Renault And Nissan's First EVs For India: Details Out
Renault has confirmed its intention to launch its first electric vehicle in India in the coming years and Nissan is expected to follow suit. It will be based on the recently unveiled Bridger concept. The production-spec Bridger, expected to arrive next year, will initially be offered with a 1.2L turbocharged petrol and strong hybrid engines. Later, an all-electric version will also be introduced. This BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle) version will likely become the carmaker’s first EV here.
Renault first unveiled the Bridger as a concept in March this year. It previewed a sub-four metre SUV that would arrive in a year’s time. The concept attracted a lot of attention with its tall, upright stance and SUV-like design.
In the ‘FutuReady’ event organized in Chennai recently, Mr. Stephane Deblaise, the new CEO of Renault India, gave out more details of the company’s intentions with the Bridger and the powertrains that are to be expected. The session confirmed that the production-spec Bridger will be made available in all-electric form as well.
Underpinning the Bridger is the carmaker’s new-age RGMP (Renault Global Modular Platform) Small. This is a multi-energy architecture that can support a wide variety of powertrains and fuel options. That essentially means that the internal combustion, hybrid and electric versions of the Bridger will all be based on the same platform.
The RGMP also has an advanced electrical and electronics architecture that gives it more connected and software-driven abilities. The electronics backbone, called the Software Electric & Electronic Technology (SWEET 400), was co-developed with Google. Like the new Duster, the production-spec Bridger will also likely have built-in Google integration.
Details of the electric powertrain remain unclear at the moment. We expect the production-spec Bridger EV to come with two battery packs- 35kWh and 55kWh. If so, the SUV could have an ARAI-range of around 500 km per charge- real-world figures could stand in the ballpark of 350km per charge. It will likely feature a 400-volt architecture that supports DC fast charging and could even come with V2L (Vehicle-to-Load) charging capabilities.
Despite its sub-four-metre length, the Bridger is said to come with a 400-litre boot. Plus, it will have a ground clearance of 200mm. The EV version is expected to arrive in early 2028.
Sometime later, we expect Nissan to introduce its own badge-engineered version of the Bridger EV. Changes here, will most likely be limited to cosmetic tweaks. The underlying platform, EV architecture, battery sizes, and powertrains are expected to remain the same as those of the Renault counterpart. The power and torque figures and range figures are also expected to remain comparable, if not the same.
When launched, the Bridger EV and its Nissan counterpart will enter a highly competitive segment. They will face severe competition from the Tatas- the Nexon.EV and Punch.EV. Mahindra XUV 3XO EV and Citroen eC3 will also be potential rivals.
Renault and Nissan seem to be going by a very familiar playbook- developing an interesting product and offering it with a slew of powertrains. This multi-powertrain approach is something we have seen Tata Motors perfect over the years with the Nexon and Punch nameplates.
If implemented correctly, the Bridger and its Nissan counterpart (both the internal combustion version and the EV) could turn out to be one of the most important launches in the revised India strategies of Renault and Nissan. They could help these manufacturers rack up volumes quickly.