Nissan

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. is a large Japanese company that makes cars and other vehicles. It is based in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan, and sells cars under the Nissan and Infiniti names. In the past, Nissan also used the Datsun name for some of its cars. Nissan also makes special, fast versions of cars under the Nismo and Autech brands.

Nissan has been around since the early 1900s and is part of a big group of car companies called the Renault–Nissan–Mitsubishi Alliance. This group includes Nissan, Mitsubishi Motors from Japan, and Renault from France. Renault owns a part of Nissan, and Nissan owns a part of Renault too.

In 2017, Nissan was one of the biggest car makers in the world. Later, the company faced money problems. The new leader of Nissan said the company will close some factories and make fewer kinds of cars to save money and focus on cars that sell better.

History

Beginnings of Datsun brand name from 1914

Masujiro Hashimoto started Kwaishinsha Motor Car Works in Tokyo in 1911. In 1914, the company made its first car, called the DAT. The name came from the surnames of the investors: Kenjiro Den, Rokuro Aoyama, and Meitaro Takeuchi. The company changed its name several times over the years. It made trucks as well as passenger cars.

In 1926, DAT Motors merged with another company. In 1931, DAT introduced a smaller car called the Datsun Type 11. In 1933, Nissan Group took control and the name changed to "Datsun".

Nissan name debut

In 1928, Yoshisuke Aikawa created a holding company called Nihon Sangyo. The name 'Nissan' came from an abbreviation used on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. This company later included Tobata Casting and Hitachi. In 1931, DAT Jidosha Seizo joined with Tobata Casting. Since Tobata Casting was part of Nissan, this marked the start of Nissan's automobile business.

Nissan Motor

In 1934, Aikawa formed a new subsidiary called Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. In 1935, Nissan built a plant in Yokohama. Nissan made trucks, airplanes, and engines for the Imperial Japanese Army. In 1937, Nissan moved its headquarters and changed its name.

American market and expansion

DAT had an American engineer who influenced Nissan's designs. When Nissan began making larger vehicles under the "Nissan" brand in 1937, it used design plans from an American company.

Austin Motor Company relations (1937–1960s)

From 1934, Datsun made cars based on Austin 7s. This helped Datsun succeed internationally.

In 1952, Nissan agreed to build Austins in Japan. Nissan made parts locally and used Austin patents to improve its own engines. By 1955, Nissan built its own version of the Austin A50. Nissan used what it learned to create better engines, like the A series engine in 1966 and the Nissan L engine in 1967. These engines were used in popular cars like the Datsun 510 and the Datsun 240Z.

Merger with Prince Motor Company

In 1966, Nissan merged with the Prince Motor Company, adding cars like the Skyline and Gloria to its lineup. The Prince name was used until 1999.

Expansion into foreign markets

In the 1950s, Nissan aimed to sell cars worldwide. It showed cars at auto shows and entered new markets. Nissan built factories in many countries. By 1970, Nissan was one of the world's largest car exporters.

Nissan started in Mexico in the 1960s. After the 1973 oil crisis, demand grew for small cars, and Nissan built new factories in several countries.

Project 901

Project 901 was a plan in the mid-1980s for Nissan to make advanced cars by 1990. It started in 1985 under Nissan President Yutaka Kume.

Alliance with Renault

In 1999, Nissan joined with Renault of France. In 2001, Carlos Ghosn became Nissan's CEO. Under his plan, Nissan improved greatly and made record profits.

Financial difficulties

Starting in 2019, Nissan faced financial challenges and cut jobs. In 2020, it reduced production due to the COVID-19 pandemic and closed factories in some countries.

Attempted merger with Honda

In December 2024, Nissan announced plans to merge with Honda, but the talks ended in February 2025.

Turnaround plans

After a big loss in 2024/2025, Nissan's new CEO announced plans to close factories and reduce car models to focus on profitable ones. Nissan remains committed to hybrid cars and autonomous driving.

Nissan technologies

In 1982, Nissan started using robots to help build cars. In 1984, they added robots to another plant too.

Nissan has made electric cars since 1946. In 2010, they introduced the Nissan Leaf, a plug-in battery electric vehicle. Before the Leaf, Nissan made the Altra and the Hypermini. At one point, Nissan was the biggest maker of electric cars in the world. In 2022, Nissan announced plans to develop new types of batteries for future electric vehicles.

Relationships with other car companies

In Australia, from 1989 to 1992, Nissan Australia worked with Ford Australia to share car models. This was part of a government plan called the Button Plan. For example, a Nissan Pintara was sold as the Ford Corsair, and a Ford Falcon was sold as the Nissan Ute. In North America, Nissan and Ford worked together from 1993 to 2002 to sell minivans like the Mercury Villager and the Nissan Quest. These minivans looked almost the same but had small design differences.

