Nissan deepens China commitment with mobility company

Nissan has established a mobility service company in China, as the Japanese carmaker seeks to deepen its commitment to the world's largest vehicle market.

Nissan announced the move on Sunday at the ongoing China International Import Expo, as part of its efforts to diversify its business in the country.

The newly established mobility service company is headquartered in Suzhou, East China's Jiangsu province. It will be investing in mobility services and deploying robotaxi services.

Shohei Yamazaki, senior vice-president of Nissan, said the establishment of the mobility company shows the carmaker's commitment to the Chinese market.

"Introducing future technology, mobility solutions and products that enrich the lives of customers in China are an important part of Nissan's long-term strategy in China," said Yamazaki.

"The new company represents another milestone of Nissan's nearly 50 years of development in China and a new commitment to the market," he said.

Nissan entered the Chinese market in 1972, and the brand has been developing rapidly in China since the 1990s.

In 2021, the carmaker sold 1.38 million vehicles in China, including imported, passenger and light commercial ones.

WeRide will provide technology support to the Suzhou project. WeRide develops Level 4 autonomous driving technologies and has a successful mobility service history in Guangzhou, Guangdong province.

Zhang Li, chief operating officer of WeRide, said the company will extensively participate in and fully support the R&D, test and operation of Nissan Mobility Service's robotaxi fleet, particularly in autonomous driving technologies.

"WeRide always puts safety as our top priority, and will work with Nissan to provide safer, more efficient and comfortable autonomous driving mobility experiences to Suzhou residents and improve the quality of life with innovative technologies," said Zhang.