Nissan facts for kids
Logo since 2020
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Nissan headquarters in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture
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Native name
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日産自動車株式会社
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Romanized name
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Nissan Jidōsha kabushiki gaisha |
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| Industry | Automotive |
| Founded | 26 December 1933 (under Nissan Group) |
| Founders |
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| Headquarters |
Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture
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Japan
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Area served
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Worldwide |
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Key people
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| Products | Automobiles, luxury vehicles, commercial vehicles, outboard motors, forklift trucks |
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Production output
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 3,250,800 units (2022) |
| Revenue |  ¥10,596.695 billion (FY 2022) |
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Operating income
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¥377.109 billion (FY 2022) |
| ¥221.900 billion (FY 2022) |
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| Total assets | ¥17,598.581 billion (FY 2022) |
| Total equity | ¥5,328.721 billion (FY 2022) |
| Owner | Renault (15% voting rights) |
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Number of employees
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131,461 (2022) |
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| Subsidiaries |
List
Transportation:
Nissan Commercial Vehicles Dongfeng Motor Co., Ltd. (50%) Nissan Shatai (43%) Mitsubishi Motors (34%) NMKV (50%) Other: Nissan Techno Jatco International: Nissan Australia Nissan Ibérica Nissan India Nissan Indonesia Nissan New Zealand Nissan Philippines Nissan South Africa Nissan UK Nissan USA |
Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. (日産自動車株式会社, Nissan Jidōsha kabushiki gaisha) is a big Japanese company that makes cars. Its main office is in Yokohama, Japan. Nissan sells cars under its own name, plus luxury cars called Infiniti, and used to sell cars under the Datsun brand. They also have special performance parts and cars under the Nismo and Autech brands. Nissan's story goes back to the early 1900s with a group of companies called the Nissan Group.
Since 1999, Nissan has been part of a team called the Renault–Nissan–Mitsubishi Alliance. This is a partnership with Renault from France and Mitsubishi Motors from Japan. In 2017, Nissan was the sixth largest car maker in the world. By April 2018, Nissan was the world's biggest maker of electric vehicles (EVs). Their most popular electric car is the Nissan LEAF.
Contents
Nissan's History: How it Started
The Beginning of Datsun (1914)
Masujiro Hashimoto started a car company in Tokyo on July 1, 1911. In 1914, his company made its first car, called the DAT.
The name DAT came from the first letters of the last names of the company's main investors:
- Kenjiro Den
- Rokuro Aoyama
- Meitaro Takeuchi
The company changed its name a few times. In 1925, it became DAT Motorcar Co. They built trucks, which were more popular than cars back then. Many trucks were needed after the big 1923 Great Kantō earthquake.
In 1926, DAT Motors joined with another company, Jitsuyo Jidosha Co., Ltd. They became DAT Jidosha Seizo Co., Ltd. In 1931, they made a new, smaller car called the "Datson," meaning "Son of DAT." Later, in 1933, the name was changed to "Datsun" because "son" sounds like "loss" in Japanese.
In 1933, the company's name became Jidosha-Seizo Co., Ltd., and it moved to Yokohama.
The Nissan Name Appears (1930s)
In 1928, Yoshisuke Aikawa started a company called Nihon Sangyo. The name 'Nissan' was a short way to say Nihon Sangyo on the stock market. This company grew very large, owning many businesses, including those that made car parts.
In 1931, DAT Jidosha Seizo joined with Tobata Casting, which was part of Nissan. This was how Nissan started making cars.
Nissan Motor Company is Formed (1934)
In 1934, Aikawa created a new company just for making cars. He called it Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. (日産自動車, Nissan Jidōsha). At first, other owners were not sure about making cars in Japan. So, Aikawa bought all their shares. This made Nissan Motor owned by Nihon Sangyo and Hitachi.
In 1935, Nissan finished building its factory in Yokohama. They started shipping Datsun cars to other parts of Asia and America. Nissan also built trucks, airplanes, and engines for the Japanese Army during this time.
