It’s no secret that Nissan is pushing for further electrification. Whether it’s through full battery power or its innovative e-Power system, the Japanese automaker has been making a lot of noise with its powertrain systems.
While the lineup is solid in Japan, it’s not quite the same case in Southeast Asia. Only the Kicks e-Power is the model sold in most countries in the region. At the same time, it’s the only one made in ASEAN.
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That might soon change, however. In Thailand, it has been reported that Nissan might be allocating greater resources in building more hybrid vehicles. It wasn’t mentioned what kind, but given that this is Nissan we’re talking about, it could likely be e-Power models.
A likely reason for the move is to take advantage of the tax incentives recently introduced by that Thai government. The tax cuts aim to promote hybrid and electric vehicle production in the country.
Moreover, newly-minted Nissan Thailand president Toshihiro Fujiki said there will be more hybrid models to be built at the Samut Prakan facility down the line. "We will launch five car models between 2025 and 2027 and are considering which models will be made in Thailand," said the president.
So, aside from the Kicks e-Power, what other electrified models could be built there. Well, Nissan isn’t mention anything yet, but the Serena recently made its regional premiere in Indonesia. Those units come from Japan, but given Nissan Thailand’s interest in building more electrified vehicles, the Serena seems to be the likeliest candidate.
Either way, it will be interesting to see if Nissan does strengthen its electrified vehicle production portfolio. As for us, we’re more than welcome to see more e-Power models make its way to our shores.
