How emissions laws finally forced Nissan Australia to launch another EV
Nissan's local boss has admitted the company held off on launching the Ariya mid-size electric SUV until new emissions laws were introduced.
Speaking to media including CarExpert at the Nissan Casting Australia Plant in Victoria, Nissan Oceania boss Andrew Humberstone explained the NVES [New Vehicle Efficiency Standard] played a key factor in the timing of the Ariya to local shores.
It's due during the second half of 2025.
"For me – when's the right time to bring that car [Ariya] in?" Mr Humberstone said.
"I've delayed that [the introduction of Ariya] as much as I could in terms of saying, 'Do I really need to bring in that car yet?'. There comes a point when absolutely you have to offset that from effectively an NVES perspective."
100s of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now.
"For me it was a conscious decision – you've got to decide when you put your foot on the gas, so to speak."
The Ariya was unveiled in July 2020 before production kicked off in October 2021, making its scheduled arrival in Australia later this year, much later than many other markets.
The NVES was introduced on January 1, 2025 and sees progressively stricter emission regulations over the next five years for car manufacturers, with failure to meet them resulting in fines being issued.
The enforcement of the fines does not come into effect until July 1, 2025.
Emissions are calculated as a fleet average across a brand's entire lineup, which means the Ariya's zero tailpine emissions can help offset the Patrol four-wheel drive and Navara ute.
Record sales of the V8 Nissan Patrol in Australia came after it was announced the off-roader would follow the rival Toyota LandCruiser by dropping V8 power.
The next-generation Y63 Patrol will use a twin-turbocharged six-cylinder petrol engine when it hits showrooms in 2026.
"So we've got to manage that and offset that not just with hybrid technology … and our e-Power space, but actually also look at the fully electric and say 'When's the right time to bring it in'?" said Mr Humberstone.
Other automakers such as Kia have also said electric models enable petrol/diesel-engine volume sellers – such as the highly anticipated diesel-powered Kia Tasman dual-cab ute – a place in local showrooms under the NVES rules.
Pressed if NVES was the reason for the later introduction of Ariya to Australia, Humberstone replied: "Largely, yes."
"Because … if you look at our curve of Patrol sales – it's going up and up over 8000 [sales per month] – you've got the new one coming, so there's a massive demand for the [existing] eight-cylinder in the market," he added.
"It starts to get to a point when we say, in terms of where NVES is, 'at what stage are we bound to introduce the electrification to offset those?'."
Would the Ariya be coming to Australia without the introduction of NVES?
"I wouldn't say the car wouldn't be here," Mr Humberstone said.
"I'd just say, is the infrastructure? Is the market ready for it? And it depends at what price. We've just had to deal with tariffs from the US [where the Nissan Pathfinder SUV is sourced] we've had to deal with foreign exchange.
"You've got to build your business around success, and when you can see the writing on the wall, you need to be strategic."
MORE: Everything Nissan Ariya
Content originally sourced from: CarExpert.com.au
Nissan's local boss has admitted the company held off on launching the Ariya mid-size electric SUV until new emissions laws were introduced.
Speaking to media including CarExpert at the Nissan Casting Australia Plant in Victoria, Nissan Oceania boss Andrew Humberstone explained the NVES [New Vehicle Efficiency Standard] played a key factor in the timing of the Ariya to local shores.
It's due during the second half of 2025.
"For me – when's the right time to bring that car [Ariya] in?" Mr Humberstone said.
"I've delayed that [the introduction of Ariya] as much as I could in terms of saying, 'Do I really need to bring in that car yet?'. There comes a point when absolutely you have to offset that from effectively an NVES perspective."
100s of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now.
"For me it was a conscious decision – you've got to decide when you put your foot on the gas, so to speak."
The Ariya was unveiled in July 2020 before production kicked off in October 2021, making its scheduled arrival in Australia later this year, much later than many other markets.
The NVES was introduced on January 1, 2025 and sees progressively stricter emission regulations over the next five years for car manufacturers, with failure to meet them resulting in fines being issued.
The enforcement of the fines does not come into effect until July 1, 2025.
Emissions are calculated as a fleet average across a brand's entire lineup, which means the Ariya's zero tailpine emissions can help offset the Patrol four-wheel drive and Navara ute.
Record sales of the V8 Nissan Patrol in Australia came after it was announced the off-roader would follow the rival Toyota LandCruiser by dropping V8 power.
The next-generation Y63 Patrol will use a twin-turbocharged six-cylinder petrol engine when it hits showrooms in 2026.
"So we've got to manage that and offset that not just with hybrid technology … and our e-Power space, but actually also look at the fully electric and say 'When's the right time to bring it in'?" said Mr Humberstone.
