Nissan Motor Company is exploring the possibility of a lightweight, small electric pickup truck for the US market. It's an idea supported by US dealers who are asking for the vehicle. Yet while a new electric pickup is a possibility, it appears Nissan still plans to discontinue the Titan and exit the full-size truck market as early as 2024.
Last summer, we reported that Nissan was considering ending production of the Titan, which never caught on in the US market dominated by Ford, Ram, and Chevrolet. Sales of the Titan didn't even crack the top 15 in 2022. It was even beaten out by the Rivian R1T, which sold 20,332 units.
However, Nissan dealers are not on board with this plan. According to Nissan Advisory Board Chairman Tyler Slade, the full-size truck market is extremely profitable and drives revenue for the parts and service business. Additionally, a full-size pickup provides an upgrade option for Nissan Frontier owners who are loyal to the brand.
Full-size pickup trucks not only offer more capability but also help attract and retain commercial customers who buy or lease truck fleets. "Businesses prefer to source their fleets from the same brand for maintenance reasons," Slade said in an interview with Automotive News.
But even if Nissan discontinues the Titan, it appears ready to head in a new direction with a new small, lightweight electric truck to compliment the Frontier. "The Frontier Hardbody has been a part of Nissan's brand for decades," said Slade. "It's logical to bring an electric version."
Unlike the Nissan Titan, the mid-size Frontier did make the top 15 list, coming in at number 9. It sold a healthy 76,183 units, which bested other popular trucks like the Honda Ridgeline, Ford Ranger, and Ford Maverick. Adding a smaller electric truck, or even an electric version of the Frontier would also be consistent with the strategies adopted by other companies which are moving forward with plans to electrify their most popular truck models.
