Mitsubishi Halts EV Development, Relies on Nissan-Renault Platforms for Rebadged Models

Mitsubishi's recently launched all-electric Eclipse Sportback is essentially a rebadged Nissan Leaf, while the battery-electric version of the Eclipse Cross is built on Renault’s Scénic E-Tech platform. Mitsubishi CEO Takao Kato stated that given the slowing global growth of the EV market, the company has opted for collaborative approaches to manage its electrification transition. He noted that developing a standalone EV model requires massive investment, and if sales fall short of expectations, it could result in significant losses and pose serious business risks. In contrast, Honda canceled its 0 Series EV program just before the planned launch of new models, absorbing approximately $16 billion in restructuring costs. Mitsubishi’s projected global sales for 2025 stand at 884,000 units—far below Honda’s 3.396 million—leaving it with weaker risk resilience and an inability to absorb similar financial setbacks. Mitsubishi was among the earliest automakers to enter the EV space, launching the i-MiEV as early as 2009. However, due to high R&D costs and poor market performance, it failed to follow up with subsequent models. Since then, Mitsubishi has largely relied on the Outlander—based on the Nissan X-Trail—and its plug-in hybrid variant to maintain its electrified lineup. Nissan later rebadged the Outlander PHEV as the X-Trail PHEV for sale.