Japanese carmaker Nissan announced Monday a major boost to its electrification strategy, which includes new offerings, cobalt-free batteries and proprietary solid-state batteries, Kallanish reports.

Under the so-called Ambition 2030 vision, the company plans to invest 2 trillion yen ($17.6 billion) over the next five years, as well as up to 20 billion yen in charging infrastructure. The goal includes the launch of 23 new electrified models globally, including 15 new electric vehicles. This should enable the company to reach a 50% share electrification mix by fiscal year 2030, which some still see it as a slow move compared to peers.  

Breaking it down to regions, Nissan is targeting 75% of its sales in Europe to be electrified by fiscal 2026. These include both fully electric vehicles and hybrids. In Japan, the share should be 55% and in China over 40%. It will take the carmaker even longer to electrify sales in the US, with a 40% target aimed for fiscal 2030.

To deliver “safe and exciting mobility,” the carmaker says it will continue to evolve its lithium-ion battery technologies and introduce cobalt-free technology to reduce battery costs by 65% by fiscal 2028. By then, Nissan should be launching its proprietary all-solid-state batteries known as ASSB. The plan is to have a pilot plant built in Yokohama as early as fiscal 2024, it adds.

The “breakthrough” tech could be a game changer reducing charging time by one-third and bringing costs of battery packs down to $75/kilowatt-hour by fiscal 2028. Nissan says it would cut costs further to achieve cost parity with gasoline vehicles at $65/KWh. The carmaker didn’t mention when or where this goal would apply.

The Ambition 2030 vision also sets the stage for the expansion of its EV hub concept – EV36Zero – first unveiled in the UK. The core markets of Japan, China and US should see Nissan’s efforts to localise manufacturing and sourcing in order to make EVs more competitive.

Additionally, the carmaker wants to set up its 4R Energy battery refurbishing facilities beyond Japan, in Europe next year and in the US from 2025. The idea is to fully commercialise its “vehicle-to-everything” in the mid-2020s. This would also include the recycling and refurbishing of home battery systems.

Nissan hopes to have a global battery production capacity of 52 gigawatt-hours by fiscal 2026, growing it to 130 GWh by fiscal 2030. The company will rely on partnerships to secure the cells it needs, and should employ 3,000 new staff to power its advanced R&D capabilities globally.