Nissan eyes more electrified models in Philippines

NISSAN PHILIPPINES, INC. is looking to introduce more electrified models, alongside additional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, in the Philippines.

“We want to be able to introduce a lot more electrified models in the Philippines,” Rhys Alexei Y. Murillo, general manager for compliance, legal, external and government affairs at Nissan, told reporters last week.

“It can be a mix of passenger cars and something else,” he added.

Currently, the company offers two electrified vehicles in the Philippines: the Nissan Kicks and the Nissan Leaf.

“We have a lot of electrified models in our portfolio… Some are available outside of Asia; those are in North America. But hopefully we will be able to bring in more models in the future,” he said.

At the same time, Mr. Murillo said the company will continue introducing ICE models in the Philippines.

“In the Philippines, we would want to transition eventually to electrified mobility. But I think ICE will not go away; it is just as important because the Philippines is still growing in its infrastructure,” he said.

“So we are just looking at it and seeing how electrified models perform outside of the Philippines and then seeing if we can recreate it in Asia as well,” he added.

For 2026, the company aims to surpass its 2025 sales through new model introductions.

“For 2026, definitely we hope to be able to do more than what we did in 2025 through electrified models,” he said.

Last year, Nissan sold 20,571 units, down 23.2% from a year earlier. This represents a 4.44% market share, according to data from the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. (CAMPI) and the Truck Manufacturers Association (TMA).

“We do have our volume drivers like the Urvan, the Navarra, which is our pickup, as well as our sports utility vehicle, which is the Terra,” he added.

Nissan currently has over 50 dealerships nationwide and plans to open more outlets in provincial areas.

“But we also need to balance the opening versus profitability of the dealers. We cannot just open, and they will just lose money. Definitely we want to be able to bring it to the provincial areas,” he said.

“So we are looking at either setting up actual dealerships or just service facilities first… to be able to service or address the needs of the customers,” he added. — Justine Irish D. Tabile