Say goodbye to new Nissan diesel engines

As a sign of the changing automotive landscape, Nissan is the latest in a list of manufacturers that has announced that they will no longer be developing diesel engines. Based on information we retrieved from Nikkei Asian Review, Nissan’s resources and efforts will be focused toward further boosting the development of electric technology including motors, hybrid powertrains and battery systems.

As diesel engines around the world are nearing extinction, and with many major cities around the world imposing bans on diesel vehicles, Nissan foresees a decline in demand. They are, however, still manufacturing two diesel engines for commercial use, and have plans to halt production of their current diesel engines by 2020. The reports also suggest that Nissan will continue to sell diesel-powered commercial vehicles in markets around the world but the engines for these cars will be provided by its partners in the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance.

Nissan has plans to move to all-new platforms for its hybrid and electric vehicles. This new platform will essentially be a modular and versatile package that allows the base vehicle to meet different customer needs without having to change chassis and complete drivetrains.This will not only make the manufacturing of these cars cheaper but will also offer automakers a lot more flexibility with different designs and body styles.

Since the Philippines hasn’t tightened the noose yet on diesels and the region is far from doing the same, it’s safe to say that Nissan’s diesel market in South East Asia is a strong one. Of course, as regulations come in and the cost of new technology decreases, it’s only a matter of time until we start phasing out diesels on our congested roads, too.

Source: Nikkei Asian Review

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