Nissan has doubled down on its commitment to becoming an all-electric car brand by the end of the decade with the unveiling of the new Juke EV – a model that will be produced at its UK vehicle plant in Sunderland.
The Japanese manufacturer – which has been suffering significant financial losses resulting from a slowdown in sales in China and the US – says the Juke EV’s radical exterior looks will ‘help us reach new customers’.
But to avoid pinning its turnaround entirely on European motorists having a change of heart and snapping up EVs in far greater volumes, it will continue to sell the existing Juke hybrid over the next few years. These will also continue to roll off assembly lines in the North East of England.
When the Juke EV goes on sale next year, it will become the third model in Nissan’s electric triad, following in the tyre tracks of the French-made Micra (the sister car to the Renault 5) and Leaf, which too is manufactured at the Sunderland factory.
The Juke crossover – which debuted in 2010 – has always been considered a Marmite car, with bold styling that has divided customers.
Yet it’s Nissan’s second best-seller across Europe – behind the Qashqai SUV – having delivered more than 1.5 million examples in the last 16 years.
Nissan’s bold new Juke EV: The Japanese car maker has unveiled its new all-electric Juke crossover, which will go into production at the Sunderland vehicle factory early next year
The sharper-styled third-generation Juke’s striking design – which is a major contrast to the bulbous curves of the original – shows the brand’s ‘willingness to challenge convention in the electric age,’ bosses said this morning.
It will share architecture with the larger Leaf EV, likely using the same battery and electric motors.
Dimensions are yet to be announced, but it will be bigger than the Juke that’s currently in showrooms today.
That means it will continue to be the middle size option between the smaller Micra and larger Leaf.
The hope is that it can continue to challenge Britain’s best-selling car, the Ford Puma, which last year added a fully electric Gen-E variant to its ranks to appease those who want to make the switch to an EV.
Bosses say the Juke EV’s radical looks will ‘help us reach new customers’ as Nissan continues to suffer huge financial losses triggered by a downturn in demand in China and the US
The funky crossover will use a shorted version of the Leaf EV’s platfrom. It will also inherit the same battery packs, which are produced at the AESC gigafactory linked to its Sunderland plant
But the Juke also signals Nissan’s unwavering ambition to switch to EVs over the coming years ahead of the ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars from 2035.
‘Europe is central to Nissan’s electrification strategy, and we remain firmly committed to a fully electric future,’ said Nissan’s chairman Massimiliano Messina during the Juke’s unveiling in Japan on Tuesday morning.
‘With a rapidly expanding EV line-up, we are bringing greater choice and innovation to every segment, powered by our strong design, engineering and manufacturing footprint in the region.
‘Together, this next generation of vehicles will accelerate our transition to zero-emission mobility.’
But with major financial losses hanging over the company’s head, Nissan isn’t putting all its eggs in an EV basket.
It will continue to cater for customers who want to stick with petrol power, confirming it will extend the output of the existing second-generation Juke hybrid until the end of the decade.
The decision to not sell the Juke exclusively with electric power – which mirrors moves made by rival legacy car makers – comes in responses to slower-than-expected EV sales across Europe and the risk that Nissan’s financial predicament could worsen.
Dimensions are yet to be announced, but it will be bigger than the Juke that’s currently in showrooms today
Concerned that EV sales aren’t accelerating as fast as predicted some 5 years earlier, Nissan will continue to offer the existing Juke hybrid – also made in Sunderland – alongside the new EV
How much range will the Nissan Juke EV have?
The Japanese firm is yet to disclose the specification of the 2027 Juke EV, but it will be powered by batteries supplied by the AECS UK gigafactory linked to the Sunderland car production site.
Batteries it currently provides for the Leaf include a 52kWh or 75kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt unit offering up to 386 miles of range between charges.
Given the Juke’s increased footprint, both batteries should be suitable for the crossover’s platform.
Charging speeds should also reflect those of the latest Nissan EVs. The Leaf’s battery pack, which tops out at 150kW, can be charged from 10 to 80 per cent using a DC device in around half an hour.
Like the Leaf, the Juke will be front-wheel driven, though the output of its electric motors will possibly be detuned compared to the maximum 215bhp of its larger sibling.
Production of the new electric Leaf SUV started in mid-December in a huge boost to the Japanese manufacturer’s massive car factory in the North East of England
Juke the latest bid to turnaround Nissan’s fortunes
Nissan earlier this year projected a 650billion yen ($4.2billion) net loss for the fiscal year ending March 2026, marking a second consecutive year in the red.
Losses are being driven by sluggish demand in the US and China – previously two of its biggest markets – as a result of increased tariffs.
Under new CEO Ivan Espinosa, the company has laid out a dramatic turnaround strategy that includes reducing its global manufacturing footprint and cutting its workforce by 15 per cent.
This too has triggered high restructuring costs in the last 12 months, with the car maker shuttering seven factories worldwide, cutting 20,000 global jobs and downgraded its production capacity by 30 per cent.
In January, Nissan UK confirmed it had made a pre-tax loss of £888million last year after it had written off the value of its manufacturing equipment while upgrading the Sunderland factory for EV production.
But it also received a £900million capital injection from Nissan Holdings (UK) Limited, to ‘strengthen the company’s balance sheet and return it to a positive net asset position’.
This investment is seen as a major sign of commitment for the Sunderland plant, which is now pivotal to turning around Nissan’s fortunes in Europe with production of Leaf and Juke rubberstamped beyond 2030.
The Juke EV is guaranteed to receive the Government’s £3,750 Electric Car Grant, which should pull its price close to £20k and make it competitive against cheap Chinese rivals
How much will the Nissan Juke EV cost?
Build trials of the Juke are scheduled to begin at Nissan Sunderland in the coming weeks, though full production won’t commence until early 2027.
Sales will then begin next spring.
Prices are yet to be confirmed, though it will need to nudge close to £20,000 if it is to attract the wave of new customers bosses have identified as it faces ongoing competition from cheaper Chinese rivals.
However, it does have one major advantage over newcomers from East Asian.
Because its batteries will be supplied from a UK gigafactory and production is solely in Sunderland, the Juke is guaranteed to receive the Government’s full Electric Car Grant discount of £3,750 – which the Leaf already gets – to help lower the cost for buyers.