Nissan Motor Co. is pushing back the release of its flagship Ariya electric vehicle, highlighting the struggle automakers everywhere are facing in trying to launch new cars amid a persisting shortage of semiconductors.
When the Ariya SUV was first unveiled in July last year, Nissan said it was scheduled to go on sale in mid-2021. On Friday, the company said a limited-edition model will be available in Japan "this winter” followed by a wider domestic and global rollout.
"One year ago, we made our announcement we were targeting the middle of this year, but after that, COVID-19 has lingered longer than we expected and there is the issue of semiconductor shortages,” Nissan Executive Vice President Asako Hoshino said during a briefing.