According to Jérémie Papin, it has never been a better time to be a Nissan dealer. The senior vice president of Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. and chairperson of Nissan Americas spoke today at the Automotive Forum of New York about Nissan’s position for growth and vision for the future.
In the two years he’s been in his new roles, Infiniti posted sales gains jumping 40 percent year over year and Nissan sales are up 40 percent in the first quarter of 2023. In addition, he says “Our products have terrific momentum. The demand is there. We are selling as much as we can produce. Franchise value is up and we’re getting good feedback from our dealer partners.” He hinges all of this momentum on what he’s most proud of accomplishing in his two years with the automaker: Changing the culture. “We’re a learning company, and innovative company. We behave as per those values, and they will take us to a new ambition point.” He adds that Nissan’s goal of zero emissions and zero fatalities is also a very strong rally point within the company and engineering community.
Papin says that the automaker has transformed its product portfolio noting that design, performance and connectivity have been the focus in last five years. He says these innovations, along with continued investment in technology, products and services, with a special focus on how they implement technology, will be keys to Nissan’s long-term success. “Technology allows us to be where the customer is. It’s an experience we can offer, and the reputation of the Nissan experience.”
He cited the dramatic evolution of “Nissan at Home” during the height of the COVID pandemic as an example. Nissan at Home allows a customer to select a vehicle, schedule a test drive, arrange pickup or delivery, manage trade-in of a vehicle and select financing all online. Then they are directed to a local dealer partner.
Nissan’s longtime presence in the EV market, along with its investments in technology uniquely position the OEM and its dealer partners for the increase in consumer adoption of electric vehicles, Papin says. “What we’re building together is something solid. We’ve applied lessons from the past and our dealers know how to sell EVs.”
A new service Nissan is rolling out to customers with its new EV crossover Ariya is the option of a “second delivery” where a dealership employee can visit a customer at home to make sure he or she is fully grasping and using all of the technology in the car. Papin says customer feedback from those who partake of this option has been excellent.
With supply chain issues in the rearview mirror, Papin says the carmaker will launch 27 new models in the next seven years—19 of those will be completely electric. He expects EV sales to be upwards of 40 percent by 2030.
When asked about what else he sees for the future, Papin discussed the OEM’s Ambition 2030 campaign, describing it as changing the way they do business; a new era for the automotive industry.
“When I think about the driving pleasure of a Nissan, the thrill that comes from that, the technology and connected services that we’re offering, how we think about the battery life cycle and what it is going to allow us to do, what it’s going to allow us to offer in terms of affordability… there is so much business for this industry in the future,” Papin says. “That’s what is so exciting at the moment.”
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