Nissan's electrification plan basically confirms hybrid GT-R

Thursday, 24 March 2022

Nissan has announced the Micra will become an all-electric hatchback sometime after 2024.

Nissan has confirmed it will only offer models in Europe that feature some degree of electrification by 2030, meaning only EVs and hybrids will be on sale.

Three new models will be launched this year to support that goal – the Qashqai e-Power, the Juke hybrid and the X-trail e-Power.

The e-Power system is basically a range-extender system (think the BMW i3 REX), with the petrol engine acting as a generator for the battery. That means the electric motor is the only source of drive for the front axle, with the ICE engine never directly driving the wheels, which means the e-Power models should drive somewhat like an EV, with instant response. The engine can also send power straight to the electric motor through an inverter when needed, but never directly to the wheels.

Nissan going electrified-only in Europe by 2030 essentially confirms the next-gen GT-R will be a hybrid.

Nissan says the powertrain in the Qashqai (and, presumably, the X-Trail) has been upgraded significantly compared to the e-Power Note, with total output now at the 140kW/330Nm mark. The 1.5-litre triple can adjust its compression ratio on the fly, tech taken from Infiniti, which Nissan says reduces CO2 and fuel consumption.

**READ MORE:

The new electric Micra will form part of Nissan’s EV assault.

* Nissan reveals more details about Qashqai hybrid

* Nissan's new Qashqai heading to NZ with e-Power

The Ariya, due this year, should help boost Nissan’s electric sales.

* Nissan Ariya to spawn all-electric GT-R?

Meanwhile, the Juke will use more conventional hybrid tech borrowed from the Renault Captur E-Tech, a 1.6-litre petrol engine working in tandem with two electric motors. Here, the engine can drive the front wheels.

Nissan also said 15 electric vehicles will launch in Europe by 2030, including an SUV replacement for hte Leaf, the Ariya medium SUV, a new electric Townstar van based on the Renault Kangoo, and the recently revealed electric Micra.

While nothing was mentioned of it, Nissan’s news all but confirms the next-generation of GT-R will be hybrid, if not fully electric. After all, it won’t want to miss out on lucrative European sales if it can avoid it, right?

The rumour mill has been pretty all over the show regarding the GT-R in recent years, with some sides claiming the R36 generation will pull the Ariya’s electric powertrain (assuming Nissan can get the weight of the batteries under control), while others reckon the new supercar will reuse the old 3.8-litre twin-turbo V6 with an added 48-volt mild hybrid system.

To add my own wild speculation, a plug-in hybrid system using some Ariya tech paired with the new Z’s 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 could be fun.

But of course, without official word, nobody really knows what Nissan is planning for the R36, if it even builds one at all.

“Today in the industry we are facing the dilemma of looking 10 years ahead when we don’t know the next crisis in one month,” Francois Bailly, Nissan’s head of planning for the region that includes Europe, told Automotive News Europe.