Africa Automotive News September-October digital issue 2019

Review
Nissan gives dealers a look
at compact crossover EV
The Japanese automaker has been lapped by rivals
with EVs that boast longer range and more power
Nissan introduced the first massmarket,
battery-powered electric
vehicle in the U.S. — the Leaf
— nearly a decade ago. But despite that
head start, the Japanese automaker has
been lapped by rivals with EVs that boast
longer range and more power.
Hoping to catch up, Nissan is preparing
to launch a second EV in the U.S.,
a crossover with greater range and
power than the Leaf, as well as updated
technologies.
The EV, expected to arrive in the U.S. in
the second half of 2021, would be one
of eight battery-powered models Nissan
is planning globally in the next few years.
At a dealer meeting last month, Nissan
gave its U.S. retailers their first look at the
EV, which is being developed on a new
platform.
According to dealers who saw the vehicle,
the five-seater has a 300-mile range and
can go from 0 to 60 mph in under 5
seconds.
The crossover is described as a compact,
and has the exterior proportions of a
compact Rogue but the interior space
of a midsize Murano, according to the
dealers. Nissan declined to share details
of the planned model.
Nissan’s second EV will launch into a
market that is getting more crowded as
several automakers, including Jaguar,
Audi and Tesla, are moving aggressively
into electric crossovers, while Ford and
General Motors have vowed to step up
their EV offerings.
Analysts believe the electric crossover
segment is likely to keep growing for the
next few years.
36 Africa Automotive News l 2019 September-October issue l 2019