Nissan to Boost US Production Toward One Million Vehicles With Third Shift Plan

Nissan Motor is preparing a major expansion of its American manufacturing footprint as the Japanese automaker prepares to launch the 2027 Rogue crossover, including a new hybrid model that executives view as critical for lifting sales and meeting ambitious domestic production targets. The company is now exploring a third production shift at its existing US plants, a move that could create thousands of new jobs while pushing annual output toward one million vehicles.

“We’re now maxing out the production capacity in the U.S.,” Christian Meunier, chairman of Nissan Americas, told CNBC. “The next step is going to be three shifts, and I’m pretty optimistic that with the launch of the new Rogue that is happening in the next couple months, we’ll be able to do that pretty quickly with the launch of the hybrid.”

The automaker currently operates two production shifts at its six-million-square-foot assembly plant in Smyrna, Tennessee, where the Rogue is built alongside other Nissan and Infiniti crossovers. Nissan also runs another large manufacturing facility in Canton, Mississippi, producing the Altima sedan and Frontier midsize pickup truck. Additional production shifts at assembly plants typically bring hundreds, if not thousands, of new jobs, according to industry standards.

Dramatic Production Increase on the Horizon

If Nissan successfully adds a third shift to each of its assembly plants, Meunier projects the automaker’s US production would climb to roughly one million units annually, a substantial leap from the nearly 487,000 vehicles produced in 2025. The expansion aligns with the company’s broader goal to produce 80 percent of the vehicles it sells in the US domestically by 2030, though Nissan currently has no plans for constructing a new factory.

“I think we’re very well equipped to succeed without major investment and a new factory and everything else. Maybe after 2030,” Meunier explained. “Over the next four or five years, we’ll see.” The strategy reflects Nissan’s confidence that its existing infrastructure can support significant growth without the capital-intensive step of building additional facilities, at least through the end of the decade.

The production expansion comes as the Trump administration has focused on increasing employment and domestic manufacturing in the US auto industry, making Nissan’s moves particularly timely from both a business and political perspective. The company’s turnaround plan also targets growing annual Japan sales to 550,000 vehicles by 2030.

Introducing e-POWER Hybrid Technology to America

Central to Nissan’s production plans is the 2027 Rogue, which the company officially unveiled on 21 September with its new “e-POWER” technology for the US market. This marks the first hybrid of its kind for American consumers and represents Nissan’s bet on a series hybrid system that operates differently from conventional hybrid vehicles.

The e-POWER system uses a dedicated 1.5-litre turbocharged engine that operates solely as a generator to power the vehicle’s electric motors, which then propel the vehicle. The engine shuts off when the battery has sufficient charge, and electric motors drive the wheels at all times. This architecture operates similarly to emerging extended-range electric vehicles, or EREVs, but features a smaller battery and doesn’t require plugging in.

The 2027 Rogue Hybrid delivers 225 horsepower with dual-motor electric all-wheel drive as standard equipment. Nissan’s internal testing targets fuel economy of 40 mpg city, 36 highway, and 38 combined, though these figures await EPA confirmation. The vehicle also features a class-exclusive e-Pedal that allows one-pedal regenerative braking to a complete stop.

Pricing and Production Timeline

Nissan’s press materials price the SV grade starting from $35,490, positioning the hybrid competitively in the crowded crossover segment. The company schedules the SR grade with its technology package for dealers in fall 2026, with the full SV, SR, and Platinum range arriving in early 2027.

US manufacturing of the hybrid is expected to start next year, following the spring production launch of the 2027 Rogue with a traditional gas engine at the Tennessee plant. In the meantime, Meunier confirmed that Nissan plans to import the hybrid vehicles from Nissan Motor Kyushu in Japan as a way to get them to market more quickly, helping lift sales and support the company’s ongoing global turnaround plan.

Strategic Shift Versus New Infrastructure

Nissan’s decision to pursue additional shifts rather than new facilities reflects a capital-efficient approach to meeting growing demand. By maximizing utilization of existing plants, the automaker can avoid the billions of dollars typically required to construct and equip a new assembly facility while still achieving substantial production increases.

The strategy carries execution risks, as adding a third shift requires not only capital investment in tooling and equipment but also recruiting, training, and retaining a significant workforce in competitive labor markets. However, if successful, the approach positions Nissan to respond quickly to market demand without the multi-year lead time associated with greenfield plant construction.

As Nissan executes this plan, the company’s ability to attract consumers to its e-POWER hybrid technology will prove crucial. The success of the 2027 Rogue Hybrid will likely determine whether the third-shift expansion materializes as quickly as Meunier anticipates, making the vehicle’s market reception a key factor in Nissan’s American manufacturing future.