Nissan Motors is planning to forge collaboration with local government units (LGUs) and companies in the Philippines to push its electrified vehicle thrust under its “Blue Switch” initiative.
Asako Hoshino, Nissan Motors Corp. executive vice-president management committee and Japan-ASEAN chairperson, announced at the virtual Nissan Philippines Media Thanksgiving Thursday night, Jan. 27, the expansion of the “Blue Switch” project to ASEAN, initially in the Philippines and Thailand.
“I'm happy to announce today that we are ready to expand Blue Switch to Thailand and the Philippines. This expansion in ASEAN is an exciting move in our journey to drive sustainable long term growth by creating value for customers and society that goes beyond mobility,” announced Hoshino.
Blue Switch is the global flagship project of the Japanese car giant to achieve its Nissan Ambition 2030, which envisions to empower mobility and beyond with electrification at the center of long-term strategy. Under this vision, the company will deliver exciting vehicles and technologies that empower customer journeys and society.
Blue Switch was initially launched in Japan in 2018. The project partners with local government and companies to collaborate on projects that contribute to better energy management and cleaner site development via electrification.
Four years since its launch, Hoshino reported that Blue Switch has already reached 160 agreements with local Japanese governments and companies to collaborate on projects that contribute to better energy management and cleaner site development via electrification.
“I'm proud to see the impact and achievement the Blue Switch project has done in Japan during these four years,” she said.
The Blue Switch project is Nissan’s commitment to make cleaner and safer place and to make its Ambition 2030, which was launched in November 2021, a reality. Nissan Ambition 2030 is the company’s long term vision for empowering mobility and beyond for a cleaner, safer and more inclusive world.
Nissan Ambition 2030 plans to deliver superior value by empowering customers and societies through electrified vehicles and technological innovations through the Blue Switch project.
At its core, Blue Switch highlights Nissan’s unique capability as electric vehicle producer for purposes beyond mobility, such as having power sources, and solutions to energy management.
Through Blue Switch, she said, Nissan hopes to enable EVs as effective and purpose driven energy sharing solution in addressing social issues including the disaster. “It will also provide better energy management for ecotourism and industry critical to the region,” she said.
She reiterated that Nissan aims to explore strategic partnerships with local governments and partners, in Thailand and the Philippines, and other markets in the region.
“We also aim to build more energy sharing facilities to cement the benefit of Blue Switch which addresses social issues and further contribute to the sustainable future we are all working towards,” she added.
For instance, Nissan envisions the utilization of EVs such as the Nissan LEAF to restore power and help distressed communities during the power outage.
Meantime, Atsushi Najima, Nissan Philippines' President and Managing Director, cited the local unit’s milestones in 2021.
"The year 2021 was a tough time for the entire industry, but despite the challenges we faced, we're grateful that Filipinos continue to trust Nissan with their mobility needs. This has inspired us to continue our mission of enriching the lives of people with our innovative vehicles and top-notch customer service," Najima said.
Despite the continue pandemic, Nissan launched in 2021 some models such as the Navara, LEAF, Terra, Almera, and Patrol. Its reinforced core lineup headlines the automaker's innovations, led by Nissan Intelligent Mobility. This suite of advanced safety features is designed to provide convenience and protection for both drivers and passengers on the road.
The arrival of the Nissan LEAF, the world's first mass-market EV, also propelled safer, smarter, and more sustainable driving in the Philippines.
With the company's refreshed model line up, Nissan has pushed through many challenges and regained its market share ranking towards the second half of 2021.
"When we integrate EV technology into society, we can unify people, systems, and our goals as a nation. EVs can boost tourism, protect the environment, help us respond to emergencies faster, and help enrich the lives of many people. We are looking to turn this dream into reality this 2022 and we can do this by working together," Najima concluded.