Electric program “Nissan Ambition 2030”: Juke & Qashqai electric

Nissan describes itself as a pioneer of the electric car. In fact, the Japanese were early with the Leaf electric car, which has been in serial production since 2010. However, Tesla, with its creative pressure and charisma, is now making the self-proclaimed pioneer look quite old. Nissan has recognized this and is setting the course for an electric future with billions of investments. This strategy is outlined in the electric road map “Nissan Ambition 2030”, which was created in autumn 2021 and updated last summer.

Qashqai and Juke are electric

The Leaf will remain part of Nissan’s electric car fleet for the foreseeable future. As the manufacturer announced, it wants to make “all models currently manufactured at the UK’s Sunderland factory fit for the future”. In addition to the third generation of Jani, these include Quashqai and Juke; In the future, each representative of these three will have only electricity. However, their characters may change a bit during this transition. Hyper Urban (Qashqai) and Hyper Punk Concept (Juke), two concept studies recently presented at the Japan Mobility Expo in Tokyo, as well as the Chill Out Concept (Leaf), which was shown in 2021, serve as sources of inspiration . . Nissan will announce at a later date whether the models will retain their current names and when they are scheduled to go on sale.

Every new Nissan is an electric car

It was only at the end of September 2023 that the Japanese had defined their electric strategy for the future and presented the Nissan Concept 20-23 electric show car (see the video below this paragraph). From now on, every new Nissan model launched on the market will have a fully electric drive, it said at the time. What’s more: As early as 2030, five years before the European Union bans combustion engines, Nissan wants to sell only electric cars in Europe and completely remove combustion engines from its range. “There is no turning back now,” Nissan President and CEO Makoto Uchida said at the time.

In 2021, Nissan decided to invest 15.5 billion euros in revamping its fleet by this year – mostly in electrification. But now things have changed: alliance partner Renault has reduced its stake in Nissan from 43.4 percent to 15 percent – the Japanese own the same amount of shares in the French company. However, the partners want to work more closely in the future. Which basically means: There will be more shared platforms. And Nissan – like Mitsubishi, the third representative of the Franco-Japanese alliance – will participate in the new Renault Ampere electric and software division. The next generation of electric cars should be 30 percent cheaper, and by 2030 electric models should even reach the price level of combustion engines.

This is what the most ambitious plans look like

This enables Nissan to make its goals created in 2021 and tightened in 2023 even more ambitious. According to current information, the brand wants to bring a total of 34 electrified models to the global market by 2030. Six new models are planned for the European market. In 2030, electric vehicles are expected to account for around 60 percent of the total sales of Nissan and its sister brand Infiniti (according to the plan for 2021: 50%; according to the plan for 2023: 55%).

By 2030, Nissan wants to offer only electric cars in Europe. As early as 2026, up to 98 percent of total sales in our continent will be accounted for by electric models (previous plans: more than 75%), while the American market is still aiming for 40 percent, and only in 2030. Japan and China are expected to account for 58 percent (previously 55) and 35 percent (previously 40) respectively by 2026. Globally, the number of new Nissan electric vehicles is expected to exceed 40 percent by 2026; Initially, 40 were planned.

Investment in battery technology

Technical details of Nissan’s electric future plans include the introduction of cobalt-free lithium-ion batteries, the development of a proprietary solid-state battery (starting in 2028), the construction of a global battery delivery system and the introduction of services of mobility. Cobalt-free batteries are intended, among other things, to help keep costs down. By 2028, the price of one kilowatt hour of storage capacity is expected to drop to 67 euros – later even 58 euros should be possible. The price is currently around 80 euros. At 58 euros, the cost of electric cars and gasoline cars will be the same, those involved in Nissan said in 2021.

Starting in 2024, Nissan will develop cobalt-free batteries and solid-state batteries (solid-state batteries – ASSB) at its pilot plant near the company’s headquarters in Yokohama, Japan. By fiscal year 2026, global battery production capacity is expected to increase to 52 gigawatt hours. By 2030, there should be 135 gigawatt hours.

More digital in the future

Nissan is yet to release any specific information about its future mobility services. “Nissan will expand its connected car service strategy from enhanced vehicle content to on-demand features,” it said in a statement. The company wants to achieve this through “software-defined cars”. Nissan also wants to expand the self-driving capabilities of its cars and equip all models with a lidar system (light detection and ranging – a system for measuring optical distance and speed) by 2030.

