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.
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Definitely 💅 When that time comes, more people will get to enjoy what AutoTrader's Rory Reid called a "delightful" vehicle.
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