Exclusive-Nissan shelves development of electric Qashqai in cost-cutting drive

By Daniel Leussink and Maki Shiraki

TOKYO, June 23 (Reuters) - Nissan has stopped enactment connected an electrical mentation of its top-selling exemplary successful Europe, six sources with cognition of the substance said, arsenic the Japanese automaker trims its lineup and cuts costs.

The determination to softly halt improvement of ‌a afloat electrical Qashqai comes arsenic accepted rivals and caller Chinese entrants flood Europe with affordable alternatives.

While shelving the task volition prevention money, Nissan ‌may not beryllium capable to bring the car to marketplace until aboriginal adjacent decennary if it has a rethink, apt leaving it trailing peers successful a cardinal marketplace segment.

Nissan successful 2023 committed to gathering an ​EV mentation of its Qashqai SUV astatine Sunderland, Britain's largest car plant, a program that was hailed by the UK authorities astatine the clip arsenic cementing its presumption arsenic a planetary EV manufacturing hub. The institution astatine the clip did not specify a timeline to present the EV variant.

The automaker has since embarked connected a large planetary restructuring, however, and is presently successful talks with London astir securing fiscal enactment for an updated roadmap for the works expected successful coming months, Reuters exclusively reported past week.

That announcement is expected ‌to clarify its latest plans for the electrical Qashqai, improvement ⁠of which was halted aboriginal past year, according to the sources, who spoke connected information of anonymity owed to the sensitivity of the matter.

It already makes the electrical compact Leaf astatine the works and successful April unveiled an electrical crossover SUV Juke to ⁠be built there.

Even if Nissan restarts the Qashqai EV project, it would not travel to marketplace until the aboriginal 2030s, 2 of the sources said.

In a statement, Nissan did not code its plans for a afloat electrical Qashqai, but said it remained committed to expanding its "electrified" line-up, which includes hybrid models.

The institution added that the European marketplace had experienced "significant volatility" successful EV ​demand ​and that it was pursuing a "balanced" electrification strategy.

A UK authorities spokesperson declined to remark connected Nissan's ​commercial decisions.

TOUGH CHINESE COMPETITION

Nissan already sells the Qashqai arsenic a petrol ‌and hybrid vehicle, and the exemplary accounted for astir 45% of its full income of 330,000 cars successful Europe successful 2025, according to its income information analysed by Reuters.

Any caller authorities backing for Nissan volition beryllium connected to its committedness to nutrient caller models oregon variants and support jobs astatine Sunderland, which employs astir 6,000 workers successful England's concern northeast, sources antecedently told Reuters.