Latest news with #NissanSakura
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
This Tiny $7,000 Electric Car Is More Popular in Japan Than Toyota's EVs
PCMag editors select and review products independently. If you buy through affiliate links, we may earn commissions, which help support our testing. Japanese startup KG Motors is building a stylish, single-seat electric car for just $7,000, and has pre-sold 3,300 that it plans to deliver to customers by March 2027. That's more than the 2,000 EVs Toyota sold across Japan in all of 2024, according to Bloomberg. Called the "mibot," KG's car has a limited 62-mile range and a 37mph top speed. "The mibot is a small mobility robot packed with surprises and fun in its small body," KG Motors says on its website, as translated from Japanese. "It can navigate even narrow roads with ease, turning everyday short rides into special experiences." The tiny EV gets over-the-air tech updates, has air conditioning and a small trunk. It charges up in five hours on a standard 100V household outlet; no need for "special charging equipment." At $7,000, the mibot is about half the price of Japan's most popular EV, the Nissan Sakura. The brand is packed with personality; blog posts about vehicle development feature titles like "A slightly nerdy story about door design." In that one, designer Pokomichi discusses the challenges of designing a door that comfortably accommodates passengers, given the vehicle's small size. They also imagined the mibot fitting into a "parking lot that is sized for light vehicles," and the importance of sliding into a spot without the door crossing the lines when it's open. "Cars are simply too big," says KG Motors founder and CEO Kazunari Kusunoki. "Seeing so many big cars travelling Japan's narrow streets – that's where this all began for me." Japan has been slow to embrace EVs, but it has more hybrids than traditional gas-powered cars on the road. In 2023, hybrids made up of new car sales there, followed by 36% traditional gas cars. EV adoption is at just of new car sales, which is even lower than the US's 8% and far below the 20% + in China and Europe. Toyota's former president spoke out against converting to an all-electric lineup in 2022. A supposedly EV-friendly leadership changeup in 2023 hasn't gained much traction, although this month, Toyota launched new EVs. However, it still intends to invest in a variety of powertrains, including ramping up its plug-in hybrid sales in the US. "Toyota said EVs aren't the only solution and, because it's Toyota, Japanese people assume it must be true,' Kusunoki says. 'A large number of people in Japan seem to believe EVs won't become popular." Perhaps a cheap, small EV can carve out a unique place in the Japanese market. In the US, there are no similar options, and the market is full of huge SUVs. The Fiat 500e is small and fun to drive, but it's not cheap ($34,000 starting). Volkswagen is working on a $21,000 small EV for urban drivers, but it's only launching it in Europe due to lower demand in the US. The Renault 5 E-Tech is another new, small EV launch aimed at accelerating electric adoption in Europe. In China, automotive powerhouse BYD offers several small, affordable models and is working on a new one, Electrek reports.
Business Mayor
14-05-2025
- Automotive
- Business Mayor
BYD's electric 'K-Car' spied, targets Japan's iconic mini-vehicle segment
Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD is preparing to challenge Japan's tightly held mini-vehicle market with a bold new contender: a fully electric kei car engineered specifically for Japanese roads. Recently leaked spy photos reveal a compact prototype that is being tested. It features hallmark design elements like sliding rear doors and a dual A-pillar layout, indicating strict adherence to Japan's kei car regulations. Toyota Pixis Mega Kei cars , short for keijidōsha (light automobiles), are a uniquely Japanese category of ultra-compact vehicles. By law, they must not exceed 3.4 meters in length, 1.48 meters in width, and 2 meters in height, with engine output capped at 64 horsepower. These vehicles receive tax and parking benefits, making them ideal for urban drivers. Despite incentive cuts in 2014—including a 50% hike in kei car taxes—these vehicles still account for roughly 35% of Japan's auto market. Suzuki Hustler BYD's kei car would be the first ground-up electric model in this category developed by a foreign automaker. While Smart once adapted its ForTwo and Hyundai's Inster came close, neither was designed solely for Japan's kei standards. In contrast, BYD has developed an all-new platform with Japan in mind. Daihatsu Mira Cocoa Reports from China suggest the vehicle will feature a 20 kWh