World needs to ‘move on’ from engines, says Nissan, as chief …

Nissan 20-23 concept

The car industry ‘has to move on’ from the internal combustion engine, the boss of Nissan has said, as he pledged all future Nissans in Europe would be powered purely by electricity.

Speaking at Nissan Europe’s design studio in Paddington, London, president and CEO Makoto Uchida snubbed the UK government’s recent decision to delay the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel car sales from 2030 to 2035.

Referencing “electric cars being in the news lately”, he said: “There’s no going back – the world needs to move on from ICEs (Internal Combustion Engines).”

Nissan recently showcased its 20-23 concept

He confirmed Nissan is doubling down on electric cars despite the UK government shifting the phase-out date on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars, and promised all future Nissans launched in Europe will be pure-electrics.

“From this point onwards, every single Nissan model launched in Europe will be fully electric. In 2030, Nissan will be here and ready for EV.”

He added: “It is the right thing to do.

“As battery technology evolves, we are working to achieve price parity with ICEs because when it comes to the planet we have a responsibility to be a part of the solution, and as part of an ecosystem involving renewables, grid integration and battery storage.

“EVs are the ultimate solution for future mobility.”

Uchida pointed to Nissan’s £1bn investment in upgrading its battery gigafactory in Sunderland as a symbol of its commitment in EVs, and also called on more manufacturers to work together on building EVs.

“We need everyone on board,” he said. “We are not the only OEM who will be ready in 2030, but if we all work together we will solve the current challenges and make way for a sustainable future.”

It’s already been confirmed that the Sunderland plant will build a crossover replacement for the Leaf electric hatchback, but Uchida’s latest statement confirms future generations of Nissan’s best-selling crossovers, Qashqai and Juke, will also be pure-electric.