A Translation of “On Nissan’s Philosophy and Capability in Car Making” in English Markdown

By Qiao Yi

That year, I wandered in New Zealand. In a place with lots of mountains and lacking public transportation, buying a car was as necessary as wearing shoes to go outside. At that time, I asked many people who came earlier than me: What kind of car is most suitable for oneself?

Without exception, they all recommended Japanese cars to me. The reason is: Japanese cars are cheap, easy to drive, fuel-efficient, and never break down. Especially Nissan’s Sentra and March.

Although I still had a requirement for driving in the end, I chose a “niche brand” like Subaru. However, those recommendation tips about Nissan, which looked extremely pragmatic, direct, and without any emotion, undoubtedly were the biggest praise for the people’s understanding and car-making capability of Nissan at that time and place.

Such praise is not limited to foreign countries. Since Nissan established a joint venture in China in 2003, more than 14 million consumers have also enjoyed the nearly 90-year-old comfortable gene that Nissan has inherited in fuel-based models.

Overall, despite the big differences in technology in each era, Nissan and Dongfeng Nissan always stick to the philosophy of reliability, durability, comfort, and ease of use. Therefore, many people kindly give Nissan a nickname starting from the Teana model: Nissan’s Big Sofa.

However, these are just superficial things that ordinary users can touch in the process of interacting with Nissan more often. Most of the time, in order to have the technology that supports these comfortable experiences, Nissan has never given up research and development.The comfortable seating posture, clean air, and quiet space experienced by users of Nissan models all come from the Health & Wellbeing comfort technology concept. The energy-saving, comfortable, and smooth driving experience, on the other hand, is derived from the VQ engine. The zero-gravity healthy seating technology that can better simulate weightlessness is derived from NASA’s space technology design.

For Nissan, these technologies firmly support the comfortable experience and are the source of the name “Nissan Technology.” We may call it Nissan’s “technology comfortism.”

However, for many people, a sofa alone is not enough in the changing times. Clearly, it is a problem. Therefore, what kind of “electric sofa” will Nissan’s “big sofa” become in the electric era?

The core of the “big sofa” is technology.

Speaking of electric cars, I know you may have a kind smile on your face when it comes to Japanese cars.

Compared with the electric wave stirred up by new domestic brands and the follow-up of American and German cars, Japanese cars seem to have always been in a subtle and ambiguous state. It makes people anxious and want to shout, “Will you move or not?”

Moving is definitely necessary.

For instance, last year, Toyota announced the complete electrification of Lexus, which was a compromise solution. At the same time, GAC Toyota also recently launched the pure electric bZ4X. In addition, Honda’s two joint venture brands, Dongfeng Honda and Guangqi Honda, have both launched their own pure electric new energy brands. After all, the market is there. No matter how firm the technological route is, it cannot compare to the tempting profit cake.

So, where does Nissan stand now? What about Dongfeng Nissan? Is the appearance of ARIYA also a result of being “involved?” The answer is not so.

If others are changing with the trend, then Nissan is changing proactively.

In 1947, the world faced the first oil crisis, and all car manufacturers at that time were thinking about how to reduce displacement to save oil. However, Nissan kept a clear mind and thought of more possibilities for technical routes while accompanying everyone’s “rolling”. That year, Nissan’s first electric car TAMA was born. Since then, Nissan has embarked on its journey of electrification.

As we all know, in 1983, Nissan invented the first electric car using AC asynchronous motor – Nissan March EV. Soon after, lithium batteries, which are now widely used in all electronic products and electric vehicles, were invented by Nissan and were used on the Prairie Joy electric car in 1996, achieving the achievement of driving for 6 years in the Arctic Circle without battery failures.

Today, we are still discussing the safety of pure electric vehicle batteries, the stability of batteries in cold environments, and the reliability of endurance. Looking back now, Nissan had already started looking for answers 26 years ago.

