Nissan has jumped on the bandwagon to go fully electric in Europe. The automaker announced on September 25 that it plans to sell only EVs on the continent by 2030. From now on, all new Nissan models launched in Europe will be all-electric.
The Japanese carmaker made the announcement when unveiling a sporty, urban EV concept in London on Monday. Makoto Uchida, Nissan president and CEO, said in a statement that EVs are key to the company achieving carbon neutrality. He also said that "there is no turning back now."
According to Nissan, two future EVs have been confirmed for the European market, with one being manufactured at the company's plant in Sunderland, UK. Reuters reported that Uchida declined on Monday to reveal when the EVs will be rolled out.
The CEO said Nissan is trying to reduce costs in response to the fierce competition from China-made EVs. According to Reuters, he said that Chinese automakers are growing massively and have moved much faster than expected.
Europe aims to ban new internal combustion engine vehicle sales in 2035. Nissan's commitment to selling EVs only in Europe by 2030 aligns with the strategies of other carmakers like Renault, Ford and Stellantis.
Nissan said EVs represent 16% of its total sales in Europe. By 2030, the carmaker plans to introduce 27 electrified vehicles, including 19 EVs, globally. It also aims to use cobalt-free batteries to reduce battery costs by 65% by fiscal year 2028.
In the same period, Nissan said it will roll out EVs equipped with all-solid-state batteries (ASSB). The battery technology is expected to reduce the cost of battery packs to US$75 per kWh by fiscal year 2028 and further down to US$65 in the future.
