Renault-Nissan Alliance has recently purchased 34% stake in Mitsubishi, and the confirmation comes from Nissan that they are working on a new plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. When it comes to the production of pure-electric vehicles, Nissan’s policy has changed, and according to senior execs, a plug-in hybrid for Europe is being worked on at the moment.
After the Renault-Nissan Alliance had acquired 34% stake in Mitsubishi, Nissan’s European R&D boss, Takashi Shirakawa confirmed that some of the technology for the new plug-in would probably come from the Outlander.
He said: “Our current priority is to shift into EVs for the future, but we still need a bridge. We are now working on a plug-in hybrid solution for Europe. 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.”
In the past, Nissan already made a concept with a series hybrid powertrain called Gripz, which was introduced at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show. Shirakawa also confirmed that some of the smaller models will come with electrification in the future.
“Most customers are keen to have a smaller EV,” he said. “We recognize this, and we’re already thinking about how to solve these customer issues with next-generation EV technology.”
