Nissan studies hybrid and CNG market in India, no immediate launch plans

Japanese automaker Nissan is studying customer trends related to various powertrains, like hybrid and CNG, in India but has no immediate plans to launch cars with these technologies, Frank Torres, president, Nissan India Operations, said on Friday.

Torres also holds the position of divisional vice-president for business transformation in AMIEO (Africa, Middle East, India, Europe, Oceania) region.

Sales of hybrid and CNG cars have surged in India in recent months, while electric car sales have seen a decline. However, Torres, speaking to reporters after the launch of the Nissan Magnite facelift, expressed optimism about the long-term prospects of the electric vehicle (EV) market in India.

The Magnite facelift has a starting price of Rs 5.99 lakh (ex-showroom). 

Nissan previously announced that it is going to launch an "affordable" EV by 2026. In addition to the affordable EV, the company will also launch two internal combustion engine-run SUVs by 2026. Currently, Nissan sells two models in India -- Magnite and X-trail. Its total car sales in the April-August period went down by 10 per cent year-on-year to 10,974 units.

He stated that the government's forecast of EVs comprising 25 per cent total car sales by 2030 is ‘aggressive’, and the company ‘will monitor this’ growth trend. 

"Our experience in Europe is that to grow from two per cent to 25 per cent in some of the countries took more than 15 years. We are sure that it will be much faster in India," he stated.

He also referred to CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency) norms in India that regulate the average fuel efficiency of a carmaker's fleet to reduce fossil fuel consumption and carbon emissions.

"It is true that there are new rules that the government is putting in place in terms of emission, and we must respect this. And the EV, of course, will help. In terms of powertrain, we are contemplating other powertrains. We still don't have any plans to introduce them, but we are studying our product trends. The key point is the time and the size of the market for that technology has to be right to introduce that product," Torres noted.

He also mentioned that it is important that any product that is launched in India also has a strong export potential. "There have to be enough volumes to justify the scale of investment in that product," he explained.