Nissan’s highly anticipated EV, the Ariya crossover, has hit another road bump as dealers have been asked to stop accepting reservations. This was due to problems the company has encountered with the EV’s high-tech production line, as Auto News reports.
Despite the positive reviews the Ariya got when it was revealed in 2020, the electric crossover’s deliveries have slowed to a crawl. It is a disappointing development for Nissan as the EV was its first all-new global car in five years. It was also supposed to help Nissan close the tumultuous chapter of its former head Carlos Ghosn.
Nissan has been battling problems that cut production to only a third of its plans, causing deliveries to customers to be delayed, according to three insiders and production plans reviewed by Reuters. It means Nissan cannot capitalize on the positive buzz generated by the car.
The Ariya problems reportedly concern the highly automated “intelligent factory” in Tokyo where manufacturing is done. The production system was designed to allow Nissan to produce different powertrain configurations based on battery and propulsion methods using the same production line. The advanced paint line is one of the major impediments.
Nissan also faces supply issues for the electric components after its China-based supplier suffered a fire incident in January. The company has also talked about semiconductor supply issues.
Nissan plans to roll out 19 EVs before the end of the decade. The Ariya starts at $43,000 in the US, about $4,300 less than the Tesla Model Y. It starts at CA$52,998 in Canada and qualifies for the iZEV rebate.
Nissan is recalling over 1,100 Ariya because the steering wheel may detach.