Other automakers such as Kia have also said electric models enable petrol/diesel-engine volume sellers – such as the highly anticipated diesel-powered Kia Tasman dual-cab ute – a place in local showrooms under the NVES rules.
Pressed if NVES was the reason for the later introduction of Ariya to Australia, Humberstone replied: "Largely, yes."
"Because … if you look at our curve of Patrol sales – it's going up and up over 8000 [sales per month] – you've got the new one coming, so there's a massive demand for the [existing] eight-cylinder in the market," he added.
"It starts to get to a point when we say, in terms of where NVES is, 'at what stage are we bound to introduce the electrification to offset those?'."
Would the Ariya be coming to Australia without the introduction of NVES?
"I wouldn't say the car wouldn't be here," Mr Humberstone said.
"I'd just say, is the infrastructure? Is the market ready for it? And it depends at what price. We've just had to deal with tariffs from the US [where the Nissan Pathfinder SUV is sourced] we've had to deal with foreign exchange.
"You've got to build your business around success, and when you can see the writing on the wall, you need to be strategic."
MORE: Everything Nissan Ariya
Content originally sourced from: CarExpert.com.au
Nissan's local boss has admitted the company held off on launching the Ariya mid-size electric SUV until new emissions laws were introduced.
Speaking to media including CarExpert at the Nissan Casting Australia Plant in Victoria, Nissan Oceania boss Andrew Humberstone explained the NVES [New Vehicle Efficiency Standard] played a key factor in the timing of the Ariya to local shores.
It's due during the second half of 2025.
"For me – when's the right time to bring that car [Ariya] in?" Mr Humberstone said.
"I've delayed that [the introduction of Ariya] as much as I could in terms of saying, 'Do I really need to bring in that car yet?'. There comes a point when absolutely you have to offset that from effectively an NVES perspective."
100s of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now.
"For me it was a conscious decision – you've got to decide when you put your foot on the gas, so to speak."
The Ariya was unveiled in July 2020 before production kicked off in October 2021, making its scheduled arrival in Australia later this year, much later than many other markets.
The NVES was introduced on January 1, 2025 and sees progressively stricter emission regulations over the next five years for car manufacturers, with failure to meet them resulting in fines being issued.
The enforcement of the fines does not come into effect until July 1, 2025.
Emissions are calculated as a fleet average across a brand's entire lineup, which means the Ariya's zero tailpine emissions can help offset the Patrol four-wheel drive and Navara ute.
Record sales of the V8 Nissan Patrol in Australia came after it was announced the off-roader would follow the rival Toyota LandCruiser by dropping V8 power.
The next-generation Y63 Patrol will use a twin-turbocharged six-cylinder petrol engine when it hits showrooms in 2026.
"So we've got to manage that and offset that not just with hybrid technology … and our e-Power space, but actually also look at the fully electric and say 'When's the right time to bring it in'?" said Mr Humberstone.
Other automakers such as Kia have also said electric models enable petrol/diesel-engine volume sellers – such as the highly anticipated diesel-powered Kia Tasman dual-cab ute – a place in local showrooms under the NVES rules.
Pressed if NVES was the reason for the later introduction of Ariya to Australia, Humberstone replied: "Largely, yes."
"Because … if you look at our curve of Patrol sales – it's going up and up over 8000 [sales per month] – you've got the new one coming, so there's a massive demand for the [existing] eight-cylinder in the market," he added.
"It starts to get to a point when we say, in terms of where NVES is, 'at what stage are we bound to introduce the electrification to offset those?'."
Would the Ariya be coming to Australia without the introduction of NVES?
"I wouldn't say the car wouldn't be here," Mr Humberstone said.
"I'd just say, is the infrastructure? Is the market ready for it? And it depends at what price. We've just had to deal with tariffs from the US [where the Nissan Pathfinder SUV is sourced] we've had to deal with foreign exchange.
"You've got to build your business around success, and when you can see the writing on the wall, you need to be strategic."
MORE: Everything Nissan Ariya
Content originally sourced from: CarExpert.com.au
Nissan's local boss has admitted the company held off on launching the Ariya mid-size electric SUV until new emissions laws were introduced.
Speaking to media including CarExpert at the Nissan Casting Australia Plant in Victoria, Nissan Oceania boss Andrew Humberstone explained the NVES [New Vehicle Efficiency Standard] played a key factor in the timing of the Ariya to local shores.
It's due during the second half of 2025.
"For me – when's the right time to bring that car [Ariya] in?" Mr Humberstone said.
