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Nissan Falls into Line, Announces Next EV Should Be a Crossover

We know, you can hardly contain your surprise as crossovers are so hard to find in today's automotive world, particularly when speaking about electric vehicles that are due around 2019.
Nissan Gripz Concept 1 photo
Photo: Nissan
We've honestly lost count with almost all manufacturers that have expressed their intention of building EVs announcing their first/next one to use that body type. Even so, when Nissan makes a statement like this, given its history with the LEAF, it deserves a bit more attention than your ordinary startup.

The Japanese company was once the world leader in EV sales, but it was too slow to come up with a successor for its LEAF hatchback or improve its performance considerably, so it is now left to trail the segment just like any other novice brand. What's more, the specs of the new LEAF do not sound nearly as exciting as they should, but the official information is still limited.

But even if the situation doesn't look particularly encouraging, we now learn that Nissan is committed to the EV path and looks to diversify its battery-powered offerings. More will become apparent next year when Nissan wants to reveal a new concept car, one that will foreshadow the next production EV.

Continuing the nomenclature that was last used for the Vmotion 2.0 concept car introduced earlier this year at the Detroit Auto Show, the new one will be called Vmotion 3.0 and will focus on the three key technologies that stand at the core of Nissan's Intelligent Mobility strategy. Just in case you have any doubts, those are electrification, autonomous driving, and connectivity.

Speaking of Vmotion 3.0, Nissan's global design chief, Alfonso Albaisa, said it would make use of the possibilities offered by an electric drivetrain, meaning we should expect a flat floor and greater wheelbase translated into plenty of interior space. Automotive News also reports him saying it would serve as the blueprint for the brand's future EVs.

But the one who provided the clear hint toward an SUV focus was Daniele Schillaci, Nissan's executive VP for zero emissions. "We are clearly focusing our attention on a crossover EV, because it's our DNA," he said. "The crossover will really embody the latest Nissan Intelligent Mobility features."

Before that, however, Nissan is going to have to make a decent impression with the new LEAF, which is now facing some stern competition from GM's Chevrolet Bolt as well as Europe's best-selling EV, the Renault ZOE. In order for Nissan to remain relevant in this market, the new LEAF needs to be more than just decent to pave the way for the upcoming crossover.
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About the author: Vlad Mitrache
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"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
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