Nissan Concept Reaffirms Commitment to European BEV Future

Nissan unveiled a radical new BEV concept in London while promising it will stick to its ambition to supply only all-electric vehicles in European markets by 2030.

The move underlines the automaker’s faith in BEV technology despite a roll-back of commitment from some European governments including the UK’s delay of its 2030 ICE ban and the EU’s scrapping of that new vehicle ICE ban altogether to allow the burning of carbon neutral fuels after 2035. Its Nissan Concept 20-23 concept was unveiled to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Nissan Design Europe (NDE) being located in London, by Makoto Uchida, Nissan’s president and chief executive officer.

It was designed by a team including some the younger members of NDE, with the simple brief to design a car with no constraints. The modern twist on this small car reflects both the world of online racing and Nissan’s participation in Formula E. The Concept 20-23’s basic 3-door hatchback body-style features extreme aerodynamic features front and rear, with deep skirts which direct the airflow away from the front of the car, through apertures to cool the brakes and out through vents just behind the front wheels.

Uchida used the event to highlight Nissan’s future battery technology and strategy telling journalists that the automaker will be introducing 27 electrified vehicles, including 19 BEVs, by 2030. In this period Nissan is also introducing cobalt-free technology to bring down the cost of EV batteries by 65% by fiscal year 2028. It also aims to launch BEV with its proprietary all-solid-state batteries (ASSB) by 2028.

By reducing charging time to one-third, ASSBs could make BEVs more efficient and accessible. Nissan expects ASSB to bring the cost of battery packs down to $75 per kWh by 2028 and aims to bring it further down to $65 per kWh to achieve cost parity between BEV and ICE powered vehicles in the future.

Uchida said: “More than a million customers have already joined our journey and experienced the fun of a Nissan electric vehicle, and there is no turning back now. EVs powered by renewables are key to us achieving carbon neutrality, which is central to our Ambition 2030 vision. Nissan will make the switch to full electric by 2030 in Europe – we believe it is the right thing to do for our business, our customers and for the planet.”

— Paul Myles is a seasoned automotive journalist based in Europe. Follow him on Twitter @Paulmyles_  and Threads