Nissan dealers in Europe can be rubbing their hands: their offering of electrified vehicles, so far quite poor, will be enriched with five new models this year. A boost that the Japanese manufacturer has detailed in recent days in front of the European press, drawing a strategy that gives pride of place to hybrid engines.
Like its Renault ally with the ZOE, Nissan was one of the pioneers of the electric car thanks to the Leaf , launched in 2010 and sold 570,000 copies worldwide. This was followed, as at Renault, by a lack of succession which left the competition gaining ground.
Ariya coming soon
The Ariya, the brand’s new flagship, is therefore all the more eagerly awaited as the shortage of semiconductors has delayed its arrival in showrooms by several months. With its clean lines on the outside and its interior with a minimalist design, this 100% electric crossover, with a range of at least 400 kilometres, is well equipped to stand out in a very buoyant niche.
Nissan will also green its range of utility vehicles by offering a fully electric version of the Townstar (cousin vehicle of the Kangoo), with 300 kilometers of autonomy. The rest of the product offensive goes through hybrid engines, with very assertive choices.
E-power, from Japan to Europe
The brand will thus launch a hybrid version of its Juke, and above all, offer on the Qashqai (its bestseller) and the X-Trail a motorization called “e-power”, an in-house technology reserved until then for the Japanese market, and which allows 100% electric driving sequences without any charging constraints. It works with an electric motor that powers the wheels, while a smaller combustion engine recharges the battery.
For Nissan, e-power is the best path to bring drivers to 100% electric models. Consequently, the brand will not develop a plug-in hybrid model. A bold choice which will still pose some problems locally, as in France: if it does not fit into the boxes provided for by the regulations, the X-Trail e-power will fall under the scope of weight tax .
Where some of its competitors, such as Stellantis, promise 100% electric sales in 2030, the manufacturer outline a safer path , announcing 100% “electrified” sales by this deadline, which includes hybrids in an unspecified proportion. the manufacturer will thus be able to adjust its range according to customers’ appetite for battery-powered vehicles.
In the short term, this reinforcement of offers should benefit sales. “Nissan is destined to grow in Europe, and not out of vanity,” says regional boss Guillaume Cartier, without giving numbers at this stage. Of the 23 models that Nissan will introduce in its range by 2030, 15 will be marketed on the Old Continent, he specifies.
In the short term, the leader will no doubt have to work to ensure that the launches planned for this year will not suffer too much from the shortage of semiconductors. The supply difficulties experienced by the sector are far from over and in the event of arbitration, the Tokyo headquarters could be led, like other manufacturers, to favor sales in China or the United States, where the margins are higher.