Nissan bosses have refused to rule out the introduction of an electric version of the next-generation Nissan Qashqai.
Speaking to Autocar, Nissan's European sales and marketing boss Guillaume Cartier said such a model would not be "for now", suggesting it could become a production reality.
An electric Qashqai could build on the technology pioneered in the Nissan Leaf and developed further in the NV200 EV. Cartier said that economies of scale are expected to reduce the cost of the powertrain.
The second generation Nissan Qashqai is a class-leader in so many respects - find out what they are here
He said that Nissan Leaf buyers choose the Leaf for more emotional reasons, but buyers or operators of commercial vehicles such as the NV200 are driven by more pragmatic issues. "There are no more rational buyers than those who buy light commercial vehicles", he said.
Cartier hopes that the adoption of electric Nissans by those rational buyers will help communicate the message that electric vehicles are practical, and that for many buyers range anxiety should not be a deciding factor in whether or not to buy an EV. He pointed to Nissan's continual development of EV technology and incremental increase in range.
Cartier also said that Nissan's EV lineup will continue to grow, but EV technology will not be retro-fitted into existing models. New models will be designed with electric propulsion in mind from the outset.
Add your comment