battery delivering 180 km WLTC range, 100 kW fast charging, and an efficient heat pump HVAC system. With an expected price of 2.5 million yan (17,700 USD), it will compete directly with the Nissan Sakura and Mitsubishi eK X EV—Japan's two leading electric kei cars. Both were launched in 2022 by the NMKV joint venture, featuring 20 kWh batteries and 47 kW motors. Read More Ford's first-quarter US auto sales rise 6.8% - WTAQ Mitsubishi EK Custom BYD plans to produce the model in China for export to Japan starting in late 2026 and aims for a 40% share of the electric kei market within a few years. Its push into this category follows modest success in Japan with the Dolphin and Seal EVs, which helped BYD reach over 2,200 vehicle sales in 2024. The company plans to expand its dealership network to 100 locations by 2025. Nissan Sakura Only Daihatsu, Honda, Suzuki, and the Nissan-Mitsubishi NMKV partnership build kei cars at scale, while Toyota, Mazda, and Subaru rely on rebadged models. BYD's entry would mark the first serious competition from outside Japan. Honda N-One Mugen 'Developing a proper kei car requires completely rethinking vehicle architecture,' said analyst Li Ming. 'BYD's move signals a deep commitment to the Japanese market.'
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Nontariff barriers in Japan? China's EV champ BYD didn't get the memo
Japan's penchant for pint-sized mini vehicles is sometimes cited as a nontariff barrier that keeps American and other foreign brands out of the market. So is that country's unique CHAdeMO electric vehicle charging standard. Yet, Asia's top Tesla rival plans to leap over Japan's purported import barriers by developing its own all-electric minicar expressly for export to Japan from China. The new Chinese mini vehicles will start landing in the second half of 2026, BYD Japan spokesman Hiroshi Ikehata said April 22. The vehicles will be based on a new platform specially designed to meet the market regulations for Japanese minis and be priced around the same level. BYD, the world's No. 9 auto group by registrations last year, will also engineer its mini EVs to be compatible with Japan's CHAdeMO charging system, a standard popular almost nowhere else. Read more: Live updates on tariff news and impacts Interactive map: Auto manufacturing sites in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico BYD's comments confirmed an earlier report in Japan's Nikkei business daily outlining the plans for a new mini EV. The company's flexibility toward Japan underscores the lengths to which the Chinese EV champion will go to penetrate new markets, even finicky ones such as Japan. And BYD's efforts could undercut the argument that Japan has thrown up unassailable barricades to foreign brands. The Trump administration has pointed to these nontariff barriers as a key reason for the U.S. imposition of a 25 percent duty on auto imports from Japan and other countries. Minis are a segment unique to Japan that gets special tax breaks compared with full-sized vehicles. Because they typically are more affordable, they account for about a third of Japanese auto sales. The cars must comply with size and powertrain restrictions, which add development costs that overseas automakers find hard to rationalize for such a limited market. Critics sometimes say this special class of vehicles creates a barrier because American companies and other international players don't even manufacture the vehicles. In Japan, they are known as 'kei' vehicles, taking the name from the Japanese word for light. Japan has a nascent market for all-electric mini vehicles, led by the Nissan Sakura and Mitsubishi eK X EV, which are manufactured by a joint venture. Last year, Honda started sales of an electric mini commercial vehicle called the N-VAN e, based on the N-Box mini. And Toyota, Suzuki and Daihatsu are partnering on their own electric minivan to launch this year. But the Japan market for all-electric minicars is really just starting to kick off. The U.S. Trade Representative's 2025 Foreign Trade Barriers report gives a country-by-country breakdown of what the Trump administration calls unfair trade practices. The report does not mention Japan's minicar segment by name, but among other Japanese automotive grievances large and small, it takes issue with Japan's EV charging network. Japan requires EVs to support CHAdeMO charging, the report says, even though that standard has been replaced almost everywhere overseas by other default protocols. 