Nissan has been coy about hinting that it might someday introduce an electric performance model since it released the humble Leaf example with the Nismo badge for the Japanese market. It was followed by the 2020 Leaf Nismo RC, which served as an experiment to see what would happen if you added a bunch of electric motors to make the model run really fast on the track.
Speculation has been on the number of sports aspirations as the automaker prepares to deliver 15 new electric vehicles by 2030. But few seem to know that Nissan has confirmed the development of its Nismo brand of electric performance in the global market.
In terms of battery-electric propulsion, the Japanese brand is currently bringing the aforementioned (delayed) Leaf and Ayria to the North American market. Meanwhile, its Nismo offerings are limited to geeky versions of the 370Z and GT-R. These models embody the gulf between Nissan’s performance and electric offerings in terms of design theory. To say the company has a long way to go before closing that gap would be an understatement.
But the automaker doesn’t seem interested in making electrified versions of its existing sports models.According to a recent interview top With Nissan Europe president Guillaume Cartier at the Formula E race in Monaco, the plan is to give its next-generation electric cars the Nismo treatment to designate them to be more efficient.
“Nismo is our asset,” explains Cartier, “and it’s something we want to revitalize. [sic]. For example, will we have a car with a Nismo derivative? The answer is yes. »
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Logical, really. Most automakers plan to get into “fast electric” one way or another: Volkswagen has the GTX lineup, Seat has Cupra (yes, yes, “completely separate companies”, we know) Ford and Mach-E…why would he? Is Nissan using its racing arms to add some pedigree?
“The thing is, it’s not a gimmick,” Cartier insists. “In English, it’s not a pig’s lipstick. So it takes some investment to make sure you bring performance.
So what does “performance” mean in the context of nismo-electric? “It’s easier to understand here: the specific suspension and powertrain. Ariya’s focus is a challenge because we already have a big battery with high performance. So we have to go higher.
It looks like Nissan could retool its EVs to boost production and slap some Nismo badges before the end. But the automaker has said it is serious about the rollout of an all-electric vehicle after recently ending all future investments in combustion engine development in pursuit of battery technology. Last month, the automaker also formally took control of the e.dams racing team responsible for its Formula E project so that it could “drive our destiny,” according to Cartier.
“We are constantly learning in the race, and the relentless pace of technological advancement in the Formula E championship will provide us with plenty of opportunities to inform our customers and develop better cars,” said Ashwani Gupta, chief operating officer of Nissan at the time. “The acquisition of the e.dams team reaffirms not only our long-term commitment to Formula E, but our commitment to the exciting and high-performance world of motorsport as a whole. »
[Images: Nissan]
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