The $15,000 EV Is Here and It’s Cute. But Only in Japan for Now

“What Nissan and Mitsubishi are doing, this is the way it should be,” said Takeshi Miyao, an analyst at automotive consultancy Carnorama, referring to their carmaking alliance that also includes Renault SA and has been strained in recent years. “This technology is going to be beneficial for the alliance.”

As Japan’s government pushes for the country to go net-zero emission by 2050, the kei-car segment has been highlighted as one that’s especially difficult to electrify. Industry officials have warned adding batteries to kei cars could push their prices out of traditional buyers’ reach.

The cost of buying kei EVs should eventually fall to less than 1.5 million yen ($11,700), according to Miyao. Nissan and Mitsubishi’s joint models get quite close. After subsidies, both cars start at around 1.8 million yen. While that’s on the expensive side for the category, Japanese automakers have been nudging prices higher in recent years as they’ve added more features and safety technology.
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Nissan and Mitsubishi will be first out of the gate. The reception of their kei EVs will give some indication of how other automakers will fare in the age of the electrified minicar, Carnorama’s Miyao said.

2022年5月20日 17:36 Bloomberg Newsより抜粋