Nissan Leaf SUV yet to be locked in

HALF a decade since revealing the electrically-powered Terra SUV concept at the 2012 Paris Motor Show, Nissan's plans for productionising a high-riding companion to the Leaf EV are still far from locked in.

Speaking to the media at the global unveiling of the second-generation Nissan Leaf (below), Nissan executive vice president Daniele Schillaci revealed that Nissan's interpretation of a showroom-ready electric crossover is still some way from becoming a firm reality.

“You see a lot of Nissan crossovers and Nissan SUVs, and it's logical that we are thinking about heading that way in our line-up with an EV crossover,” Schillaci said at Nissan's headquarters in Yokohama, Japan.

“Now if you ask me, do we have a complete plan [for an EV crossover] today – the answer is no.

“But it's natural given the DNA of Nissan where crossovers are very strong, we are thinking to transfer our EV knowledge in that area.”

Meanwhile, Nissan's chief planning officer Phillipe Klein said the steady increase in SUV market share meant the debut of a an all-electric Nissan SUV was very much a case of 'when' rather than 'if':

“Yes you can expect us to enlarge our lineup moving forward in tune with the market development,” he said to media at the Leaf's debut.

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“One example of what we're expecting to do is the announcement we made in China recently with the declaration of a joint venture between Renault-Nissan Alliance and Dongfeng to prepare a affordable EV for the Chinese market, which is deliberately an A-segment SUV.”

That Chinese-market SUV is not expected to get a global release, however.

“You can expect more from us,” Klein continued, “but it is a bit premature to give any detail.”

The Terra concept revealed at the 2012 Paris show used the front electric transaxle of a Nissan Leaf along with in-wheel electric motors on the rear wheels. Power was supplied by a hydrogen fuel cell, and the design resembled a futuristic take on the Juke compact SUV.

However, don't expect hydrogen tech for Nissan's alt-fuel SUV. Instead, thanks to the new Leaf's dramatic improvement in range to 400km it'll likely be an all-battery affair – though the added weight of an SUV body style may see it offered only with the more powerful electric powertrain that's set to be added to the Leaf range next year.

More details may drop at the Tokyo Motor Show next month, with Schillaci hinting that further information on Nissan's EV SUV plans won't “take so long” to become apparent.