Nissan expects to use Mitsubishi’s hybrid technology to make affordable hybrid and electric vehicles for the European market.
With the Renault-Nissan alliance acquiring 34 per cent of Mitsubishi, Nissan expects to build a plug-in hybrid for Europe which will borrow tech from the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. Nissan’s European R&D boss, Takashi Shirakawa, said "We welcomed Mitsubishi Motors into the Nissan family, and they already have the Outlander PHEV. The next-generation product range may be shared with that, but this is just the beginning of the discussion as nothing has been decided yet."
Nissan wants a sizeable share of the fully-electric line-up in the time to come. The brand understands the need to concentrate on plug-in hybrids first so that buyers in Europe get accustomed to them before they are ready for the shift to fully-electrified cars. On a different note, Nissan showcased the Gripz concept, with petrol-electric hybrid capability, at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2015. Although it looks unlikely that Nissan brings the Gripz concept to production, expect the brand to get their upcoming compact hybrid to take cues from this concept as they strongly believe most European customers are eager for a small EV.
We should have more news on this in the time to come, so stay tuned to CarTrade.