Obviously, for Nissan, building a big sofa is an important thing, but behind the sofa, a technical Nissan is the strongest support for energy saving, reliability, and comfort.2011, Musk unveiled the Model S prototype, which would later help Tesla speed towards corporate success. But many may forget that, in the same year, Dongfeng Nissan introduced a new energy vehicle developed by Nissan in the previous year—the Ling Feng. Today, we can already hear the first application of permanent magnet synchronous motors, the technology behind the Ling Feng. And with a record of 21 billion kilometers without a single major safety incident, Ling Feng’s reputation for reliability and durability is well-deserved.

In 2018, Polish explorer Marek drove a Nissan LEAF across the Eurasian continent, and the Ling Feng’s old battery pack was dismantled and utilized in the Amsterdam Sports Arena and the town of Namie in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan.

It may seem that these are two marketing spectacles, but the problems they solve are: the reliability and energy replenishment of long-distance driving for electric vehicles, as well as the recycling of waste batteries. And these are exactly the problems that all new energy vehicle companies want to solve.

You see, a brand that truly values technology always prioritizes your comfort and peace of mind when creating a car. The pain points of car usage must be dealt with by technology, and nipped in the bud ahead of time. In short, you are not a guinea pig, but a true “God” who pays for the comfort that technology brings. In this respect, Nissan has given “technological comfortism” some humanistic touches.

The introduction of Ling Feng is not necessarily an attempt to completely occupy the market. More often, it represents Dongfeng Nissan’s exploration in the electrification process. After all, looking ahead and laying out in advance will enable the company to create truly competitive products when it is time to exert real effort.According to Nissan’s related strategy, Nissan plans to occupy 40% of the global electrified market by 2026, and will launch 23 new electric vehicle models, including 15 pure electric vehicles, by 2030, with the global electrified market share exceeding 50%.

At this time, ARIYA is indeed a product that comes at the right time.

Era and Core, Change and Unchange

Since we mentioned Nissan’s 2030 strategy, as the first product of this strategy, ARIYA must carry Nissan and even Dongfeng Nissan’s expectations for this product, as well as predictions for the future situation of the electric vehicle market.

So, what route will ARIYA take? Performance? Technology? Or will it really be an electric sofa?

Actually, all these things can really be achieved.

It should be noted that even in the era of internal combustion engines, Nissan, which prioritizes comfort and durability, can still produce the famous sports car GTR, aka “the Godzilla” of Japan. Similarly, in the era of electric vehicles, Nissan became the first Japanese car brand to join the FIA Formula E in 2018, and won the runner-up of the point standings in the 2019-2020 season.

Therefore, on top of ARIYA, an intelligent torque control that can be flexibly allocated between 0 and 100, and a maximum comprehensive torque of 600N·m can be found. However, in the era of electric vehicles, stronger power output is no longer the technical barrier of most brands. The leading and high-quality technology is to achieve more precise control, enabling drivers and passengers to truly experience comfort and smoothness during the journey. And the true dependence for achieving this is the ultra-high-precision motor torque control of Nissan, which has an accuracy up to one ten-thousandth second.

In short, despite the changing times, for Nissan, the emphasis on performance still relies on technological innovation. This is an important core spirit that the ARIYA inherits from previous Nissan products.

More importantly, in addition to improved driving performance metrics, the positioning of the “big sofa” has also been inherited by the ARIYA. Not only inherited but also developed, Nissan will use the ARIYA to create a magical “flying carpet”.

To put it succinctly, this “flying carpet” developed by the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance moves all the components of the electric vehicle forward, shortening the front and rear overhangs, and lowering the platform’s center of gravity. To put it another way, it can be summarized as a trendy “skateboard chassis”.

With this “flying carpet”, the ARIYA can integrate more ample chassis space, loading up steel that can bring greater safety benefits, batteries that can improve range, and configurations, radar, and chips that can bring intelligent driving. In short, anything is now possible.

