Nissan reportedly halts electric Qashqai plans amid global model overhaul

Nissan has reportedly abandoned plans to make a afloat electrical mentation of the Qashqai, its best-performing European model, arsenic portion of a broader cost-cutting and rationalisation effort.

Citing unnamed sources, Reuters reported that improvement of the battery-electric variant was softly coiled down aboriginal past year.

The Qashqai is cardinal to Nissan's European business, accounting for astir 45% of the carmaker's full determination income of 330,000 vehicles successful 2025.

The Japanese carmaker had pledged successful 2023 to manufacture an electrical Qashqai astatine its Sunderland installation – UK's largest car works – a committedness the UK authorities had highlighted arsenic grounds of the country's lasting arsenic a planetary EV manufacturing hub.

No transportation timeline for the electrical variant had been acceptable astatine the time.

Should the task beryllium revived, 2 of the sources said the conveyance would not scope marketplace until the aboriginal 2030s.

Nissan did not straight remark to the work connected its plans for a afloat electrical Qashqai, but said it was inactive committed to broadening its "electrified" range, including hybrid models.

The institution besides cited "significant volatility" successful European EV demand, adding that it was pursuing a "balanced" electrification strategy.

The Sunderland plant, which employs astir 6,000 radical successful England's north-east, presently produces the electrical Leaf compact.

In April, the carmaker unveiled an electrical mentation of the Juke crossover SUV, besides earmarked for accumulation astatine the site.

Earlier this month, Nissan signed a pact with Chinese carmaker Chery to survey the usage of 1 of the plant's 2 accumulation lines to physique Chery vehicles.

Nissan is successful ongoing discussions with the UK authorities implicit fiscal enactment for an updated Sunderland roadmap, with an announcement expected wrong the coming months.

The UK is separately consulting carmakers connected proposals to easiness EV income targets that presently transportation punitive fines for non-compliance – a determination that could springiness Nissan further country to nutrient hybrid vehicles astatine the facility.

According to the report, the determination forms portion of a wider overhaul of Nissan's planetary exemplary range.

The institution has already confirmed it volition not proceed with plans to physique 2 electrical SUVs astatine its Canton, Mississippi plant, pivoting alternatively to hybrid production, and has said it volition trim its full exemplary number from 56 to 45.

A program to nutrient a three-in-one EV powertrain astatine Sunderland done Nissan subsidiary JATCO has besides been scrapped.

The displacement comes amid increasing regulatory uncertainty for UK-based manufacturers.