By Simon Jack.
The business editor.
The Nissan/PA image is a source.
The image caption is.
The Nissan Crossover EV concept car is going to be built in the UK.
The boss of Nissan warned that the Omicron variant could add pressure to a chronic shortage of microchips used in car manufacturing.
Uchida said it was too early to say when normal deliveries would resume.
I can't give you a date. How well we react to this new variant is going to be crucial.
Computer chips are used in products from cars to washing machines.
When the Pandemic first hit in 2020, some factories had to close, leading to a back up in production of chips.
The impact was worsened by soaring demand, with people working from home needing laptops, tablets and webcams to do their jobs.
Mr Uchida said that the shortage of chips is critical to the industry.
Japan has banned incoming flights from other countries in response to the alarm over the omicron variant.
Mr Uchida's comments come as Nissan announced its vehicle electrification strategy, which includes the proposed introduction of 23 electrified models by 2030, and the ambition that 75% of the companies European sales will be electric vehicles.
Nissan announced a $1 billion investment to turn its UK plant into a hub for electric vehicle production.
The image is from the same source.
The image caption is.
Mr Uchida said Nissan was committed to its alliances.
The targets for China and the US are not as ambitious. Nissan hopes that 40% of the cars it sells in China will be electric or hybrid by 2026, while it only expects to hit that proportion in the US by 2030.
The company didn't set a target date for the elimination of engines. Nissan, Toyota, VW, and BMW refused to join Ford and Volvo in signing a pledge to phase them out by the year 2040.
Solid state batteries, which the industry hopes will prove more efficient than the current industry standard, are being developed by Nissan.
Mr Uchida said Nissan was still committed to its alliance with the other two companies, which was the brainchild of former Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn who is currently in exile in Lebanon. The charges were strenuously denied by Mr Ghosn.
Companies.
Nissan.
The cars are electric.
Semiconductors.
The car industry.