"I've delayed that [the introduction of Ariya] as much as I could in terms of saying, 'Do I really need to bring in that car yet?'. There comes a point when absolutely you have to offset that from effectively an NVES perspective."
100s of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now.
"For me it was a conscious decision – you've got to decide when you put your foot on the gas, so to speak."
The Ariya was unveiled in July 2020 before production kicked off in October 2021, making its scheduled arrival in Australia later this year, much later than many other markets.
The NVES was introduced on January 1, 2025 and sees progressively stricter emission regulations over the next five years for car manufacturers, with failure to meet them resulting in fines being issued.
The enforcement of the fines does not come into effect until July 1, 2025.
Emissions are calculated as a fleet average across a brand's entire lineup, which means the Ariya's zero tailpine emissions can help offset the Patrol four-wheel drive and Navara ute.
Record sales of the V8 Nissan Patrol in Australia came after it was announced the off-roader would follow the rival Toyota LandCruiser by dropping V8 power.
The next-generation Y63 Patrol will use a twin-turbocharged six-cylinder petrol engine when it hits showrooms in 2026.
"So we've got to manage that and offset that not just with hybrid technology … and our e-Power space, but actually also look at the fully electric and say 'When's the right time to bring it in'?" said Mr Humberstone.
Other automakers such as Kia have also said electric models enable petrol/diesel-engine volume sellers – such as the highly anticipated diesel-powered Kia Tasman dual-cab ute – a place in local showrooms under the NVES rules.
Pressed if NVES was the reason for the later introduction of Ariya to Australia, Humberstone replied: "Largely, yes."
"Because … if you look at our curve of Patrol sales – it's going up and up over 8000 [sales per month] – you've got the new one coming, so there's a massive demand for the [existing] eight-cylinder in the market," he added.
"It starts to get to a point when we say, in terms of where NVES is, 'at what stage are we bound to introduce the electrification to offset those?'."
Would the Ariya be coming to Australia without the introduction of NVES?
"I wouldn't say the car wouldn't be here," Mr Humberstone said.
"I'd just say, is the infrastructure? Is the market ready for it? And it depends at what price. We've just had to deal with tariffs from the US [where the Nissan Pathfinder SUV is sourced] we've had to deal with foreign exchange.
"You've got to build your business around success, and when you can see the writing on the wall, you need to be strategic."
MORE: Everything Nissan Ariya
Content originally sourced from: CarExpert.com.au
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Mitsubishi sales have ebbed and flowed somewhat over the years. It reached a height of 84,123 deliveries in 1998, but annual deliveries wouldn't exceed 80,000 units again until 2017. It managed this feat in 2018 and 2019 as well, in the dying days of the popular Lancer. While Mitsubishi vehicles like the outgoing ASX have often undercut rivals from Japan and Europe, a raft of Chinese brands have entered the Australian market with sharply priced vehicles of their own. The ASX opens at $24,290 before on-road costs, but the new Chery Tiggo 4 opens at $23,990 drive-away. Its Outlander, the second best-selling mid-size SUV in Australia, opens at $39,990 before on-roads, which sees it undercut by the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max, MG HS, and GWM Haval H6. Many of these Chinese rivals have also offered significantly discounted pricing as part of runout or EOFY deals. 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Mitsubishi was also able to secure sufficient stock of discontinued vehicles, complied before March 1, to the point these vehicles remain on its local website as at the end of May. The company still sold enough ASXs in April, for example, to make it the sixth best-selling vehicle in its segment. The Pajero Sport also still managed to outsell sharply priced rivals from challenger brands like the LDV D90 and KGM Rexton, even if it fell far short of the likes of the Isuzu MU-X. A new-generation Pajero Sport is expected in 2026 following a commitment from the brand to remain in key vehicle segments in which the brand is already established. Mitsubishi has confirmed it's in development, though whether it retains the Pajero Sport name is 'still to be decided'. 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'This wasn't limited to Mitsubishi but also impacted other brands, who seem to have escaped some of the sensationalism. 'We did announce the replacement of the ASX simultaneously, but some media houses chose to ignore or downplay this in exchange for sensationalist headlines. 'The timing of this change restricted us to confirming only the ASX replacement at the time, but we also said other new models would be confirmed in due course which has subsequently happened, as promised. 'Our future lineup will include a balanced mix of petrol, diesel, PHEV, and EV models – all designed for the Australian lifestyle and backed by our 10/10 warranty and capped-price servicing.' While the days of the Lancer, Magna and Pajero are long gone, Mitsubishi remains a high-volume brand in Australia thanks to the popularity of vehicles like the ASX, Outlander and Triton. 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