Nissan prepares for new LEAF and updated Qashqai e-POWER

Nissan's car plant in Sunderland is preparing to start production of its third generation LEAF electric vehicle, with first cars rolling off the production line later this year.

In addition, the plant will build upgraded versions of the Qashqai with e-POWER technology.

Nissan will also launch an all-new fully electric Micra in 2025, designed by the team at Nissan Design Europe, based in Paddington, London, and the next generation Juke will be available for the first time as an EV in 2026

First to launch in 2025 will be the all-new Micra, which was designed at Nissan Design Europe in London, using AmpR Small platform shared with Renault’s R5. It will be available with two battery options: 40 and 52kWh, providing a maximum range of over 248 miles. Sales of the new Micra will begin before the end of the year. It will be built at Ampere ElectriCity plant in Douai, France

The second new vehicle to be launched in Europe in 2025 is the, LEAF, which started the mass-market electric vehicle revolution when it was introduced in 2010.

The third generation of LEAF has been developed on Nissan’s CMF-EV platform, architecture it shares with its larger sibling, the Ariya.  

The European version of the new LEAF will be manufactured at Nissan’s production facility in Sunderland, in the north-east of England. It forms part of Nissan’s EV36Zero project– a blueprint that will transform Sunderland Plant into a flagship EV hub, bringing together electric vehicles, renewable energy and battery production.

Having reinvented the hybrid powertrain when it was launched in 2022, Nissan’s unique e-POWER technology will also benefit from an upgrade this year. The changes to the e-POWER system on Qashqai will deliver improvements to its emissions, efficiency and refinement.

Beyond 2025, Nissan’s engineers continue to develop the third generation of its JUKE compact crossover, which is scheduled for launch in FY2026 as an EV, based on the Hyper Punk concept car which was presented in October 2023 at the Japan Mobility Show.

Speaking about all the product updates in the coming years, Leon Dorssers, Regional Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Nissan AMIEO (Africa, Middle-East, India, Europe & Oceania) region, said: “The renewal of Nissan’s European line-up is the realisation of our bold plan to electrify our range in Europe. All the new models will share common Nissan DNA: striking design, technical innovation and intuitive technology – a combination of qualities which we are confident will attract new buyers to Nissan, as well as continuing to appeal to existing customers who already love how Nissan vehicles enrich their daily lives.”

David Moss, Senior Vice President, Region Research & Development, AMIEO, said: “As well as welcoming the return of the Micra as an EV and the third generation of our revolutionary LEAF, we’ve made significant steps with one of our most popular technologies. Having reinvented the hybrid with introduction of e-POWER by making it quieter and more responsive than a traditional hybrid, the forthcoming updates to e-POWER will make it even more efficient, more refined and closer overall to a pure EV-driving experience. It will remain the powertrain of choice for buyers who love the feel of driving electric, but don’t want to recharge.”