Japanese carmaker Nissan has announced that it will sell only electrified cars (EVs and hybrids) in Europe from 2023. Nissan states that it expects 75 per cent of its sales in Europe to be electrified by the financial year 2026. By the end of the decade, Nissan expects to sell only electric models in the old continent.
Speaking about Nissan’s decision to ditch pure internal combustion engine vehicles, Guillaume Cartier, Chairperson, Nissan Africa, Middle East, India, Europe and Oceania Region stated, “Nissan is charging towards an electrified future, with Europe leading the way. We have established a clear direction through Ambition 2030 and with our new electrified line-up, we are truly paving the way to a sustainable future. Leveraging our global presence and Alliance partnerships, this is a landmark moment for Nissan in Europe with the arrival of our most comprehensive product offering to date. We have harnessed our disruptive nature and our electric expertise to deliver a suite of electrified powertrain technologies that meet the needs of our customers, with zero compromise on excitement.”
Leading the charge for Nissan in Europe will be a lineup of 6 electrified vehicles – 3 hybrids and 3 pure EVS. The hybrid lineup will include the Juke hybrid and the new Qashqai and X-Trail e-Power.
While the Juke hybrid is a traditional PHEV, the Qashqai and the X-Trail only use their internal combustion engines to charge up the battery pack that drives the wheels in the SUVs. The engine in these e-Power models is not connected to the wheels in any way.
The Juke Hybrid has a combined power output of 158bhp from its hybrid setup which consists of a 1.6-litre petrol engine and two electric motors. In the Qashqai, which uses a single motor setup, the power output is rated at 188bhp. The all-new X-Trail e-Power is expected to feature the same powertrain as the Qashqai.
Out of the three pure electric models, the Leaf is the best known to people across the world. The Nissan leaf is one of the best selling EVs in history with over 577,000 units sold globally and over 9 billion zero-emission kilometres driven since its 2010 launch. The Leaf is offered with a 148bhp motor/ 40kWh battery in Europe which delivers a range of 270 kilometres on the WLTP cycle.
The other two vehicles are yet to hit the market. The first of these unreleased vehicles is the Ariya electric crossover SUV. The Ariya was expected to arrive in Europe in the second half of 2021 but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the global microchip shortage. The Ariya will now arrive later this summer in Europe.
The other vehicle in the lineup is the Townstar Light commercial vehicle which is also slated to arrive later this year.
Thoughts On Nissan’s Electrification Push
Nissan’s push towards electrification just got kickstarted with the reveal of its plans to ditch pure ICE vehicles in Europe. With the old continent increasingly getting hawkish about electrification, it comes as no surprise that Nissan decided not to pursue upgrading its vehicles to comply with the upcoming Euro 7 norms but instead decided to jump head first into electrified vehicles for Europe. Let’s hope Godzilla survives this.
Keyword: Nissan To 'Electrify' Europe From 2023 - The End Is Nigh