Nissan to Get Four EVs by 2022, Two for Infiniti

Nissan has an EV plan for the near future that’s actually realistic.

byEric Brandt|
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Nissan, one of the pioneers of affordable electric cars for the masses, is now expanding its electric vehicle lineup eight years after the introduction of the Leaf. Automotive News reports that Nissan will have a line of four electric vehicles over the next five years with luxury brand Infiniti getting two EVs in the same timeframe.

That brings the planned EV count for Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi up to 12 models through 2022. This is the first we’ve heard of a breakdown by brand and we’re not sure yet how the other six EVs will be distributed between Renault and Mitsubishi.

When Nissan says “EVs,” it means EVs, not plug-in hybrids. While more plug-in hybrids will likely come to the Nissan and Infiniti brands, they won’t be part of this new plan for six new electric cars. Nissan currently sells plug-in hybrid “e-Power” vehicles in Japan, but not in the U.S. It’s proven popular in Japan which is part of the reason for the plan to introduce more EVs.

We reached out to Nissan asking for more details about the plan like whether e-Power plug-in hybrids will come to the States anytime soon or if the four planned Nissan EVs will include the Leaf or be in addition to the Leaf. "Unfortunately, we can’t say anything further at this time regarding future product plans other than what has already been released," said Jeff Wandell, Nissan EV communications manager in an email to The Drive.

Last month, The Drive reported that all new Infiniti models will be hybrids or EVs in 2021. This news came straight from Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa. Since the current Infiniti lineup is almost entirely gas-powered with the Q50 Hybrid being the only hybrid option, the two new EVs will begin to set the stage for Infiniti becoming a hybrid/EV luxury brand.

We often hear lofty goals from automakers when it comes to electric cars and they can often sound a bit rushed or too good to be true. It’s refreshing to hear a pragmatic, realistic plan from a major automaker that continues the gradual integration of EVs into the market rather than planning for a massive market shift overnight.

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