Nissan has revealed its own ambitions for an electrified future. These plans involve the construction of a showpiece £1 billion EV Hub in Sunderland, UK, alongside Envision AESC's new battery production plant. Nissan also revealed the production of a revolutionary new electric crossover for worldwide markets in the United Kingdom. We don't know what it's called yet, but we do know it'll be a crossover.
The investment will result in the creation of 6,200 new jobs in the UK, including over 900 at Nissan and 750 at Envision AESC.
The electric crossover will be built on the CMF-EV platform, which is also used by Ariya and Renault's forthcoming crossover.
It's unclear if the new crossover will eventually replace the Leaf or be marketed alongside the all-electric hatchback. We also know that the forthcoming EV will use next-generation batteries, which should result in a longer range between charges.
Because it lacks door handles and mirrors/cameras, the teaser image above most likely represents a concept car rather than a production model. It features a swoopy roofline and huge wheels, just like the Ariya, but the headlights and taillights have a drastically different design that confirms our view of a concept rather than the actual product.
It'll be fascinating to see how the car compares to the tiny Ariya, as it's impossible to tell if it's bigger or smaller just on this single photograph. For what it's worth, Nissan suggested last year that a bigger electric SUV will be released, and we know the CMF-EV architecture has been designed for medium cars as well.