Nissan Halts Qashqai EV Development
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- Nissan halted development of the Qashqai EV in early 2025, according to Reuters citing six sources, scrapping a fully electric version of its best-selling European model
- The Qashqai accounted for roughly 42% of Nissan's European sales in 2025, with over 147,200 units sold, making it the brand's most important crossover in the region
- Nissan cited "significant volatility" in European EV demand and said it would pursue a "balanced" electrification strategy that prioritizes hybrids alongside EVs
- The Sunderland plant in the UK — originally slated to build the Qashqai EV alongside the LEAF and Juke — is still producing the new LEAF EV, with the Juke EV confirmed for spring 2027
- Nissan is in talks with London over financial backing for the Sunderland facility as part of its broader "Re:Nissan" cost-cutting push, which includes 20,000 job cuts (about 15% of its global workforce) and factory closures
- If Nissan ever restarts the Qashqai EV, it wouldn't arrive until after 2030, according to two of the sources Reuters cited
- Nissan is also scrapping plans for two electric SUVs at its Canton, Mississippi plant, redirecting capacity toward hybrids instead
Why it matters: Pulling the plug on an electric Qashqai — the brand's single most important European product — deepens Nissan's strategic hole: it is cutting roughly 20,000 jobs (about 15% of its global workforce), closing factories, and still seeking UK government support for Sunderland, all while low-cost Chinese brands like BYD accelerate their European market-share gains.
