleet of electric trucks out of Colton early next month. Nevoya will use the charging infrastructure and occupy on-site office space. The two companies plan to scale the partnership to include up to 100 of Nevoya’s electric trucks.
Greenlane’s flagship electric charging truck stop
March 11, 2025: Builder and developer Mortenson is constructing the commercial EV charging facility in Colton, which broke ground last September. It will include more than 40 chargers when it comes online for heavy, medium, and light-duty EVs. In its next phase, Greenlane plans to deploy solar panels and battery storage to enhance grid stability, manage peak loads, and increase energy efficiency.
Greenlane’s pull-through lane chargers will be equipped with Alpitronic CCS 400 kW dual-port chargers featuring oil-cooled cables. That means faster charging without the bulk—these cables stay lightweight and easy to handle. For bobtail charging, eFill CCS 180 kW chargers will be available, bringing smart energy management to keep fleet operations running smoothly.
To keep everything in check, ABB’s SCADA system will handle remote monitoring and breaker management, boosting reliability and efficiency. Plus, Greenlane’s sites are built with Trenwa precast cable trench, making it easier to expand EV charging infrastructure and upgrade to megawatt charging as fleet demand grows.
Greenlane’s tech launch
Greenlane, a joint venture between Daimler Truck North America, NextEra Energy, and BlackRock, also debuted its branded digital technology suite as part of its ongoing development of the I-15 Commercial EV Charging Corridor. The products will be rolled out in phases.
Greenlane’s Chief Technology Officer, Raj Jhaveri, said, “Our technology helps maximize uptime and operational efficiency by ensuring vehicles are charged efficiently and ready to meet the demands of their freight schedules.”
The tech rollout includes an app that allows drivers to check charger availability and make reservations in advance, a fleet portal that enables fleet managers and dispatchers to plan and manage routes for their electric fleets, and a new Greenlane website.
Greenlane also now has OnRamp Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) that integrate with existing fleet solutions, providing fleet managers and drivers access to optimized routes, efficient charging and refueling schedules, and related charging data and emissions savings.
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VW’s US self-driving arm, Volkswagen ADMT (Autonomous Driving Mobility & Transport), is partnering with Uber to roll out thousands of autonomous ID. Buzz vans across the US over the next decade.
The plan kicks off in Los Angeles, with testing starting later this year and commercial rides expected to launch in 2026.
The ID. Buzz autonomous driving (AD) vans will have human operators onboard during early testing and launch phases to help fine-tune the tech and keep things safe. Each stage will only move forward once regulators give the green light.
Volkswagen’s mobility brand MOIA is supplying the vehicles and the AD software that’ll run them on Uber’s platform. It’s a full-stack approach to bringing self-driving EVs to ride-hailing, and another sign that the robotaxi race is heating up.
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“Volkswagen is not just a car manufacturer – we are shaping the future of mobility, and our collaboration with Uber accelerates that vision,” said Christian Senger, CEO of Volkswagen Autonomous Mobility.
In March 2024, Volkswagen became the first vehicle manufacturer to develop a Level 4 AD service vehicle for large-scale production. Level 4 AD means the car can handle most driving situations independently in a defined area, such as a city. It can also drive alone, without passengers.
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