Nissan recently shed light on its future EV plans. Those plans did not mention an electric pickup. But that does not mean a Nissan electric truck is not happening — at least in the intermediate term.
Automotive News spoke to Nissan’s product planning head, Ponz Pandikuthira, about the brand’s new scalable EV platform. It will debut with two electric crossovers for Nissan and Infiniti, with the first one due to arrive in mid-2028. But it could produce up to five future Nissan vehicles. One of those models under consideration is an electric pickup.
Key Takeaways
- Nissan’s upcoming vehicles will use a new scalable EV platform
- The EV platform can accommodate five vehicles, including an electric pickup
- The electric pickup would be a compact, active-lifestyle vehicle
- Nissan may have a hybrid Frontier in the lineup, too
- Both new trucks could be in the lineup by 2030
Nissan’s New Electric Truck Could Arrive By 2030
Per the report, Nissan envisions a “light-payload model,” smaller than the Rivian R1T. The compact truck would be an active lifestyle vehicle, pairing passenger vehicle-style comfort with truck bed utility. The platform would use lower-cost lithium-ion batteries, not Nissan’s future solid-state batteries.
Nissan has not approved the vehicle for production yet. The crucial consideration for Nissan — as it is with any new vehicle — is whether the potential demand would be there for a Nissan electric truck at the price point Nissan could build it.
“There’s a growing niche of people who want an adventure vehicle but are environmentally conscious and don’t want to take a V-8 off into the woods,” Pandikuthira said.
“Do you have 100,000 of those willing to buy a Nissan electric truck? Doubtful. But that segment could grow, and we are keeping an eye on that.”
Nissan Could Build a New Frontier Hybrid Too
Automotive News says Nissan could pair the new electric truck with a hybrid version of the midsize Frontier pickup. The report expects the hybrid midsize truck to arrive sometime in the 2020s. It would be cheaper than the electric truck. It would be a hybrid with both combustion and electric motors powering the wheels, not an EREV.
TopSpeed’s Take
Nissan was facing a critical situation before the tariffs went into effect. The tariffs will force some difficult decisions. The electric crossovers for Nissan and Infiniti will be the first priority. However, the report said Nissan has backed off developing an electric sedan, with data showing that buyers didn’t want a $45,000-plus Nissan competitor for the Tesla Model 3. That could leave an opening for a pickup. Nissan’s plan to build the new EVs in America also helps the case.
Nissan dealers will want an electric pickup. The question will be whether Nissan can deliver one at a price point buyers will be willing to pay for a Nissan. The brand may not have as much wiggle room as Toyota to get the price right.
Read the full article here
