Nissan to play plug-in hybrid catch-up
Japanese car maker racing to produce first plug-in hybrid vehicle, will use Mitsubishi tech following recent acquisitionNissan has confirmed it will soon offer plug-in hybrid cars following the recent Renault-Nissan Alliance's recent purchase of a 34 per cent stake of Mitsubishi Motors.
Originally, Nissan chose to develop pure-electric vehicles instead of hybrids but the recent availability of new tech from Mitsubishi's Outlander PHEV has seen a change of heart within the car-maker's management.
Driven by European CO2-led taxation, Nissan's European R&D boss, Takashi Shirakawa, told Auto Express magazine: "We are now working on a plug-in hybrid solution for Europe. Our priority is to shift into EVs for the future, but we still need a bridge".
It's thought, like Mitsubishi, the first Nissan to use the plug-in hybrid powertrain will also be an SUV.
The most likely candidate will be a production version of the 2015 Gripz Frankfurt motor show concept.
Auto Express also suggests the plug-in hybrid tech could also be retro-fitted to the X-TRAIL - something Nissan's Shirakawa didn't rule out but added it was more likely his car maker would expand its pure-electric powertrain from the LEAF.
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