Can Nissan Create More Jobs in the US?

Now it is looking at a bigger move: a third production shift.

So this is about more than one car model?

Yes. Christian Meunier, who chairs Nissan Americas, said the company was “maxing out” production capacity in the U.S.

He said the next step could be three shifts.

And he sounded hopeful about the timing?

He did. He linked it to the new Rogue launch in the next couple of months.

He said the hybrid launch could help Nissan do this fairly quickly.

Where does the Rogue fit into the plan?

The Rogue is Nissan’s crossover for the American market.

Nissan has now officially revealed the 2027 version.

It will first come with a traditional gas engine in Tennessee.

A hybrid version is expected later.

So the company is not starting with the hybrid straight away.

No. For now, the hybrid will be imported from Japan.

The company says that is a faster way to get it to market.

U.S. production of the hybrid is expected to start next year.

That sounds like speed now, and more local production later.

Exactly.

Nissan says it wants to support sales now.

It also wants to move toward more domestic output.

It wants to make 80% of the vehicles it sells in the U.S. inside the country by 2030.

What does that mean for the Tennessee plant?

The Smyrna plant already runs on two shifts.

The company says adding another shift could mean hundreds, if not thousands, of jobs.

That is the part people will notice first.

Yes, and Meunier said more shifts could lift U.S. output to about 1 million vehicles a year.

That would be a big rise from nearly 487,000 in 2025.

How does the wider U.S. mood fit into this?

Nissan is moving during a push for more local manufacturing and more jobs.

Meunier said the company is well equipped to grow without a new factory.

And there is a technical side to the new hybrid too, right?

There is.

Nissan calls it “e-Power.”

The engine works like a generator.

Electric motors move the car.

So the engine is not driving the wheels in the usual way.

That’s right.

Nissan says this is its first hybrid of this kind for the American market.

It is also part of the company’s wider turnaround plan.

Thanks, Noah.

Australia joins a growing call for human control over AI.

Now we go to Chloe, our LinguaWire correspondent for technology.

Thanks, Daniel. Australia’s prime minister has signed a statement with more than 20 other countries.

The message is simple: AI should stay under human direction, oversight, and control.

That is a strong line.

What exactly does the statement say?

It says AI must be developed and used in line with international law.

It also warns that the pace of development could move faster than people can manage the risks.

So this is about speed as much as power.

Yes.

Anthony Albanese said AI can improve lives, strengthen the economy, and help science and medicine.

But he also said humans need to remain in control.

He said people must stay at the centre of what happens.

That balance feels important.

Did he say Australia had a larger role in this?

He did.

He said Australia had played a central role in the statement.

He also said he had direct talks with Finland’s president, Alexander Stubb.

And the warning is not only about future risk, is it?

No.

The statement says AI systems could get around safety checks.

It also says they could gain unauthorised access to some systems.

So the countries want rules, not just promises.

Exactly.

They want AI companies to build transparent safety protocols.

They want governments to work toward common standards.

They also want the UN to look at creating an international body to set AI rules.

That would be a serious step if it moves ahead.

It would.

For now, the main point is that more than 20 countries want human oversight built in from the start.

And there was also a separate case in Australia today.

Yes. A boy has been charged with acts in preparation to cause death or grievous bodily harm.

He also faces knife and extremist-material charges.

Police say the investigation is continuing.

They also say there is no ongoing threat to the public.

That is a much darker case.

What happens next in court?

The teen is due to appear in children’s court later today.

At this stage, the legal process is still moving.

The charges are not proof of guilt.

Thanks, Chloe.

Here are three useful words from the first story.

production

Production means making things in a factory or plant. In the story, it was used for Nissan’s car output. “Nissan is looking to increase its U.S. production.” Example: The factory will increase production next month.

shift

A shift is a work period in a factory or other workplace. In the story, it meant one team on the line. “The company says adding another shift could mean hundreds of jobs.” Example: I start my shift at six.

capacity

Capacity means the amount something can hold or produce. In the story, it described how much Nissan can make in the U.S. now. “Nissan says it is running close to full capacity.” Example: The train has space, but not much capacity left.

Let's look at a simple future pattern from the story.

The next step is going to be three shifts.

We use be going to for a future plan or a future result we expect. We form it with be + going to + base verb.

I am going to call later.

They are going to add another shift.

Repeat after me: going to be three shifts.