Success With Sakura, Nissan Plans To Launch Another Kei Car EV To Pursue Toyota And Honda

Nissan Sakura. (Doc. Nissan Global)

JAKARTA - In order to expand its electric vehicle, Nissan plans to present its own ultra-compact electric vehicle following the success of Sakura's model in the Japanese market.

Nissan said the kei car-type car would increase the profit margin under its local market competitors, Toyota and Honda.

The manufacturer based in Yokohama, Japan estimates that sales of the kei car EV will increase because the price is relatively cheap compared to ordinary cars and the dimensions are very suitable for short-term travel.

By presenting the production of light electric vehicles themselves, manufacturers hope to increase efficiency and reduce production costs. Nissan and Mitsubishi will continue to handle planning and development of EV cars through their joint venture, NMKV.

In addition, the manufacturer is considering moving production to the Kyushu plant starting in 2028. The facility can produce as many as 500,000 units of vehicles.

It is estimated that Nissan will use 80 percent of the factory's capacity in that period to build this Kei Car EV by diverting Rogue model production to other production lines.

Meanwhile, Nissan Sakura is the best-selling EV in Japan in 2023 with a share of 42 percent. Its sales have reached nearly 64,000 units since its introduction in 2022.

Models like Nissan Sakura and Mitsubishi eK X are quite helpful for sales of the EV segment in Japan, which previously took place slowly. Both have attractive prices worth 2 million yen or equivalent to IDR 211.8 million.

It has a small size, but Sakura has high popularity in the country of the sunrise. With a small size, it is very appropriate to break through narrow roads in various densely populated areas.