ROME – The launch of Nissan’s new flagship model, the electric Ariya, will not take place next summer but postponed to next winter: the Japanese carmaker announced it, explaining that the delay is due to the global shortage of chips that is causing difficulties all car manufacturers.
Announced in July 2020, the new 100% electric model was initially set to go on sale in Japan from mid-2021, before arriving in Europe, North America and China by the end of the year.
But today Nissan said customers in Japan could now order the limited edition B6 model for “this winter,” with no date set for those in other markets. A company spokesperson confirmed that the semiconductor shortage affecting automakers around the world is hindering rollout. “We have faced various industrial challenges, including semiconductor shortages, and our priority is to ensure delivery of the new model with the highest level of quality and care. So to make sure these things are done, we have delayed sales. in our area “.
The model is particularly important for Nissan, which sees it as a key to opening a “new chapter” for the company: Ariya will be the carmaker’s first 100% electric vehicle, which was already in trouble before the pandemic, which was shaken by the arrest and the subsequent escape of his former boss Carlos Ghosn, currently a fugitive in Lebanon. But the pandemic crisis only aggravated the situation. Added to this is the lack of chips.
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