Nissan has revealed that it will have a total of six electrified vehicles for Europe coming this summer. This announcement also disclosed that the automaker will no longer launch pure internal combustion engines in Europe starting in 2023. By 2026, it expects its sales mix to make up 75 percent electrified vehicles and is aiming for 100 percent by the end of the decade. This is part of Nissan’s Ambition 2030 plan, which will see the brand launch a total of 23 electrified vehicles globally.
In addition to battery-electric vehicles, Nissan will offer hybrids as a stepping stone to full electrification. The company already announced the Qashqai e-Power and Juke Hybrid as the first two hybrids coming to the European market. They will be joined by the X-Trail e-Power (Rogue in North America), which will feature two electric motors, effectively giving it AWD. It will also be the only hybrid with Nissan’s e-4ORCE all-wheel control system, which first debuted in the Ariya. Rounding out Nissan’s electrified vehicle lineup will be the Leaf, Ariya, and Townstar; the latter is an all-electric compact commercial van with a WLTP range of 300 km or 186 miles per charge and is aimed at last-mile delivery services.
Beyond the vehicles, Nissan has also established a manufacturing ecosystem called EV36Zero. This brings together vehicle and battery production in a facility powered by renewable energy and is set to become the model for future manufacturing sites. The first to transition to this model is Nissan’s Sunderland plant in the United Kingdom, which also build a new electric crossover slotting below the Ariya.
Among the multiple regions that Nissan does business in, Europe will lead the way in the transition towards electrification. Japan, China, and North America won’t make the switch as quickly but Nissan still expects 40 to 55 percent of sales in those regions to make up of electrified vehicles. The Japanese automaker also aims to cut the cost of lithium-ion batteries by 65 percent by 2028 by introducing packs that don’t use cobalt. Nissan’s first solid-state battery is also due out by 2028 and will be built and designed in-house. Its first pilot plant in Yokohama, Japan will start building the initial examples in 2024.
Nissan will have two BEVs on sale in North America by the end of this year: the Leaf and the Ariya. The company hasn’t said what’s next but we suspect hybrids are on their way with the Rogue likely getting a version of the Juke Hybrid’s powertrain. That will swap the 1.6-liter engine for Nissan’s 1.5-liter VC-Turbo three-cylinder to give the system more power. The next-generation Kicks could get the same system from the Juke since it’s a much lighter vehicle than the Rogue and could serve as the entry point to Nissan’s electrified lineup.
Soon, Nissan’s Canton, Mississippi plant will transform into a BEV production hub building two new models including Infiniti’s first electric vehicle. On the Nissan side, the production version of the Chill-Out Concept, which will likely be the third-generation Leaf turned into a subcompact crossover. A new sedan is also slated for the Nissan lineup and will likely be built at Canton. This is essentially the production version of the IMs Concept that will morph into the next Maxima.
