With the new Nissan Leaf now out in the open, the company is now looking to expand its electric vehicle (EV) offerings with more models. According to an Autocar UK report, an electric SUV will be revealed at the upcoming Tokyo Motor Show in October.
Alfonso Albaisa, senior vice president for Global Design for Nissan, told the publication the model will be “a little bigger” than the Qashqai, which currently uses conventional petrol and diesel powertrains.
Nissan expects up to 20% of its sales to be EVs, supporting the need for a range of electric models that goes beyond the Leaf and e-NV200. The new Leaf’s platform is said to be designed with adaptability in mind, allowing for a range of vehicles to be developed from it. This will allow for better competition against the likes of Volkswagen’s I.D. vehicles that utilise the Modular Electric Drive Matrix (MEB) platform.
The electric SUV is expected to use the same 40 kWh lithium-ion battery pack positioned in the centre of the body. The brand’s “Intelligent Driving” technologies – ProPILOT, ProPILOT Park and the e-Pedal – could also make their way into the vehicle.
This isn’t the first time Nissan attempted to create an electric SUV either, if you can recall the TeRRA concept from half a decade ago. The funky, Juke-esque electric SUV was said to preview a future production vehicle that we also reported on previously.
GALLERY: Nissan TeRRA concept
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