Nissan on Thursday provided an early look at a new electric crossover being developed on the same platform as the upcoming 2022 Ariya.
The platform is the Renault Nissan Mitsubishi Alliance's CMF-EV design, which in the Ariya will offer up to 389 hp from a dual-motor system and close to 300 miles on range from a 90-kwh battery. The Ariya will also offer a 65-kwh battery.
Nissan Ariya prototype in Monaco
No specs for the new crossover were revealed but a teaser sketch points to a sleek design and similar footprint to the Ariya, which itself is similar in size to the Ford Mustang Mach-E and Volkswagen ID.4 electric crossovers already on sale. Nissan hasn't said when and where sales of its new crossover will happen, but the automaker described the vehicle as a global model, suggesting we'll see it in the United States.
One of the planned production locations for the crossover is Nissan's plant in Sunderland, United Kingdom, where the Leaf, Juke and Qashqai (sold here as the Rogue Sport) are currently built. Nissan said the site will become a hub for electric vehicles and there are also plans to build a new battery plant nearby.
Artist's impression of Envision AESC battery plant to be built in Sunderland, United Kingdom
The battery plant will be built by lithium-ion specialist Envision AESC, and joins an existing battery plant at the site that Envision AESC built in 2012 to supply batteries for the first-generation Leaf built at Sunderland. Envision AESC was founded as AESC in 2007 by Nissan and fellow Japanese companies NEC and Tokin, though Nissan sold off its controlling stake to China's Envision Group in 2018. Nissan made the move when it launched the second-generation Leaf which used batteries from outside suppliers.
The addition of the new crossover at Nissan's Sunderland plant is expected to see around 900 jobs created, while a further 750 jobs will be created at the new Envision AESC battery plant.
