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Nissan’s strategy chief says that decisions over future powertrains will be decided by ‘the customer’.
Christophe Amblard, Nissan Europe’s product strategy and planner, believes the ‘ultimate goal’ remains getting to 100% EV but says that, for now, choice remains key.
The former Toyota man added that Nissan would continue to carry out its ‘EV offensive’ with four new electric models set to be introduced in the next year.
However, with some consumers still reticent to take the jump into fully electric motoring, Amblard admitted work also has to go into reducing emissions on the brand’s hybrid models.
The comments come as Nissan prepares to launch its third-generation Leaf – the model which kick-started mass-market EVs when it went on sale in 2011
Speaking at the latest car’s international launch, Amblard told the PA News Agency: ‘What we’ve always said is that the customer will decide.
‘As an OEM, we propose both solutions with hybrid and electric powertrains.
‘We are introducing four EVs with the new Micra, Leaf and then an electric Juke and A-segment city car next year.
‘The EV offensive is continuing because we believe the ultimate goal is to be 100% EV. The question is, how do we transition to that period?’
He added: ‘Therefore, we are continuing to invest in our e-Power hybrid powertrains, but we will continue to lower the figures with emissions and so on, as they still emit CO2.’
The UK government is has currently got a target of banning the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2035, with only electric and hydrogen fuel-cell models to be sold beyond that point.
Nissan will be hoping that its new wave of electric models will be enough to help it claim a larger share of the EV market.
Speaking at Car Dealer Live earlier this year, the brand’s former UK boss, Dr Andy Palmer, said that Nissan had ‘ceded’ the initial boost, which came from the launch of the first generation Leaf.
He said: ‘It is extraordinary that Nissan finds itself in such bad shape having taken leadership of EV. But if you were to ask my Japanese colleagues, they’d say, “that is the history of Nissan”.
‘Nissan has invented over and over again in the past. Did you know Nissan invented the hybrid? But then it ceded that technology to Toyota. It was one of the first manufacturers to introduce autonomous driving but it ceded that technology to most of the Chinese manufacturers.
‘It largely invented the mass-production EV but it’s ceded that to everybody else. So in many respects, what you find, is that Nissan is an intellectual company which is very good at developing stuff, but generally speaking is impatient and not committed to the long term.
‘The reason that Nissan is no longer leading in EVs has nothing to do with the distractions around [former CEO] Carlos Ghosn. They had already started departing EVs under Ghosn’s leadership.’
The new Nissan Leaf will go on sale here in the UK in February next year, with prices expected to start at around £33,000, before appying the anticipated £3,750 discount from the government’s Electric Car Grant.
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