Nissan decided to capitalize on its longstanding expertise with lithium ion batteries and lead with pure electric autos. It gambled that it might not solely achieve an environmental halo but, as a primary mover, additionally seize a disproportionate share of the mountainous government subsidies that may inevitably follow. Not only did it elevate Toyota to icon standing, it offered a fig leaf for the corporate because it expanded into bigger and bigger automobiles.
If the end result comes out in another way now, that is thanks to (as Meyer and Kirby observe) elevated public scrutiny. Nissan adopted an analogous path, …