Frontier

Make
Nissan
Segment
Sports Car

Nissan's Canton plant has reason to celebrate after the five millionth vehicle rolled off the production line this week. The vehicle in question, a Cardinal red Frontier pickup truck, was driven off the line as proud factory employees looked on. The assembly plant has been manufacturing vehicles since 2003 and is preparing to make a big change as the electric era draws near.

"This week, the Canton team celebrated a major milestone for our plant, demonstrating how far we've come since establishing vehicle manufacturing in Mississippi," said Nissan's David Sliger. The Canton facility was the Magnolia State's first-ever automobile assembly plant and created more than 25,000 jobs statewide.

Sliger added that Nissan has its wonderful team to thank for the success. "The power of Nissan Canton is rooted in its employees, who will take us to new heights - continuing to drive the EV revolution for our company." As part of Nissan's Ambition 2030 long-term goal, electric vehicles will soon be built at the Mississippi facility.

A $500 million investment will see two new battery-powered models (one Nissan, one Infiniti) leaving the factory in the coming years. At the announcement, Nissan's COO Ashwani Gupta said Canton is an integral part of the brand's electric ambitions. "Nissan is making a strong investment in Canton's future, bringing the latest technology, training, and process to create a truly best-in-class EV manufacturing team," he remarked.

Nissan has plenty of experience with electric vehicles; the Leaf was once the world's best-selling EV. But industry experts believe it arrived too early - when people were still weary of battery-powered cars. Once consumers started warming up to the idea, the competition arrived and promptly eclipsed the Japanese trailblazer.

The Ariya SUV is one of many electric vehicles that Nissan hopes will rectify the situation. The Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance plans to spend $26 billion to further its position in the segment; a staggering 35 new electric vehicles are expected to arrive by 2030.

The Canton factory is responsible for assembling the Frontier, Titan, and Titan XD pickup trucks. The venerable Altima sedan also hails from Mississippi, where it has been produced since the factory opened its doors. For the surrounding communities, it's more than just an automotive factory.

Over the years, it has donated over $20 million to nearby nonprofit organizations and helped build communities through volunteering efforts. Of course, the Canton facility is just one part of Nissan's American operations. The Japanese automaker has several factories in the USA, including the Tennessee plant that produces the Pathfinder and soon-to-be-discontinued Maxima.