Nissan's Early American Connections
Nissan got a lot of help from American engineers and technology. William R. Gorham, an American engineer, was very important in setting up Nissan's car-making process. Many of the machines and ways of working came from the United States. When Nissan started making bigger cars in 1937, they used designs and factory plans from the Graham-Paige Company in America.
Working with Austin Motor Company (1937–1960s)
Starting in 1934, Datsun began building Austin 7 cars under a special agreement. This helped Datsun become successful around the world.
In 1952, Nissan made a deal with Austin to build Austin cars in Japan. Nissan had to make all the parts locally within three years, which they did. Nissan made and sold Austin cars for seven years. This agreement also let Nissan use Austin's ideas to make their own car engines.
Nissan used these ideas to create its own modern engines. In 1966, they introduced the new Nissan A series engine. In 1967, Nissan launched a very advanced four-cylinder engine called the Nissan L engine. This engine was used in the new Datsun 510, which helped Nissan gain respect in the car market. Then, in 1969, Nissan released the Datsun 240Z sports car, which used a six-cylinder version of the L series engine. The 240Z was a huge hit and made Nissan a world-class car company.
Joining with Prince Motor Company
In 1966, Nissan joined with the Prince Motor Company. This added more fancy cars like the Skyline and Gloria to Nissan's lineup. The "Prince" name was eventually stopped, but the Skyline and Gloria cars continued under the Nissan name. Today, the Skyline is sold as the G Series of Infiniti in some markets.
Expanding Around the World
In the 1950s, Nissan decided to sell its cars all over the world. They realized that their small Datsun cars would be perfect for places like Australia and the United States. Nissan first showed the Datsun Bluebird at a car show in Los Angeles in 1958.
Nissan kept making its cars better with new technology and cool designs. By 1970, Nissan was one of the biggest car exporters in the world.
After the 1973 oil crisis, people wanted small, fuel-efficient cars. To meet this demand, Nissan built new factories in Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, the United States, and South Africa. Nissan opened its first assembly plant in Smyrna, Tennessee, USA, in 1980. This plant first built trucks like the Datsun 720. Now, it makes many cars and SUVs, including the Nissan Altima and the Nissan Leaf electric car.
By the early 1980s, Datsun was the best-selling Japanese car brand in Europe.
Alliance with Renault
In 1999, Nissan was having money problems. So, they formed an alliance (a partnership) with Renault, a French car company. In 2001, Carlos Ghosn, a Renault executive, became the CEO of Nissan.
Under Ghosn's "Nissan Revival Plan," the company made a huge comeback. Nissan started making record profits and brought out many new and exciting cars. Ghosn was praised in Japan for helping Nissan recover.
In 2017, Ghosn stepped down as CEO of Nissan. He was replaced by Hiroto Saikawa. Later, in 2019, Saikawa also resigned, and Makoto Uchida became the new CEO.
In 2020, Nissan announced they would cut production because of the COVID-19 pandemic. They also closed factories in Indonesia and Spain and left the South Korean car market.
In 2023, Renault and Nissan changed their agreement. Renault reduced its ownership stake in Nissan, and Nissan gained more voting rights in Renault. This makes both companies more independent while still working together on projects like electric cars.
Nissan's Cool Technologies
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Nissan started using robots in its factories in 1982 to build cars faster and better.
Nissan has been making electric cars for a long time. In 2010, they launched the Nissan LEAF, which was the world's best-selling all-electric car for almost ten years. By April 2018, Nissan was the biggest maker of electric vehicles globally. Nissan is also working on new battery technology for electric cars, called solid-state batteries.
Self-Driving Cars
In 2013, Nissan announced plans to create self-driving cars. They built a special test track in Japan for this. Nissan put its self-driving technology into a Nissan Leaf electric car to show how it works. This car was even allowed to drive on public roads in Japan for testing. Nissan engineers use these tests to make the self-driving software even better.
