Nissan crossover EV canceled for US, other EVs delayed

• Nissan reassesses plans to build EVs in the U.S. 
• Plans to build a small electric crossover have been canceled, and other EV plans delayed
• Questions remain about the timing, status, and production plans of Nissan’s plant in Canton, Mississippi

Nissan has abandoned plans to bring an unnamed small crossover electric vehicle to the U.S., Automotive News reported Wednesday.

The automaker had originally planned to build this EV—codenamed PZ1L—at its Canton, Mississippi, plant for U.S. sale. But it’s now consolidating production at its Sunderland, U.K., plant. That likely means the PZ1L won’t be sold in the U.S.

“We will continue to evaluate market opportunities for new models and make adjustments accordingly,” Nissan spokesperson Brian Brockman told Automotive News, adding that Nissan is focusing on other, higher-volume, electric models for the Canton plant.

2025 Nissan Leaf

Reportedly sized between the current Leaf hatchback and the gasoline Rogue crossover, the PZ1L was one of five EVs slated to be built in Canton starting mid-decade, Automotive News noted. The PZ1L was one of three crossovers, the trade journal added, with the other two models likely to be sedans.

Nissan may be halting plans for other electric vehicles originally slated for U.S. production. Last week, a Nissan official confirmed to the Madison Country Journal that plans to build one Nissan and one Infiniti EV in Canton had been delayed from 2025 to 2028. The Nissan official would not confirm rumors that the Canton plant’s workforce would be downsized as the plant transforms into a Nissan Intelligent Factory that embraces more robotics and a zero-emission production system.  

It’s unclear if the PZ1L is one of the three electric crossovers Nissan confirmed for its Sunderland plant in 2023. Two of them—electric versions of the Juke and Qashqai—were unlikely to reach the U.S. The third is expected to be a crossover-influenced sequel to the Leaf, which is expected to arrive for the 2027 model year and has seemed like a more viable option for the U.S.

Nissan EV to be made in Mississippi

Nissan first discussed building EVs at the Mississippi plant—which currently assembles the gasoline Altima sedan and Frontier pickup truck—in 2022, confirming plans for the now-delayed Nissan-branded EV and an Infiniti luxury model. Last summer, Nissan told suppliers that it was pausing plans for EV production in Canton and putting a $500 million investment in the plant on hold, reports Automotive News.

A few months later, Nissan announced that it would lay off approximately 9,000 employees globally, representing 6.7% of its global workforce, and cut production capacity by 20% due to declining sales, primarily in the U.S. and China. The situation has led Nissan to pursue a merger with Honda, which the two automakers hope to complete by 2026.

—Senior editor Robert Duffer contributed to this report.