HOW CAN OLD FOGY OEMS POSSIBLY SURVIVE IN AN EV WORLD?

EV Channels Review

This episode of Autoline After Hours features Nissan's Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Mike Colleran, discussing the challenges and strategies for legacy automakers in the EV era. Colleran asserts that established OEMs can indeed compete with EV startups, highlighting Nissan's long-standing EV experience with the Leaf and the new Ariya. He emphasizes Nissan's deliberate approach to EV development, focusing on reliability and ecosystem building. The discussion delves into the critical issue of public charging infrastructure, acknowledging its current shortcomings but pointing to increasing investment and improving vehicle range as solutions. Nissan's partnership with EVgo and its own investments in charging infrastructure are noted. The conversation also touches upon the importance of affordability, dealer network readiness, and the innovative 'second delivery' program for the Ariya, designed to enhance customer understanding and confidence. The panel also briefly discusses Ford's transparent financial reporting on its EV losses and the impact of the IRA on manufacturing localization.