Nissan's Partnerships with Other Car Companies
Nissan has worked with many other car companies over the years:
- Ford Motor Company: In Australia and North America, Nissan and Ford shared some car models. For example, a Nissan car was sold as a Ford, and a Ford truck was sold as a Nissan. They also worked together on minivans.
- Volkswagen: Nissan built some Volkswagen Santana cars under a special agreement in Japan.
- Alfa Romeo: Nissan worked with Alfa Romeo in the 1980s to build a car called the Arna for the European market.
- General Motors: In Europe, Nissan and GM worked together on commercial vans. In Australia, GM's Holden brand sold versions of the Nissan Pulsar.
- Honda: In 2023, Nissan and Honda agreed to work together on parts for electric vehicles and smart car software.
- Renault and Mitsubishi: This is Nissan's biggest partnership. They share technology and development costs. In 2010, Daimler AG (maker of Mercedes-Benz) also joined this alliance for a short time. The alliance also owned a large part of AvtoVAZ, Russia's biggest car company, for a while.
Nissan Brands and Look
Nissan's Car Brands
- Nissan: This is the main brand for most of Nissan's cars and trucks sold worldwide.
- Datsun: Before 1983, many Nissan cars sold outside Japan were called Datsun. The Datsun name was slowly stopped in 1984. In 2013, Nissan brought Datsun back for cars sold in new markets, but they stopped selling Datsun cars again in 2022.
- Infiniti: Since 1989, Nissan has sold its luxury cars under the Infiniti brand.
- Nismo: This is Nissan's special division for racing and high-performance cars. Nismo makes Nissan cars faster and sportier.
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Current logo of Nissan (since 2020)
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Nissan "Corporation" logo (2013–2020)
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Nissan corporate wordmark (2001–2020)
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Logo of Nissan (1983–2002)
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The "classic" Datsun logo, based on the flag of Japan and Japan's nickname as the "Land of the Rising Sun"
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Current logo of Infiniti (since 2023)
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Logo of Infiniti (1989–2023)
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Nismo logo
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Nissan's Company Look
For many years, Nissan used a red logo. In 2013, Nissan showed a new blue logo that clearly showed the difference between Nissan the company and Nissan the car brand.
In July 2020, Nissan introduced new logos for both the company and its car brands. This was part of a fresh look for the company, especially with the launch of the new Nissan Ariya electric car.
Nissan's Products
Cars and Trucks
Nissan makes a wide variety of cars and trucks. They started by selling them in Japan and then began exporting them around the world in the 1950s.
Nissan has also made some famous sports cars, like the Datsun Fairlady Roadsters and the Z-car, which was an affordable sports car first made in 1969. Another well-known sports car is the Nissan GT-R, a powerful car with all-wheel drive.
In 1985, Nissan created Nismo to develop racing and high-performance versions of its cars. One of Nismo's newer models is the 370Z Nismo.
Nissan also sells small cars called kei cars in Japan. They often work with other Japanese car makers like Mitsubishi Motors to develop these.
In 2011, Nissan launched Nissan Commercial Vehicles in North America. This brand focuses on vans, pickup trucks, and other vehicles for businesses.
In 2016, Nissan introduced its Nissan Intelligent Mobility idea. This vision is about making cars smarter, safer, and more connected. Many Nissan vehicles today, like the Rogue and Leaf, have this technology.
Nissan Trucks
Nissan Cabstar
The Nissan Cabstar is a name used for different pickup trucks and light commercial vehicles. It started with the Datsun Cabstar in 1968. These trucks are sold worldwide and share parts with the Nissan Caravan.
Nissan Titan
The Nissan Titan is a large pickup truck made for the North American market. It was first introduced in 2004. The Titan shares its base with Nissan's large SUVs like the Nissan Armada.
