Nissan launching electric versions of two familiar nameplates – report

Nissan’s Juke and Qashqai crossovers currently come out of the company’s Sunderland plant in the United Kingdom, and future electric versions will reportedly do the same.

Sky News reports UK prime minister Rishi Sunak and other high level dignitaries were involved in the discussions with Nissan, and are likely to play a role in an imminent announcement.

A source told Sky News that such a deal would require significant financial backing from the UK government, although the exact details on this remain unclear.

The outlet reports Nissan is expected to invest potentially more than £1 billion (A$1.9 billion) into the project.

This comes as Jeremy Hunt, Chancellor of the Exchequer, has announced a £4.5 billion (A$8.59 billion) investment into bolstering English manufacturing. The investment will reportedly start in 2025 and be spread across multiple sectors including the automotive industry.

Although the Sunderland factory has faced uncertainty in the past, Nissan started building electrified versions of the Qashqai and Juke there last year. The company also produces the all-electric Leaf at the plant, though it ceased production of the X-Trail there in 2019.

The Sunderland plant currently employs roughly 6000 people.

The company will now reportedly pivot the facility to be a “flagship” manufacturing hub and electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem.

The initiative reportedly includes the construction of a new “gigafactory” in partnership with Chinese company Envision.

The upcoming electric Juke and Qashqai will be the first time those nameplates have been offered with pure electric power, though both are presently available with hybrid systems.

The Qashqai e-Power is driven by an electric motor and a battery pack that is supplemented with a 1.5-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine that serves as a generator. Total system outputs are 140kW of power and 330Nm of torque.

The Nissan Juke Hybrid teams a 69kW/148Nm 1.6-litre petrol engine with a 36kW/205Nm electric motor and 1.2kWh battery pack.

While Nissan doesn’t quote system outputs, the related Renault Captur E-Tech claims to offer a combined 104kW with the same hybrid system. The electrified Juke has yet to be launched here.

The next Juke could use the AmpR Small/CMF-B EV platform that will underpin the next Micra, as well as the upcoming Renault 4 and 5 revivals.

Auto Express reports batteries in the Juke could vary in capacity from 40kWh to 52kWh, and feature nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) chemistry, with up to 400km of range.

Last year Renault revealed one of the 5’s drivetrain options will be known as the ePT-100kW, pointing to a 100kW electric motor.

Exact launch timing for the new Juke is not known, but a report from Autocar earlier this year suggested a new Juke would launch in Europe during 2025 – coinciding with the investment into manufacturing by the English government.

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