Nissan's "Emergency Mode": More Dramatic Than a Leaf in a Hurricane?
Image Credit: Nissan.
Nissan has decided to take a page out of the "Fast and Furious" franchise, except instead of souped-up Skylines, they're hitting the brakes and screaming, "Emergency mode!" I guess those Tokyo drifts weren't as profitable as they thought, eh?
Our beloved Japanese automaker, known for its Z cars and, uh, that other thing they make (the Leaf, was it?), has found itself in a bit of a pickle. Sales are down, profits are thinner than a supermodel's patience, and the CEO, Makoto Uchida, has decided to take drastic action. We're talking 9,000 jobs cut, production slashed, and even poor Uchida-san taking a 50% pay cut. Ouch. That's gotta hurt more than accidentally hitting the curb with your brand-new GT-R.
I'm not saying I'm an expert in corporate restructuring, but it does seem a bit like they're using a sledgehammer to crack a walnut. I mean, 9,000 jobs? That's a whole lot of folks suddenly finding themselves with a lot more free time to, I don't know, perfect their origami skills or become professional sake tasters.
But maybe that's just my less serious side talking. Still, you gotta ask what exactly led them to this point? Was it the slow sales of their electric vehicles? Sure, the Leaf is about as exciting as watching paint dry, and the Ariya, while a decent effort, hasn't exactly set the world on fire.
Image Credit: Nissan.
Interestingly enough, Nissan is doubling down on the EV front, even with the whole "emergency mode" in play. They're planning to launch 30 new or updated models (eventually, that is, because they're pushing back launch dates like a procrastinating student). And they're all about that bidirectional charging, or as they like to call it, "vehicle-to-grid" technology. Basically, your car becomes a giant battery on wheels, powering your house during blackouts or even selling energy back to the grid. Sounds cool in theory, but let's be real: most people are still struggling to figure out how to pair their phones with their car's Bluetooth.
Nissan is also ditching a chunk of its stake in Mitsubishi. Remember those good ol' days when Carlos Ghosn was running the show, and Nissan swooped in to save Mitsubishi from oblivion? Well, those days are gone, and Nissan is cashing out, freeing up $482.7 million. That's enough to buy a whole fleet of GT-Rs or maybe even a small island in the Pacific.
Before you start panicking and rushing to your nearest Nissan dealership to trade in your Altima for a Camry, let's take a deep breath and look at the bigger picture. No doubt, Nissan is in a tough spot - but they're far from going belly up. They still have a massive global presence, a loyal customer base (somewhere), and an OK lineup of vehicles.
This whole shebang is a reminder that even giants can stumble. The auto industry is a fickle beast, and even the most established players can find themselves struggling to keep up with the times - cue Volkswagen.
Image Credit: Nissan.
Nissan's "emergency mode" is a good lesson in humility. It's a reminder that even CEOs making millions of dollars a year can find themselves taking a pay cut. Let's hope all this turns into a wake-up call for Nissan that will force them to innovate, adapt, and come back stronger than ever. Or maybe they'll end up making even more beige sedans.
