Electric Nissan Juke And Qashqai Get Inspiration From 'Hyper' Concepts

author: FutureCar Staff    

Nissan has announced its plans to build all-electric versions of its Juke and Qashqai SUVs, as well as the next-generation Leaf, at its plant in Sunderland, UK. The company stated that these new electric vehicles will draw inspiration from its "Hyper" series of concepts that were recently unveiled at the Japan Mobility Show.

As part of this endeavor, Nissan will be investing up to 3 billion pounds ($3.75 billion) in the production of these three EVs. Additionally, the automaker will be constructing three battery gigafactories in partnership with Envision AESC, one more than initially planned. The necessary infrastructure will also be developed at the Sunderland plant.

The EV36Zero hub in Sunderland is set to become a significant production center, manufacturing three electric vehicles and their battery cells across three gigafactories. Of the total investment, approximately 1.12 billion pounds ($1.41 billion) will be allocated for the research and development, as well as the manufacturing, of the electric Juke and Qashqai. This includes improvements to facilities and manufacturing processes, skills training, and tooling for suppliers.

Furthermore, an additional 423 million pounds ($531 million) will be invested in the first phase of EV36Zero for the successor to the Leaf, which is expected to enter production in Sunderland in 2026.

Nissan has revealed that the design of the future Qashqai EV will be influenced by the Nissan Hyper Urban Concept, while the Juke EV will take inspiration from the Hyper Punk Concept. It was previously announced that the Chill-Out Concept from 2021 would serve as inspiration for the next Leaf.

More details regarding the three upcoming EVs, including their names, specifications, and launch dates, will be shared by Nissan at a later time.

Nissan President and CEO Makoto Uchida expressed excitement about the company's plans for carbon neutrality and the role that electric vehicles will play in achieving this goal. He emphasized that the EV36Zero project positions the Sunderland plant as a crucial part of Nissan's future vision, with the UK team leading the way in designing, engineering, and manufacturing the vehicles of the future for an all-electric future in Europe.

Nissan has also committed to powering the production of EVs and batteries in Sunderland with 100% renewable electricity. The EV36Zero Microgrid, which includes a new 20MW solar farm, will supply the necessary electricity from Nissan's wind and solar farms.

By 2030, Nissan aims for its passenger car lineup in Europe to be 100% electric, with all new cars in the region being fully electric from now on.

FutureCar Staff