Guillaume Cartier was appointed to lead Nissan’s extended region that includes Europe in April 2020. At the time, the region was paralyzed by the pandemic, and Nissan was facing one of the worst financial crises in its nearly 90-year history. Nissan is working hard this year to change its fortunes in Europe, where five-month sales were down 17 percent. The automaker is swiftly renewing its lineup with a mix of SUVs powered by full-electric drivetrains and its e-Power hybrid technology. Cartier explained why Nissan, which led Europe into the electric era with the Leaf, will be slower than some rivals to become electric-only in the region an interview with Automotive News Europe Correspondent Nick Gibbs
In Europe you have said Nissan will be 100 percent electrified by 2030. Some rivals, for example Ford, Fiat, Opel/Vauxhall and Peugeot, have declared they will go electric-only by that year. What has stopped Nissan from going all the way?
The first statement to make is that any cars that we are launching now will be electrified. The second statement is that we will not invest in Euro 7 engines, which is big because not everyone is doing the same. By 2026, we will be 75 percent electrified, and by 2030 we will be 100 percent electrified. After 2025, all our car launches will be EV only. The question is: How quickly will Europe be EV only? Some countries such as the UK have drastic regulations where it’s possible that even hybrids will be banned after 2030, but Central Europe is totally different. They are not ready. So, my aim is to have that bridge.