Nissan also worked with other companies. For example, in Europe, Nissan and Ford Europe made a popular SUV called the Nissan Terrano II. In 2023, Nissan and Honda talked about working together on electric car parts and smart car software.

Alliance with Renault and Mitsubishi

Main article: Renault–Nissan–Mitsubishi Alliance

In 1999, Nissan faced big money problems and joined forces with Renault from France. This was the first time a Japanese and a French car company worked so closely together. Renault bought a part of Nissan, and later Nissan bought a part of Renault too. They shared ideas and technology to make better cars together.

In 2010, Daimler AG also joined this group, sharing some of their car technology with Nissan and Renault. This helped all three companies save money and work better together.

Other alliances and joint ventures

Nissan has also worked with many other companies around the world. For example, in 2003, Nissan joined with Dongfeng Motor Group in China to make many types of vehicles. In 2026, Nissan, Uber, and Wayve planned to test self-driving taxis in Tokyo.

Branding and corporate identity

Brands

Nissan sells most of its cars worldwide under the Nissan brand. Before 1983, in many places outside Japan, these cars were sold under the Datsun brand. In 1984, Datsun was replaced by Nissan, and by 1985, the Datsun name was no longer used. In 2013, Nissan brought back the Datsun name for cars sold in growing markets, but stopped this in 2022 because sales were slow.

Since 1989, Nissan has sold its more expensive cars under the Infiniti brand. In 2012, Infiniti moved its headquarters to Hong Kong. From 2014 to 2020, certain cars in Japan that were also sold as Infiniti models used the Infiniti logo.

Nismo is Nissan’s special performance team, short for “Nissan Motorsport International Limited.” It is now Nissan’s performance brand.

For many years, Nissan used a red logo for the company and badges for the “Nissan” and “Infiniti” brands. In 2013, Nissan showed a new blue-gray logo that showed the company name and the brand names underneath. In July 2020, Nissan introduced new logos for the company and its brands as part of updating its look for the launch of the Ariya.

Since 2007 in Japan, Nissan has used a simple chrome circle with the word “Nissan” on the front of its cars.

Previously, Nissan had different dealership names like “Nissan Blue Stage,” “Nissan Red Stage,” and “Nissan Red and Blue Stage,” which started in 1999 after Nissan joined with Renault. Renault also sold cars in Japan at “Nissan Red Stage” locations and still sells them at Nissan’s Japanese dealerships.

Leadership

Nissan has had many leaders over the years. Some important leaders include Yoshisuke Aikawa from 1933 to 1939, Carlos Ghosn from 2000 to 2017, and Makoto Uchida from 2019 to 2025. Each leader helped guide the company during their time in charge.

Products

For a more comprehensive list, see list of Nissan vehicles and list of Nissan engines.

Automotive products

Nissan builds many cars and trucks. They began making cars in Japan and started selling them worldwide in the 1950s. Some famous cars are sports cars like the Datsun Fairlady 1500, 1600 and 2000 Roadsters, the Z-car, and the powerful GT-R. In 1985, Nissan created a group called Nismo to make faster racing cars.

Nissan also makes small cars called kei cars, working with companies like Suzuki. They have partnered with other car makers, such as Mazda, Subaru, and Isuzu. In China, Nissan works with the Dongfeng Motor Group to make cars.

In 2016, Nissan shared its Nissan Intelligent Mobility ideas at a big car show. Many of their cars, like the Dayz, Rogue, and Leaf, use this smart technology.

Trucks

Nissan makes pickup trucks and light trucks called Nissan Cabstar in Japan. These trucks are also known by other names in different places, like Renault Maxity and Samsung SV110. The Nissan Titan is a big pickup truck made for North America since 2004.

Electric vehicles

Nissan made its first electric car, the Nissan Altra, in 1997. In 2010, they launched the first-generation LEAF, which became very popular. They also made other electric vans and planned more electric cars.

In 2023, Nissan said they would start making electric cars with new kinds of batteries by 2028.

Autonomous cars

In 2013, Nissan said they wanted to make cars that could drive themselves by 2020. They made a special test track in Japan and put their self-driving technology into a Nissan Leaf to show how it works. By 2025, Nissan planned to add smart systems from Wayve to their cars.

Non-automotive products

Nissan has tried other things besides cars, like a mobile phone service called Tu–Ka in the 1990s. They also have a service called CarWings that helps drivers in Japan. Nissan also makes motors for small boats with Tohatsu and built rocket parts before selling that part of the business in 2000.

Marketing activities

Nismo is Nissan's special racing team, started in 1984. Their cars have raced in many exciting competitions around the world, like the All Japan Sports Prototype Championship, Super GT, and FIA World Endurance Championship.

