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

author: FutureCar Staff    

Nissan has announced that it will be building all-electric versions of its Juke and Qashqai SUVs, in addition to the next-gen Leaf, at its plant in Sunderland, UK. The new EVs will draw inspiration from Nissan's "Hyper" series of concepts that were recently unveiled at the Japan Mobility Show.

As part of this initiative, Nissan will be investing up to 3 billion pounds ($3.75 billion) in the production of these three EVs. This includes the construction of three battery gigafactories with partner Envision AESC, one more than originally planned, as well as related infrastructure at the Sunderland plant.

The EV36Zero hub in Sunderland will eventually produce three electric vehicles and battery cells for them at three gigafactories. Out of the total investment, up to 1.12 billion pounds ($1.41 billion) will be allocated for research and development, as well as the manufacturing of the electric Juke and Qashqai models. This will cover facility and manufacturing process improvements, skills training, and tooling for suppliers.

In addition to this, there will be a 423 million pound ($531 million) investment in the first phase of EV36Zero for the successor to the Leaf, which is set to enter production in Sunderland in 2026.

Nissan has revealed that the future EVs to be built in Sunderland will be influenced by its recently unveiled concept cars. The design of the Qashqai EV will draw inspiration from the Nissan Hyper Urban Concept, while the Juke EV will be shaped by the Hyper Punk Concept. The Chill-Out Concept from 2021 will also provide inspiration for the next Leaf.

Further details about the upcoming EVs, including names, specifications, and launch dates, will be provided 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 of electric vehicles in achieving this goal. He emphasized that the EV36Zero project positions the Sunderland plant as a key player in Nissan's future vision, with the UK team taking charge of designing, engineering, and manufacturing the vehicles of the future.

In terms of sustainability, Nissan will power the production of EVs and batteries in Sunderland using the EV36Zero Microgrid, which generates 100% renewable electricity from the company's wind and solar farms, including a new 20MW solar farm.

It is worth noting that Nissan has previously confirmed that all its new cars in Europe will be fully electric, and by 2030, the automaker expects its entire passenger car lineup in Europe to be 100% electric.

FutureCar Staff