Nissan and Mitsubishi to launch all-electric “minivehicle”

A new all-electric “minivehicle” is coming in 2022, as part of a joint project between Japanese automakers Nissan and Mitsubishi.

Measuring under 3.4 metres long, 1.5 m wide and 1.7m high, the electric mini-vehicle will be smaller than a Nissan Leaf, a popular electric vehicle model in Australia. The Leaf is around 4.5 m long.

A Nissan spokeswoman told RenewEconomy that the all-electric minivehicle would be launched in Japan in 2022, “ahead of our competition.”

The minivehicle’s purchase price is expected to start at 2 million yen (around $A24,900).

According to Nissan, the minivehicle will have a battery capacity of 20kWh, with a large enough range to cover most daily transport needs. The vehicle’s battery will also be able to act as a mobile power source, or provide electricity to the home.

While Australians are increasingly opting for larger, more powerful vehicles, so-called “kei cars” or minivehicles are highly popular in Japan and make up more than a third of new car sales.

Around 1.72 million minivehicles were sold in Japan last year according to Statista. This compares to just under 800,000 total new vehicle sales in Australia according to the National Transport Commission. 

Japan plans to phase out petrol and diesel fuelled vehicles in the mid-2030s, with electric minicars expected to play a key role, according to a report by Nikkei Asia. 

By the early 2030s, Nissan aims to electrify 100 per cent of its new vehicles according to the Electric Vehicle Council’s recent State of Electric Vehicles report. Mitsubishi is committed to 50 per cent of its global sales being electric by 2030.

Nissan has been a pioneer in electric vehicles, having sold 500,000 Nissan Leafs globally. The Nissan Leaf is the fourth most popular electric vehicle in Australia, according to sales statistics from the National Transport Commission.