Nissan has also helped support big sports events. From 1987 to 2007, they helped sponsor the Los Angeles Open golf tournament. Starting in 2015, Nissan gave its name to Nissan Stadium in Nashville, where football games are played. They also support the Heisman Trophy and the UEFA Champions League. Since 2019, Nissan has been the naming rights sponsor for Nissan Arena in Brisbane, Australia, where basketball and netball games happen.

Global sales figures

Research and development

Nissan does most of its research at the Oppama Plant in Yokosuka, which started in 1961. In 2012, Nissan brought its technical centers in Suginami, Tokyo and Tsurumi, Yokohama together into one big center called the Nissan Technical Center (NTC) in Atsugi, Kanagawa. By 2012, NTC had many workers helping to design and build cars.

Nissan works with teams around the world, including in North America, Mexico, Silicon Valley, and Europe. In 2007, Nissan opened the Nissan Advanced Technology Center (NATC) near NTC to help with new technology. Nissan also has test tracks in Tochigi, Yokosuka, and Hokkaido.

Nissan Digital Hubs

In 2018, Nissan started its first software development center in Thiruvananthapuram, India.

Manufacturing locations

Data extracted from Nissan's international corporate website.

East Asia

• Japan
  • Yokosuka, Kanagawa (Oppama Plant & Research Center)
  • Kaminokawa, Tochigi (Tochigi Plant)
  • Kanda, Fukuoka (Nissan Motor Kyushu & Nissan Shatai Kyushu Plant)
  • Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa (Yokohama Engine Plant, Nissan's oldest factory)
  • Iwaki, Fukushima (Iwaki Engine Plant)
  • Hiratsuka, Kanagawa (Nissan Shatai Shonan Plant)
  • Nagoya, Aichi (Aichi Machine Industry Atsuta & Eitoku Plants)
  • Matsusaka, Mie (Aichi Machine Industry Matsusaka Plant)
  • Tsu, Mie (Aichi Machine Industry Tsu Plant)
  • Uji, Kyoto (Auto Works Kyoto)
  • Ageo, Saitama (Nissan Diesel Motor, currently owned by the Volvo Group)
  • Samukawa, Kanagawa (Nissan Machinery)
  • Zama, Kanagawa (Assembly lines in the Zama Plant were closed in 1995, currently Global Production Engineering Center and storage unit for its historic models. Automotive Energy Supply Corporation (AESC), a joint-venture between Nissan and NEC, produces lithium-ion batteries in Zama.)
  • Musashimurayama, Tokyo (Assembly lines at the Musashimurayama facility were closed in 2001, and the facility has been repurposed as the Carest Murayama Megamall. It was formerly operated by the Prince Motor Company until 1966 when it merged with Nissan). It is now a museum called Carest Murayama Megamall occupying a 213,252 square foot facility.
• China mainland
  • Wuhan, Hubei (Dongfeng Motor Co., Ltd., a joint venture)
  • Huadu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong (Dongfeng Nissan Passenger Vehicle Company)
  • Xiangyang, Hubei (Dongfeng Motor Co., Ltd.)
  • Zhengzhou, Henan (Zhengzhou Nissan Automobile Co., Ltd., a joint venture)
  • Dalian, Liaoning (Dongfeng Nissan Passenger Vehicle Company)
• Taiwan
  • Miaoli

Southeast Asia

• Malaysia
  • Segambut, Kuala Lumpur (Tan Chong Motor Assemblies Sdn Bhd)
  • Serendah, Selangor (TCMA)
• Vietnam
  • Hanoi, Hanoi
• Indonesia
  • Cikampek, West Java
• Philippines (defunct 2021)
  • Santa Rosa City, Laguna (defunct 2021)
• Thailand
  • Bangna, Samutprakarn (Nissan Motors (Thailand))

Americas

• United States
  • Smyrna, Tennessee
  • Canton, Mississippi
  • Decherd, Tennessee
• Mexico
  • Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes (2 plants)
  • Cuernavaca, Morelos
• Brazil
  • São José dos Pinhais, Paraná (Renault-Nissan plant)
  • Resende, Rio de Janeiro
• Argentina
  • Santa Isabel (Renault-Nissan plant)

Africa

• Morocco
  • Tangier
• Egypt
  • 6th of October City, Giza Governorate
• Kenya
  • Thika, Kiambu County
• South Africa
  • Rosslyn, Pretoria, Gauteng

Europe

• Spain
  • Ávila, Castilla y León
• United Kingdom
  • Sunderland, North East England
• Russia (defunct 2022)
  • St. Petersburg, Russia (defunct 2022)
• France
  • Flins (Renault factory)