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Electric versions of the Nissan X-Trail, Qashqai and Juke SUVs are coming to European showrooms, an overseas report claims.
The Nissan Qashqai, X-Trail and Juke SUVs are slated to gain the option of electric power in 2025, according to a new report out of Europe.
UK magazine Autocar claims battery-electric versions of the Juke and Qashqai small SUVs, and X-Trail mid-size SUV due in European showrooms between 2025 and 2027.
It is unclear if the electric versions of the three vehicles will replace the current offerings – which offer petrol or hybrid power – or would be sold alongside them.
Autocar claims the new electric vehicles “are expected as replacements for the current-generation models”.
However, later in its report the publication says all three cars would be “sold alongside an e-Power [hybrid] variant,” which would require the current models to remain on sale as the electric-car chassis slated for the new vehicles can’t support a petrol engine.
While electric could replace petrol power in Europe, it is less likely to occur internationally, where the petrol-powered vehicles remain popular, and there are fewer government regulations pushing electric-car sales.
It is also unknown when – or if – the new electric Nissan vehicles will come to international markets, including Australia.
“The point is we go in a transition manner, in a smart manner, with e-Power then to BEV [battery-electric vehicles],” Nissan Europe boss Guillaume Cartier said, as quoted by Autocar.
“We’re just launching e-Power [now]. We need to take the benefit of it on Qashqai. We have evolved, so this [electric power] is something that it’s natural to look at, which would be the future.”
Autocar reports the three new electric Nissan SUVs are due too early to benefit from Nissan’s solid-state battery technology – which is scheduled for production in 2028 – however the publication speculates on driving ranges in excess of 500km, and more power than today’s Ariya electric SUV.
Nissan reportedly confirmed late last year that a new-generation lithium-ion battery pack is due for a production car “within a couple of years”, claimed to offer “better energy density and efficiency and a lower cost,” according to Autocar.
The three new SUVs form plans for hybrid and electric cars to account for 50 per cent of Nissan sales globally by 2030 – though in Europe, a target of 75 per cent hybrid and electric sales has been set for 2026.
Nissan offers hybrid versions of the latest Juke, Qashqai and X-Trail – but with two different forms of the technology.
The Juke is a traditional hybrid vehicle – which can drive the wheels with petrol or electric power, or both, akin to a Toyota hybrid – while the Qashqai and X-Trail use Nissan’s e-Power technology, where the petrol engine is used as a generator to power electric motors that drive the wheels.
The X-Trail e-Power is on sale in Australia now, while the Qashqai e-Power is due towards the end of this year, and the Juke Hybrid is not currently planned for local showrooms.
Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family.
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