Japan's top-selling electric vehicle is not a Tesla, but a budget-friendly minicar.

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【Summary】Nissan's Sakura, a $13,000 minicar jointly developed with Mitsubishi Motors, is the best-selling EV in Japan, capturing half of all EV sales. It suits Japanese people's everyday needs and road conditions.

FutureCar Staff Oct 23, 2023 11:14 PM PT

Japan's top-selling electric vehicle is not a Tesla, but a budget-friendly minicar.

Japanese automakers and car buyers have gained a reputation for being slow to adopt electric vehicles (EVs). However, there is one unlikely domestic winner that provides insight into how EVs can be tailored to different markets.

Nissan Motor's Sakura, introduced last year, is the best-selling EV in Japan in 2022. It was jointly developed with Mitsubishi Motors, which sells it as the eK X. These models have not only won Japan's Car of the Year award but also account for approximately half of all EV sales in the country. According to data compiled by Bloomberg, 35,099 units have been sold so far this year.

In an interview, Keiko Kondo, Nissan's chief marketing manager for Sakura's domestic business, explained the rationale behind the success of the Sakura. She stated, "We launched a 'kei' EV as it suits Japanese people's everyday needs and road conditions here."