'This leaves Japan as an outlier on charging technology and disincentivizes foreign automakers and charging suppliers from operating in Japan by requiring outdated technology in order to receive the [local EV] subsidy,' the report says. Despite BYD's zeal to comply with Japanese standards and meet local consumer needs, the Chinese hopeful has so far met the fate of most international brands here: meager success. The global giant has been selling some of its regular EV nameplates in Japan since 2023. But last year, sales dropped some 25 percent to 2,383 vehicles. Ferrari, for comparison, sold 1,445. Indeed, international players in Japan generally find success at the rarified upper fringes of the price spectrum. But when it comes to mass-market brands, Chevrolet, Hyundai, Fiat and Volkswagen fight an uphill battle against a hometown team stacked with seven top-notch heavyweights: Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Mazda, Subaru, Mitsubishi and Suzuki. Hyundai, for example, may be a household name in most markets worldwide. But in Japan, the brand sold only 618 vehicles in 2024. Honda, in a perverse twist, emerged as the country's No. 2 importer last year, just behind Mercedes-Benz. It shipped in 45,107 vehicles from its overseas factories to sell at home, compared with the German luxury brand's 53,195. Foreign-brand imports account for less than 6 percent of total vehicle registrations in Japan, according to the Japan Automobile Importers Association. Little wonder Detroit brands have largely faded away. Ford quit Japan in 2016. Chrysler also gave up the next year. General Motors hangs on by a thread, selling niche cars such as Corvettes and Cadillacs. Jeep and Tesla are the only American brands seeing significant sales in the Land of the Rising Sun. But neither sold more than 10,000 in 2024. Yet, even among Japan's hard-pressed importers, some of U.S. President Donald Trump's claims against local practices are hard to swallow. Trump made waves recently when he falsely claimed that Japan regulators subject import cars to a 'bowling ball' test in which they drop one on the hood. One regional head of an international brand called that 'complete nonsense' while another former Japan chief of a Detroit make said 'Trump is becoming a laughingstock' among importers. The executives asked not to be identified for fear of retribution. Naoto Okamura contributed to this report. Have an opinion about this story? Tell us about it and we may publish it in print. Click here to submit a letter to the editor.
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
This all-electric Nissan has a ridiculously small size, and price tag that makes it one country's top-selling EV: 'Delightful'
The best-selling electric vehicle in Japan is a tiny, 11-foot long $15,000 city car: the Nissan Sakura, according to InsideEVs. As a stark contrast to the large and expensive best-selling EVs in America, the Sakura is a Kei — a Japanese term indicating a vehicle that meets strict power, size, and engine displacement rules. Kei vehicles must have their power capped at 63 horsepower and be no longer than 11 feet, 2 inches. The Sakura is a mere 4.8 feet wide and 5.4 feet tall. It's also very light, weighing in at just under 2,400 pounds. This tiny and affordable EV is a bestseller for good reason. With its $15,000 starting price and 15 color scheme options (including two-tone variations), this car offers an eco-friendly ride that's affordable and fun. Its 20.0-kilowatt-hour battery allows for 111 miles per charge but can recharge from 10% to 80% in just 20 minutes. Last year, according to Wards Auto, Nissan sold 37,140 Sakuras in Japan. Those customers are saving money on routine maintenance and fuel expenses in exchange for quieter engines and zero tailpipe pollution. For many, buying an EV is an easy choice, while others have some concerns about pollution created during the battery manufacturing and charging process as well as the mining needs for battery elements. While there is progress to be made, even cars with the dirtiest EV batteries are still cleaner than cars without a lithium-ion battery at all. To support the clean energy transition, we need to dig up about 30 million tons of minerals each year. However, roughly 16.5 billion tons of fossil fuels are dug up every single year, and that's what the clean energy transition is trying to replace. EVs are eco-friendly, and many, like the Sakura, are becoming more affordable than ever, allowing more customers to experience the benefits of electric cars. However, InsideEVs reported that Nissan has no plans to make the Sakura available outside of Japan. Do you think EVs are more stylish than gas cars? Definitely No way A few models are Most models are Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. When that time comes, more people will get to enjoy what AutoTrader's Rory Reid called a "delightful" vehicle. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
