While other companies like Audi, Tesla, and Fisker are taking the top down approach to electric cars by releasing heart pounding electric supercars initially, and then letting that technology trickle down to more modestly priced family cars eventually, Nissan has taken a decidedly more mundane approach by starting with a relatively affordable family car and expanding their electric portfolio from there.

So far Nissan has said that, in addition to the LEAF, they will be building an all-electric cargo truck, an electric luxury Infiniti, and some as-yet-unannounced smallish niche-type city car. Yet Nissan does have a pretty damn sexy supercar in their lineup as well — the GT-R — and if they eventually want to become the EV leader in all categories they must be thinking about turning the GT-R electric at some point. As it turns out, the thought has crossed their minds.

At the Australian launch of the 2010 GT-R, Nissan chief engineer, Kazutoshi Mizuno, was quoted as saying that the GT-R would eventually have its gasoline powertrain replaced with some kind of alternative fuel. Mizuno would not say specifically what type of alternative powertrain the GT-R might eventually have, he did hint that neither diesel nor ethanol are likely.

According to Mizuno, the modularity of the GT-R's construction lends it well to incorporating an electric motor into either a fully electric powertrain, or some kind of hybrid — plug-in or otherwise.

After my trip to Japan last week to test drive the Nissan LEAF, I can tell you there are plenty of car enthusiasts who would be more accepting of a Nissan electric drivetrain if it came in the form of a GT-R. Even so, I'm glad Nissan decided to first make a car that the average joe can afford and that a family can fit in rather than going for the gusto.

Source: The Motor Report