
Chevy is soon to release the Bolt, an electric vehicle that is in the CUV style, and that should be a signal to other brands that they better get their act together and offer up some more diverse EV options to consumers. Back in 2013, Nissan indicated that it would like to put its EVE technology into more models in the lineup, and that could include the Qashqai.
2013 was a while ago now, so is it now time to make the Qashqai an EV?
There are a number of things that point to the possibility of an electric Qashqai. First, the Qashwai is built in the Sunderland Plant. That plant is also responsible for building the all-electric Leaf. So all the tools for production are already consolidated into the same plant making a Qashqai EV a doable product.
We have also heard recently that the Leaf's powertrain can be effectively transferred to a range of different types of vehicles. Nissan Europe's electric vehicle director Jean-Pierre Diernaz told UK's Driving:
It seems that there are a few things that are delaying a Qashqai EV. One obstacle is range-anxiety. While the range that is possible now is sufficient for the driving that most customers will do on a day to day basis, people still have that anxiety because the range numbers don't seem high enough.We have proven that we have mastered the technology to a point where we take the Leaf technology and put it in a van (the e-NV200), and it works perfectly well. If we have to put it in a small car, we can, if we have to put it in a sports car, we can, and if we have to put it in a bigger car, we can.
The other obstacle is accessibility. Nissan needs to ensure that EVs that they build are accessible to everyone.literally for all the commuters who are the number one target for EVs, you don’t need more than 150km a day. It’s just a perception; it’s to remove the anxiety.
While hybrids have not been discounted by Nissan, the company was not shy about saying that the ultimate goal is full electrification because there are fewer parts, less maintenance, and lower emissions.
Would you be interested in an electric Qashqai? Do you think it is in the cards for the near future?