Japan's Nissan is considering a rollout of hybrid cars that use its e-Power technology in South Africa as a way to help drivers move from petrol engines towards electric vehicles, a company executive said on Tuesday.
Low incomes and high import duties have long hampered manufacturers' efforts to sell more cars in Africa, with patchy power access and a lack of sufficient charging infrastructure posing additional hurdles for EV adoption on the continent.
Nissan has launched hybrids in Morocco, Egypt and Tunisia that run on the e-Power system, which the company thinks could also be popular among South African drivers.
"This is under study," Ramy Mohareb, communications head for Nissan Africa, told reporters, adding the company was evaluating factors such as customer demand and market readiness.
"Why we're saying it fits Africa is because you don't need the extensive infrastructure and battery cost is not as high as EVs. There is no range anxiety. We think this is the right technology to transition to full EVs in Africa."
Nissan's e-Power system is an electrified powertrain that combines a compact gasoline engine and an electric motor. It uses electricity generated by the engine to drive the vehicle solely with the electric battery.
Mohareb was speaking at the launch of Nissan's newer model X-Trail SUV and Magnite Kuro compact SUV.
Maciej Klenkiewicz, MD for Nissan South Africa, emphasised the company's commitment to the country amid a major global restructuring.
"Africa is in quite good shape. We are not shrinking. We're going to increase the portfolio," he said.
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