Nissan goes EV-only in Europe as it debuts wild 20-23 hot hatch concept

Apparently, Nissan aims to come out swinging as it makes a full-fledged return to the EV landscape by eliminating all of its petrol-powered models by 2030 and switching to exclusively electric drive trains for all new model releases going forward. At the same time, Nissan has unveiled a new all-electric concept car that looks like it was ripped straight out of a videogame — for better or worse. 

Nissan's hot hatch concept is little more than a styling exercise to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Nissan Design Europe. The sporty hatchback concept takes inspiration from Nissan's Formula E team and appears to be based on a previously-teased electric Micra successor that is expected to share a platform with the upcoming Renault 5 EV.

The Concept 20-23 is supposed to be a track-oriented compact hatchback. As such, it features aggressive styling thanks to a wide body with flared wheel arches and a healthy helping of aerofoil to help redirect air where it should and shouldn't be. The design is sure to be at least somewhat controversial, but hot hatch fans are sure to be thrilled that another manufacturer is joining in on the electric fun.

As for Nissan's electrification plans, the company plans to go completely electric by 2030, and will no longer be adding any new petrol- or diesel-powered models to its line-up in Europe. That's not to say existing models won't still be sold, though. By 2030, Nissan aims to introduce 19 new EVs and eight new electrified — read: hybrid — models to expand its electric line-up.

“EVs powered by renewables are key to us achieving carbon neutrality, which is central to our Ambition 2030 vision. Nissan will make the switch to full electric by 2030 in Europe - we believe it is the right thing to do for our business, our customers and for the planet.” — Makoto Uchida, Nissan President and CEO.

Nissan was more or less an industry leader in the EV space, releasing the Nissan Leaf even before Tesla unveiled its first EV, but it has since lost its first-mover advantage due to a stagnating electric line-up. That's not to say Nissan was sitting on its haunches entirely. The Leaf has seen a few updates over the years, and the company has since launched the compact Nissan Ariya, which features a rather attractive e-4ORCE dual-motor AWD model.

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