Nissan Has No Immediate Plans To Localise Hybrid Powertrains For India

While Japanese automakers have led the mass-market shift to strong hybrids here, Nissan has other plans

The market for electrified powertrains in India has only just started picking up, a venture primarily driven by the efforts of Japanese carmakers Honda, Toyota and (Maruti) Suzuki. Another global leader in electrified powertrains from Japan is Nissan but it recently clarified that it has no immediate plans to invest in strong hybrid offerings for India.

Also read: How Japanese Brands Are Democratising Hybrid Powertrains In India

What is Nissan’s hybrid tech?

The Nissan hybrid powertrain technology is called e-Power and it is somewhat differentiated from the strong hybrid technology offered by its rivals. Here, the wheels are only ever driven by the electric motor while a tiny, fuel efficient combustion engine is only used to charge the battery.

Potential Nissan e-Power models for India

The primary candidate for Nissan’s hybrid tech in India is the Kicks compact SUV. While the model offered in India is not the same as the one offered in India, its global iteration does come with e-Power for improved efficiency and driveability. However, the India-spec Kicks is likely on its way out and the updated global model with the hybrid tech is unlikely to be brought here.

Nissan recently showcased some of its global SUVs in India of which the X-Trail has been confirmed for launch while the Qashqai is currently under evaluation. Both these premium offerings do come with e-Power hybrid tech and the X-Trail features an even more elaborate all-wheel-drive setup. So, while Indian buyers will get to experience Nissan’s hybrid tech in a highly premium model, it is not going to be offered with a mass-market model.

Related: Nissan Will Be The Last Of The Japanese Carmakers In India To Offer A Strong Hybrid Powertrain

Skipping hybrids, straight to EVs

The Japanese contingent of the Renault-Nissan alliance currently has a very limited market share in India. Nissan only has the Magnite as its prime model in its lineup right now. Given the investment required for hybrids and lack of government incentives for them, the brand will instead focus on offering fully electric vehicles.

Earlier in February, Nissan announced that the alliance plans to introduce two new entry-level electric offerings that will be highly localised for India. These would likely be priced just around Rs 10 lakh or below with a claimed range of 300km. The carmaker has not outlined the timeline for these EVs, but they will certainly not be arriving before 2025.