Expansion of the Sunderland area

Nissan would like to continue its development through EV centers of excellence. The first of these stations is already in Sunderland in north-east England and is called “EV36Zero”. The manufacturer is investing three billion British pounds there (currently equivalent to around 3.45 billion euros) not only to build production facilities for the three electric successors of Leaf, Qashqai and Juke. But also establish three gigafactories for the production of batteries there. About 7,000 people are said to work at Nissan alone, while around 30,000 people are said to be employed in the associated supply chain.

More such centers should follow in Japan, China and the USA. A battery recycling system is expected to be introduced in Europe soon and in the USA by 2025 – in Japan, Nissan has been working with 4R Energy on battery recycling for years. In order to manage its future electric projects, Nissan would like to hire 3,000 more employees for research and development. Together with Renault, the manufacturer is also planning its payment network, which will be introduced to European dealers of both brands. By 2050, Nissan wants to produce only products that are climate-neutral throughout their life cycle.

A new skateboard platform

For its electric future, Nissan is developing a new platform on which a variety of models are possible. Like many other manufacturers, Nissan will rely on the so-called skateboard platform in the future. The solid state battery should sit between the axles of the skateboard. Each axle is suitable for mounting car motors – the distribution of the weight of the top light construction, according to the manufacturer, should be 50:50 percent between front and rear. So-called artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms, i.e. machine learning, are intended to improve accuracy and agility while driving.

Examples and platforms

With the exception of the three series mentioned at the beginning, Nissan has so far left it unclear which specific models will be used to accelerate the electrification schedule. One thing is clear: China will receive an electric car developed specifically for the domestic market in 2024. For Latin America, the Japanese are planning an A-segment electric car based on the CMF-AEV platform. The new electric Micra, which uses the CMF-BEV architecture and is technically an offshoot of the new Renault R4 and R5 electric models, will be one size larger. On top of this is the CMF-EV platform, which can be upgraded to 800 volts for faster charging times. The Renault FlexEvan, scheduled for 2026, which the manufacturer describes as its “first software-defined vehicle”, uses this platform and is also expected to come to the European market like the Nissan.

Nissan showed what else could be coming with several subjects in 2021 and 2023. The Hyper Concept quintet was recently shown for the first time at the Japan Motor Show, which, among other things, gave a glimpse of the next, electric GT-R only (see the image display at the top of this paragraph). Two years earlier, part of the studies (see the image display at the top of the article and the brief description in the following paragraphs) showed the same trend. Although three of them, Hang Out, Surf Out and Max Out, are based on new skateboard architecture, Chill Out is based on the already known CMF-EV platform.

Hang Out: A home office SUV with a livable interior

Nissan Hang Out looks like a big SUV. According to the manufacturer, it has damping equipment that reduces vibrations and shocks to the extent that motion sickness is unlikely to occur. The interior resembles a living room; the front seats can be rotated 180 degrees. Nissan promises trouble-free work when going to Hang Out, and the interior can be expanded with an awning. The rear seats are slightly raised to allow rear passengers to see clearly ahead or watch a movie projected in front of the front row. The interior of the Hang Out is heavily inspired by that of the Renault Symbioz, which Nissan’s collaboration partner presented at the IAA in 2017.

Surf Out: Pick up electricity and the windshield of the footwell

The Nissan Surf Out is destined to poach in the current hot electric pickup segment. The car is capable of off-road use and therefore appears to have four-wheel drive. A low, flat loading area adds to the commercial vehicle character of the Surf Out. A special feature is the front part of the car designed like a window, behind which the sliding top can be seen.

Chill Out: SUV-Coupe Series

The Chill Out is still based on the current CMF-EV (Common Module Family) system from Renault-Nissan and is therefore closer to series production than its research siblings based on the skateboard platform. The SUV coupé has smooth surfaces, rear handles on the doors and is notable for the absence of beads and edges. Nissan promises advanced safety technologies, a high level of comfort and an “exciting” interior for the Chill Out. The drive is electric all-wheel drive.

Max Out: Convertible sports car

Max Out is also equipped with all-wheel drive – but not so that it can step on difficult terrain, but so that it has a lot of traction on the pavement. Max Out is supposed to be lightweight and therefore flexible. Nissan promises strong cornering behavior, precise handling and minimal body movements, which should give the driver a feeling of being one with the car. Max Out is designed as a two seater;