- Nissan will present three new electric vehicles by 2026
- The leaf loses its tailgate style because it targets the SUV market
- New Micra will be based on the Renault 5
Although it is among the first to produce a general public electric car in the original sheet, Nissan was relatively slow in the electrification of its range, with only Ariya offering something fresh in recent years.
It is about to change, because the Japanese company revealed that the next 12 months will be shock full of new EV releases. These will include the long-awaited Nissan Leaf of the third generation, as well as an electric update of the popular models Micra and Juke for Europe.
Following the trend of large and high vehicles, Nissan chose to abandon the traditional tailgate silhouette of the old leaf in favor of a more popular SUV body style. He will share the same basic foundations as Ariya, on the same CMF-EV platform.
According to Autocar, the European boss of Nissan product, François Bailly, said that the company was targeting a range of more than 372 miles, with a key accent on longer trips and an aerodynamic shape which will require fewer road breaks during large distances.
For North American customers, the third generation leaf will be delivered with a NACS load port, which means that customers will be able to use the Tesla Super-Chargeur network-far from the Obsolete Chademo load standard, the older leaf used.
To further strengthen its electric range, Nissan has also unveiled a new smart version of the diminutive and affordable Micra, which will be based on the same platform as Renault 5.
According to Alfonso Albaisa, Nissan’s world design leader, Micra electricity has always been designed to be “more cute” than the more aggressive Renault 5, sporting “puppy dog headlights,” he told Autocar.
It borrows elements of the ultra-agressive concept 20-23 which was revealed, not surprisingly, in 2023. The most obvious being the round LED headlights. Although the huge rear wing, the body kit and the position ready for the track seem to have been somewhat softened.
Analysis: Nissan returns to its innovative roots
I think that even Nissan should be suitable that the last years have been silent for the brand, emphasizing the E-Power hybrid versions of existing models constituting most of its new “exciting” versions.
Rewn until 2023 and the company was busy celebrating the 20th anniversary of Nissan Design Europe in London with the MADCAP 20-23 concept, as well as promising more creative and innovative electric vehicles, while the company moved to an entirely electrified range.
It is only now that Nissan means that Nissan is right on these promises, with two beautiful electric vehicles designed to be practical, affordable and offer the type of range which means that most owners will not have to compromise.
In addition to Micra and Leaf, the company will also unveil the third generation SUV Juke for 2026, with a style apparently influenced by its angular hyper punk concept of the 2023 Japanese mobility show.
The original juke encapsulated the brand’s fearlessness, with a polarizing style that combined elements of jet skis, motorcycles, sports cars and all kinds of hip and hip design characteristics. It sells well in Europe for more than a decade and remains an integral part of the Nissan range.
But compared to Kia, Hyundai, Peugeot and Citroen, Nissan does not have a modern range of electric and hybrid vehicles that stand out from the crowd. Peugeot, on the other hand, offers nine electric vehicles in Europe which include sedans, SUVs, domain cars and vans.
By strengthening its range with attractive and affordable electric vehicles that laughed at some of the concepts that have all excited us recently, it seems that Nissan finally returns to its best and innovative.
