Nissan has released a rendering of an all-new British-built electric crossover vehicle that it plans to launch as part of a £1 billion (R19,7bn) investment in its Sunderland plant, which will also see the construction of a new ‘gigafactory’ for EV batteries.
The UK plant currently focuses on production of the Qashqai, and although the new electric crossover won’t replace the latter initially – given that a new-generation Qashqai recently went into production – it could eventually do so by the time we get to the next generation.
The new crossover, which will be a global model, will likely compete with compact EVs like the Volkswagen ID.4 and Volvo XC40 Recharge. It will be built around the Renault-Nissan Alliance’s new CMF-EV platform, which will underpin numerous C- and D-segment electric vehicles across the brands, collectively accounting for a volume of up to 700 000 units. The CMF-EV vehicles will allow a range of up to 580 km on the WLTP. According to a recent statement by Renault, the architecture “pushes the boundaries enabling greater roominess with all the technical elements in the engine bay and removes all crossing cables from the rear to the front and reduces weight and cost.” It also allows for a thinner dashboard design by placing the heating and air conditioning systems in the engine bay.
As mentioned, Nissan is set to build a new gigafactory in England, and this forms part of what the company refers to as its ‘EV36Zero’ EV manufacturing ecosystem, which it says is a world first.
“Centered around the record-breaking plant in Sunderland, UK, Nissan EV36Zero will supercharge the company’s drive to carbon neutrality and establish a new 360-degree solution for zero-emission motoring,” Nissan said.