Nissan Planning Electric Crossover and Sports Car to Join Leaf in Lineup

Nissan is working on a new modular platform for its electric vehicles.

The company’s senior vice-president, Shiro Nakamura, has told Auto Express that Nissan’s new modular platform will be able to use conventional and alternative powertrains, serving as a key component in expanding the Japanese automaker’s electric vehicle offerings. “We don’t want to limit our EVs just to the Leaf,” said Nakamura. “We’re the leading EV manufacturer, but I don’t think we can make it just off one EV, so we want to grow the portfolio – that’s our next plan. It could be a crossover, it could be a sports car; we see much more opportunity for EVs than just a hatchback.”

Nissan has never been shy about its desire to expand its electrified offerings. It has shown numerous electric concepts over the years including the Townpod and Esflow concepts.

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At last year’s Frankfurt Motor Show, Nissan previewed a hybrid crossover with the Gripz concept, that is rumored to actually be the next “Z” model. As for the new modular platform, engineers are still discussing the design and layout. Currently, the Leaf’s batteries are housed under the floor and although that is good for weight distribution, it raises the floor level. That won’t really matter in a crossover, but in a sports car, Nissan would want to make the floor height as low as possible.

Engineers have been testing with placing the batteries underneath the rear seats and has even ran them down the transmission tunnel to minimize the amount the floor needs to be raised. In regards to timing, Nakamura explained that it would be “maybe five years” before we see the first model riding on the company’s new platform.

[Source: Auto Express]

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