Nissan has big dreams and big bucks for its EV future

Nissan is putting its money where its EV-loving mouth is.

On Monday, the automaker announced a plan for the decade, called "Ambition 2030," that focuses on making its lineup sustainable. There are EVs and hybrids galore, and a lotta big numbers.

The company has pledged to invest nearly $18 billion over the next five years into realizing the vision. That includes producing 23 new electric and hybrid models, 15 of which will be totally electric. 

There are four electric concept cars, including a truck, that showcase Nissan's vision. Overall, the company says that 50 percent of its global sales by 2030 will be for EVs.

Quite the "ambition," yeah? One tiny note is that, as The Next Web points out, less than a year ago Nissan pledged that 100 percent of new vehicles in key markets would be "electrified" by the "early" 2030s. That slightly wishy-washier goal was absent from Monday's announcement. We guess it's good for ambition to be realistic?

With its Leaf sedan, Nissan has been a mainstay in the EV world — albeit, a not so S3XY one — for a while. Reservations opened for its Tesla Model Y competitor, the Ariya electric crossover SUV, in mid-November. Customers will actually be able to buy the Ariya in fall 2022 and get it on the road in 2023. 

Given that protracted timeline for just its second EV, it sounds like Nissan is going to need that chunk of change to transform its fleet sooner rather than later if it plans to realize its "Ambition."