Nissan ramps up electrification plans and will sell next to no ICE models in Europe by 2026

Nissan is to ramp up its electrification plans and will sell next to no ICE vehicles in Europe by 2026, it has been announced.

The Japanese manufacturer said in a statement that 98 per cent of its European offerings will be either fully electric or series hybrids by the end of its 2026 fiscal year.

The target represents a significant leap from the firm’s previous aim of 75 per cent as it looks to remain ahead of the curve when it comes to stringent emissions regulations.

Elsewhere, in Japan, the company aims to make 58 per cent of its model offerings electrified, up from an earlier target of 55 per cent.

Targets remain unchanged for the US, at more than 40 per cent, while in China the aim was cut to 35 per cent from 40 per cent – although that includes only pure EVs, not hybrids.

The firm’s target numbers do not include expected vehicle sales of Nissan’s alliance partners, such as Renault SA of France or Mitsubishi.

Bosses say that in order to achieve the ambitious goals, Nissan will be introducing 30 new models by 2030, up from 15.

They will join the likes of the Leaf and the Ariya in the brand’s range of EVs.

The firm was an early leader in electric vehicles but has since been overtaken since then by newcomers like Tesla and Chinese carmaker BYD.

It is hoped that the newly announced plans will help Nissan to take on the wave of new Chinese disruptors, which look set to have a huge impact on the market in Europe.

A recent report by Cox Automotive found that the influx is likely to drive down both ICE and EV prices.

That followed comments by Stellantis boss Carlos Tavares, who recently said firms were facing a ‘terrible fight’ amidst the influx of new Chinese outfits.

The subject of EV disruptors – including those from China – will be covered by Auto Trader at the upcoming Car Dealer Live conference.