Nissan, the company which lit the spark that electrified the automotive industry, is counting down to an all-electric line-up in Europe.
With many countries debating when to ban sales of internal combustion engines, Nissan is pressing ahead with plans to achieve 100% EV in Europe by 2030, with all new Nissan models from now to be all-electric in Europe.
With capability to design, engineer and build vehicles in the UK, and building on the brand’s core strengths of electrification and crossovers, the switch will also support Nissan’s drive towards carbon neutrality.
“EV is the ultimate mobility solution. More than a million customers have already joined our journey and experienced the fun of a Nissan electric vehicle, and there is no turning back now,” said Makoto Uchida, Nissan President and CEO.
“EVs powered by renewables are key to us achieving carbon neutrality, which is central to our Ambition 2030 vision. Nissan will make the switch to full electric by 2030 in Europe – we believe it is the right thing to do for our business, our customers and for the planet.”
New 20-23 Concept unveiled and new Autonomous Drive research study launched
The commitment comes as Nissan continues its investment programme in its European Design and R&D teams, both of which are marking historic anniversaries by advancing their cutting-edge work on future vehicles and technology.
On September 25, 2023, on the banks of a canal outside Nissan Design Europe (NDE), Nissan unveiled the ‘Concept 20-23’, a sporty, urban EV concept celebrating the 20th anniversary of the studio opening in Paddington, London.
At the nearby Nissan Technical Centre Europe, where the Nissan R&D team this year mark their 35th anniversary, the UK’s latest real-world autonomous driving study, called evolvAD, is taking place with a focus on residential and rural roads, supported by the UK Government.
An investment programme of more than €40m is ongoing across both sites, supporting activities including:
– In NDE, the upgrade of building facilities, design tools and resources and additional staff
– In NTCE, of new technology and facilities with more than €26m invested just in electrification projects.
Future models and battery technology making EV even more accessible
Globally, under Nissan Ambition 2030, Nissan is introducing 27 electrified vehicles, including 19 EVs, by 2030. In this period Nissan is also introducing cobalt-free technology to bring down the cost of EV batteries by 65% by fiscal year 2028.
Nissan also aims to launch EV with its proprietary all-solid-state batteries (ASSB) by fiscal year 2028. With the introduction of breakthrough ASSB, Nissan will be able to expand its EV offerings across segments and offer more dynamic performance.
By reducing charging time to one-third, ASSBs will make EVs more efficient and accessible. Further, Nissan expects ASSB to bring the cost of battery packs down to $75 per kWh by fiscal year 2028 and aims to bring it further down to $65 per kWh to achieve cost parity between EV and gasoline vehicles in the future.
Two future Nissan EVs have already been confirmed for Europe, including an all-new compact EV which will succeed the iconic Nissan Micra as the entry-level vehicle in the Nissan line-up. The other vehicle will be built at Nissan’s record-breaking UK plant in Sunderland, as part of the £1bn EV36Zero project, a blueprint for the future of automotive, bringing together EV manufacturing, battery production and renewable energy.
Electrification progress in Europe
A third of the million-plus Nissan EVs sold around the world have been in Europe, with the Nissan Ariya and the Townstar van the latest all-electric vehicles to hit the market. Since 2022 the Nissan range in Europe has been 100% electrified, including the addition of Nissan’s e-POWER technology to the Qashqai and X-Trail.
Tuned for European customers by the NTCE team in the UK, e-POWER delivers the pleasurable, effortless and smooth driving experience associated with a pure EV, for those not ready to make the switch to full EV.
Those popular, segment-leading vehicles are already supporting Nissan’s transition to 100% EV in Europe, where notwithstanding lifecycle upgrades to current models, every new Nissan in Europe will be 100% electric.
The European car market is electrifying at a rapid pace. In the five year period from 2018-2022, sales of electric and electrified vehicles rose from 5% of the total market to 44%, with sales of all-electric vehicles rising from 1% to 12% of the total market. Today EVs represent 16% of Nissan’s total sales in Europe, part of a total electrified sales mix of 50%, which in the coming three years is expected to rise to 98%.
“As Europe accelerates towards EV, Nissan will continue to deliver the striking crossover design and driving excitement that our customers love,” said Guillaume Cartier, Nissan Chairperson for the AMIEO region (Africa, Middle-East, India, Europe and Oceania).
“With breakthroughs in battery technology, electric vehicles will become even more accessible, and Nissan will continue to champion EV as the best way to provide cleaner, simpler and more affordable mobility.”
Nissan’s Ambition 2030 vision is the company’s long-term vision to become a truly sustainable company, driving towards a cleaner, safer, and more inclusive world. Over the next ten years, Nissan will deliver exciting, electrified vehicles and technological innovations while expanding its operations globally. The vision supports Nissan’s goal to be carbon neutral across the life cycle of its products by fiscal year 2050.
