Nissan to stop development of most internal combustion engines, report claims



Nissan has become the latest major carmaker to cease development for its internal combustion engines (ICE) according to a report by Nikkei Asia, making it the first Japanese marque to do so.

The report claims that Nissan has already stopped the development of brand-new petrol engines for Europe, and will soon do the same for China and Japan, making US the sole market for which all-new engines are designed – mainly for pickup trucks.

The Japanese carmaker will instead focus its efforts on electric vehicles, alongside its alliance members Renault and Mitsubishi. Development of combustion engines for hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains will still continue, however, Nikkei Asia reports.

Existing ICEs will also continue to be improved upon according to the report, with no factory closures or job cuts planned. Over time, personnel involved in ICE development and production will be slowly relocated to EV motors, hybrid engines, and “other divisions”.

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The move comes as lawmakers worldwide continue to tighten vehicle emissions restrictions and regulations in an attempt to promote the shift towards EVs. Particularly in Europe, Nissan determined that the new EURO 7 emissions standards, set to go into effect in 2025, will raise the cost of developing internal combustion engines to unsustainable levels.

How Nissan’s reported decision to cease engine development will affect its Alliance partners remains to be seen, as many of the engines are also shared across the brands – who have not announced their own end dates for engine development either.

What we do know is that the all-new Nissan Z will most likely be the last pure-ICE sports car from the Japanese carmaker. Rest in power, mighty V6 – you’ll be dearly missed.