Global Sales Numbers
| Rank | Location | Vehicle sales |
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| 1 |  China |
1,563,986 |
| 2 |  United States |
1,493,877 |
| 3 |  Japan |
615,966 |
| 4 |  Mexico |
314,123 |
| 5 |  Canada |
149,117 |
| 6 |  United Kingdom |
116,914 |
| 7 |  Russia |
106,138 |
| 8 |  Brazil |
97,512 |
| 9 |  Spain |
72,943 |
| 10 |  Thailand |
72,394 |
| Year | Global sales |
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| 2010 | 4,080,588 |
| 2011 | 4,669,981 |
| 2012 | 4,940,181 |
| 2013 | 5,102,979 |
| 2014 | 5,310,064 |
| 2015 | 5,421,804 |
| 2016 | 5,559,902 |
| 2017 | 5,816,278 |
| 2018 | 5,653,683 |
| 2019 | 5,176,189 |
| 2020 | 4,029,166 |
| 2021 | 4,065,014 |
| 2022 | 3,225,549 |
| 2023 | 3,374,271 |
Research and Development
Nissan has a main research center in Yokosuka, Japan, which opened in 1961. In 1982, many of Nissan's technical teams joined together at the Nissan Technical Center (NTC) in Atsugi, Japan. This center has 9,500 employees who work on designing cars, engineering, and buying parts.
NTC also works closely with Nissan's offices in North America, Mexico, and Silicon Valley. In 2007, Nissan opened the Nissan Advanced Technology Center (NATC) to work on new technologies.
Nissan has several test tracks in Japan where they test their cars.
Manufacturing Locations
Nissan has factories all over the world to build its vehicles. Here are some of the main locations:
- Japan: Yokosuka, Kaminokawa, Kanda, Yokohama, Iwaki, Hiratsuka, Nagoya, Matsusaka, Tsu, Uji, Ageo, Samukawa, Zama, Musashimurayama.
- China: Wuhan, Huadu District (Guangzhou), Xiangyang, Zhengzhou, Dalian.
- Taiwan: Miaoli.
- Southeast Asia: Malaysia (Segambut, Serendah), Vietnam (Hanoi), Indonesia (Cikampek), Philippines (Santa Rosa City), Thailand (Bangna).
- South Asia: India (Chennai).
- Oceania: Australia (Dandenong).
- Americas: United States (Smyrna, Canton, Decherd), Mexico (Aguascalientes, Cuernavaca), Brazil (São José dos Pinhais, Resende), Argentina (Santa Isabel).
- Africa: Morocco (Tangier), Egypt (6th of October City), Kenya (Thika), South Africa (Rosslyn).
- Europe: Spain (Ávila), United Kingdom (Sunderland), France (Flins).
Other Things Nissan Does
Nissan has also been involved in other businesses outside of making cars. For example, they used to have a mobile phone service called Tu–Ka. Nissan also offers a service called CarWings in Japan, which helps drivers with navigation and other car features.
Nissan also owns Nissan Marine, which makes motors for boats and other sea equipment. For a while, Nissan even built rocket motors for space launches! This part of the company was sold in 2000.
Marketing and Sports
Nismo is Nissan's special division for motorsports and racing. Nismo cars have competed in many different racing championships around the world.
Nissan has also sponsored many sports events. They sponsored the Los Angeles Open golf tournament for many years. Since 2015, Nissan has been the name sponsor for Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, which is home to the Tennessee Titans football team. Nissan is also an official sponsor of the Heisman Trophy and the UEFA Champions League soccer tournament.
Images for kids
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1953 Nissan labor dispute
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The Graham-Paige based Nissan Model 70 sedan
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- Ashok Leyland Nissan Vehicles
- Autech
- Calsonic
- Datsun
- Dongfeng Motor Company
- Dongfeng Nissan-Diesel Company
- Impul
- Infiniti
- Jatco
- Laurence Hartnett
- Nissan Engine Museum
- Nissan Motor Car Carrier
- Nissan Proving Grounds
- Project Better Place
- Shinichiro Sakurai
- Yokohama F. Marinos
- Yulon