Once again, the core underlying logic of Nissan is fully displayed in the safety, driving, and comfort design that revolves around this “flying carpet” – economy, durability, and comfort.

When all the core elements are determined from the outset, the resulting product will still be naturally labeled with “tech-comfortism,” regardless of how times and technology change. In fashionable terms, this may be Nissan’s “long-termism.”

Therefore, now that the product is in front of everyone, what we need to discuss is whether it is adequate for Nissan and Dongfeng Nissan to win better opportunities in the era of intelligent electric vehicles.

Differences may bring opportunities

Many people say that Dongfeng Nissan ARIYA is similar to the ID.4 in terms of product size, functionality, and pricing. But if we compare only the selling price, the world of this car becomes less interesting.

Since it has entered the price range of 270,000-3.5 million yuan, whether comparable or not, all products in this range become potential competitors. You can draw user portraits, but users’ preferences cannot be fully reflected by portraits.

Many people think that ARIYA is overpriced. However, if you carefully examine the competitors within this price range, you will find that ARIYA’s advantages are actually very obvious in the comfort field that Nissan emphasizes.For example, the top ARIYA long-range version, which costs ¥252,800 after comprehensive subsidies, is equipped with updated electric motors that are more advanced than permanent magnet synchronous motors, providing longer range and smaller turning radius compared to the Model 3 and even the Model Y, which costs over ¥310,000. More importantly, the ARIYA leads with features such as Face ID, HUD, air purification, and cabin silence, surpassing the Tesla that has not been updated for a while in terms of configuration richness.

Another example is the ARIYA long-range version, which also costs over ¥250,000, compared to the ID.4. In terms of range, the more advanced and updatable infotainment system, double-layer soundproof glass, air quality control system, and ergonomically designed seats, the ARIYA showcases all the possible differentiators between Japanese and German cars.

Most importantly, for Nissan and Dongfeng Nissan, ARIYA inherits all the brand features that make it reliable, durable, practical, and equipped with advanced features. These characteristics have earned Nissan its reputation in the era of internal combustion engines. Can they help the brand achieve even more in the electric age?

The answer should be yes.

After all, as all automobile companies embark on their electrification path towards a more technological, futuristic direction, all consumers have become members of the exploration team for the future.But the initiative to spend money should be in the hands of those who spend it. In the journey towards the future, finding a more mature, stable, reliable, and comfortable product should be the road that all car brands should take, and it should also become the courage and confidence of ARIYA, which is priced between 250,000 (subsidized) to 350,000 yuan to face and confront all opponents.

This may be the key to Nissan, Dongfeng Nissan, and even ARIYA’s possible success in the segmented market in which they operate. Of course, if they have advanced technology and rich configuration, that would be even better.

As we can see, Nissan and Dongfeng Nissan have found a very important breakthrough for the survival and development of ARIYA.

They can be both the inventors of lithium-ion batteries and the first users of permanent magnet synchronous motors;

They can both achieve the best results in long-distance test drives of electric cars and inherit safety records for ultra-long distances;

They can be both pioneers in trying new technologies and environmental-friendly use of batteries;

They can both run on highways and tracks based on their performance and maintain the comfortable reputation of a “big sofa.”

In the eyes of most people, everyone in the world of electric cars is at the same starting line. But the fact is that Nissan has long been ahead of the starting line and has gone somewhere unknown. This is precisely the style that Nissan should maintain in this electric era, and it is indeed the competitive advantage that has won by relying on product characteristics to differentiate themselves and eliminate the anxieties of car buyers.

But more importantly, in the midst of everyone’s radical exploration of the future, with the uncertainty of when we will reach the other side, ARIYA, as an economic, durable, and comfortable product, seems to be leading the way for electric cars to become stable, practical, and user-friendly.

And all of these traits can be summed up in one word: the entire ideology of “tech comfortism” that Nissan and Dongfeng Nissan have long practiced.

This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.