Nissan Sakura Wins 2022-2023 Japan Automotive Of The 12 months Award & Kei Automotive Of The 12 months Award

The Japanese EV market has been fairly gradual in comparison with different markets resembling Europe and China. That is regardless of Nissan being the early chief out there when it produced a mass market electrical automobile, the Nissan Leaf. The Leaf was the primary electrical automobile to get to 500,000 gross sales. It took about 10 years to get there, which was fairly good for one of many early movers on this area. The Mitsubishi i-MiEV was one other in style automobile over a decade in the past. Nevertheless, a number of Japanese automakers centered on plug-less hybrids. This slowed down the expansion of plug in and battery-electric automobiles within the nation.

Nissan has not too long ago launched its lengthy awaited follow-up electrical automobile, the Nissan Ariya. The Ariya is an all-electric crossover automobile. The Ariya begins from round $48,000 in some markets. One other attention-grabbing Nissan EV launched in Japan this 12 months is the Nissan Sakura. The Sakura affords value-for-money and features as an entry-level EV within the mini automobile phase. The Kei-Automotive phase is big in Japan and its undoubtedly ripe for electrification en masse.

The Sakura has a 20 kWh battery and begins from about $14,000 in Japan. Nissan says the Sakura has vary of 120 km to 150 km for each day driving. This reasonably priced mini electrical automobile has already been nicely acquired in Japan. It has performed rather well to that time that Nissan at one time stopped taking orders for the Sakura in Japan as a result of unprecedented demand. Who stated there was no demand for EVs? In case you make them and promote them at respectable costs, individuals will purchase them!

In additional excellent news, the Nissan Sakura was not too long ago voted Japan’s Automotive of the 12 months for 2022-2023. It additionally received the Kei Automotive of the 12 months award. Nissan says, “Adopting Japan’s distinctive mini automobile classification, the Sakura is priced competitively for EV possession and can contribute to the unfold of EVs in Japan. As well as, combining a mini automobile with an EV not solely ensures mobility for many individuals, together with the aged. It additionally exhibits the potential for fixing societal points, in consideration of the anticipated lower within the variety of gasoline stations and public bus transport ensuing from carbon-neutral actions. Moreover, the jurors rated its dealing with and dynamic efficiency surpassing that of standard mini automobiles. The protection know-how was additionally nicely evaluated, with excessive marks given for its 360° Security Help (all-around driving help system), which offers driving help much like the extent of luxurious automobiles.”

We have now seen the unimaginable success mini EVs have had in China for the reason that Wuling Mini EV revolution. Japan’s Kei automobile market is a crucial market and will even have a huge impact on Africa’s EV market. Lots of people in African international locations depend on reasonably priced used automobiles from Japan. With out these, most wouldn’t afford to purchase a automobile. The expansion of EVs in Japan will even see a few of these discover their strategy to right-hand drive markets in Africa. Tens of hundreds of used automobiles are exported to African international locations each month. The gross sales channels and infrastructure are already nicely established to herald these used EVs to the continent.

Photos courtesy of Nissan

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