By José Muñoz
Chief Performance Officer, Seven management committees, Chairman of Management Committee for China (MC China), Business Units, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
It has been just two months since I became Chairman of Nissan’s Management Committee for our China Operations. This has been one of the most thrilling times of my career at Nissan.
One of my first acts in this new role came at the Beijing Motor Show, where I was honored to announce our first electric vehicle developed and manufactured in China specifically for the Chinese market. The SYLPHY Zero Emission is Nissan’s second-ever passenger EV and one that’s built upon the best-selling Nissan model in China — SYLPHY.
China is one of the most exciting and dynamic markets in the world, especially when you look at the rapid growth in the EV segment. That’s why the SYLPHY Zero Emission is the first of 20 electrified models we plan to introduce in the next five years as part of our ambitious plan to be the number one EV automaker in China. As I said in Beijing, the new EV era for China has begun. We are proud to lead the way forward by providing high-quality EVs that are stylish, safe, and reliable.
But so far in my new role in China, I have done much more than just speak at motor shows. I’ve spent much more time traveling throughout the country to meet with a number of our partners who are key to our success moving forward in China.
They’re eager, as I am, to build momentum toward the goal of our China midterm plan: TRIPLE One. Part of that momentum is the expansion of all product lines, not only for Nissan and DongFeng but also for Venucia and Infiniti. Our goal is to sell 2.6 million vehicles across all four DFL brands. Our robust product mix already includes the new Nissan Kicks, the Nissan TIIDA, and the frame SUV, the Nissan Terra in China. The Terra features an impressive on- and off-road performance while still offering extreme comfort for passengers. We will meet the critical consumer demand in that segment just as we are doing on the EV front with the new SYLPHY Zero Emission and the new Nissan LEAF.
Earlier this month we also announced plans to manufacture batteries for the SYLPHY Zero Emission locally in China. Partnerships are vital in all of our markets. I see many future possibilities of joining with both established firms as well as newcomers to achieve our midterm goals.
Among all our partners, our dealer network is a major focus in China. I have already had the chance to send a lot of time speaking with our dealers in China. They have been very clear in expressing to me their desire to grow throughout the Nissan and Venucia networks. This is absolutely critical since growing the dealer network in China to achieve 8 percent of the market share is an important part of Nissan M.O.V.E. to 2022.
Nissan M.O.V.E. to 2022 is our global six-year plan to achieve sustainable growth and lead the technology and business evolution of the automotive industry. Growing our dealer network in China is also very important to achieving the goals of TRIPLE ONE, which is an ambitious plan to become the most sustainable brand in the market and the number one company for intelligent mobility technologies in China. Both in China and globally, we see tremendous growth opportunities in the areas of autonomous drive, electrification, and connectivity.
I spent much of my time at Nissan North America focused on dealer relations and aim to bring some of my learnings to this rapidly maturing market. For example, dealers in China are capitalizing on their finance and service departments as tremendous profit centers. This is similar to their counterparts in the U.S. and in other regions. I look forward to helping dealers in China uncover new ways to maximize these opportunities.
I want to thank all of our dealers for their time and feedback, along with everyone who has helped me transition into this new role. It has been a truly inspiring experience.
Most especially, I want to extend a special thank you to every single Nissan, Dongfeng, Venucia and INFINITI customer who has put their trust in us with such a significant purchase. Being the top Japanese brand in China is an honor that we don’t take for granted. Our goal is to exceed our customers’ expectations well into the future.
I could not be more excited about the road ahead in China.