Not each automaker’s taking the identical technique in the case of electrification.
Throughout an interview on the 2024 New York auto present Nissan North America’s Senior Vice President and Chief Planning Officer, Ponz Pandikuthira laid out for Inexperienced Automotive Reviews the automaker’s viewpoint on the place EVs, PHEVs, and collection hybrids take advantage of sense.
The chat with Pandikuthira passed off days after Nissan laid out its plans for hybrids, PHEVs, and a U.S.-bound three-row electrical SUV, resulting in a clearer imaginative and prescient about which powertrains will present up during which sorts of automobiles within the close to time period.
Nissan Surf-Out idea (2021)
Collection hybrids
A bit of Nissan’s electrification technique lies inside its e-Energy powertrains, which is the automaker’s advertising converse for a collection hybrid. A small combustion engine creates power to energy the electrical motor as soon as the battery reaches a specific state of cost. That ICE engine acts as a generator solely, and there’s no direct mechanical connection between the ICE engine and the wheels. Having the ability to skip the transmission and all that complexity makes it notably enticing to automakers from a value standpoint.
Pandikuthira didn’t fully rule out e-Energy for a pickup truck, however he stated that in a smaller physique fashion pickup, like a Ford Maverick-sized pickup, the collection hybrid powertrain might make sense. It could be extra of a way of life truck geared toward metropolis dwellers and or surfers, just like the Nissan Surf-Out idea proven in 2021.
“e-Energy is absolutely fitted to a car like Kicks and Rogue,” Pandikuthira stated. A car that can spend most of its time in city environments together with stop-and-go site visitors with possibly solely 30% of the time being freeway driving.
The manager additionally famous {that a} collection hybrid shouldn’t be the perfect throughout freeway utilization or at a gentle state of 70 or 75 mph. That generator would return poor gasoline economic system and it wouldn’t be a great towing expertise, and he famous that for mid-size and full-size vans, the typical pickup driver does numerous that.
This straight goes in opposition to the technique Stellantis took with the 2025 Ram 1500 Ramcharger. Whereas it has a 92-kwh battery pack that may be charged up, when it’s depleted the Ram Charger’s generator is a naturally-aspirated 3.6-liter V-6, which altogether would possibly return about 20 mpg on the freeway. That’s not whereas towing.
2024 Nissan Frontier Forsberg Version
Hybrids and plug-in hybrids
Pandikuthira famous that giant automobiles, and people spending 70% of their time on the freeway could be higher off with a plug-in hybrid powertrain.
“The Nissan Frontier (the automaker’s mid-size pickup truck) buyer doesn’t need an EV. What they do need is a plug-in hybrid,” Pandikuthira stated. The manager famous the second you do a plug-in hybrid powertrain towing isn’t compromised. A plug-in hybrid additionally isn’t as susceptive to the intense warmth and chilly challenges BEVs at present expertise with right now’s battery expertise.
Plug-in hybrids want a minimal of 70 miles of real-world vary, in accordance with Pandikuthira. Extra energy-dense next-generation batteries would possibly assist allow that.
On Monday information broke that the next-gen Frontier will get an electrical variant and plug-in hybrid whereas being twinned with a Mitsubishi. Each will probably be in-built Mexico.
Pandikuthira informed GCR that the present Frontier wouldn’t simply settle for batteries by way of packaging for a plug-in or battery-electric powertrain. A next-gen truck could be the chance because it might be designed from day one to not compromise packaging.
2024 Nissan Pathfinder
BEV
Pandikuthira famous {that a} life-style pickup must value $25,000 to $35,000, possibly topping out at $40,000.
‘Electrifying one thing in that vary and making the fee down inexpensive might be not less than a couple of years away,” Pandikuthira stated, referring to both a completely electrical or e-Energy risk..
It makes extra sense to make a battery-electric Pathfinder-sized car, which is a three-row crossover SUV, at this level, in accordance with Pandikuthira. The manager quipped {that a} bigger pickup and or Pathfinder-sized car might maintain the mandatory worth to suit an electrical powertrain. That worth level is as much as $55,000 or $60,000, Pandikuthira stated. All of it comes all the way down to deciding which physique fashion to affect first based mostly on buyer want, in accordance with the chief.
“Electrification remains to be going to manifest, it’s just a bit slower than we thought,” Pandikuthira stated.
