The Japanese automaker is planning to launch first Nissan range extended EV next year and surprisingly it will not be based on the Nissan Leaf. The news came from Yoshi Shimoida, Nissan’s Deputy General Manager of EV and HEV engineering division, who was talking to an Australia’s Motoring Magazine. He stated that the new hybrid series will be somewhat similar to BMW i3 Rex.
The Nissan range extended EV, also dubbed as “series hybrid” will be equipped with a small internal combustion engine that will only power the electric car battery. Other than this, the automaker has not revealed any information regarding the type of the vehicle, pricing or when it will arrive. However, Shimoida stated that the official name will be announced next year.
Currently, the BMW i3 and Vauxhall Ampera are one of the few vehicles with range extender engine. However, the Ampera couldn’t perform well in the UK markets. So, Nissan would have to deliver something really unique in order to standout.