Featured Nissan Sakura Is a Cute Electric Runabout for Japan, Priced under $14,000

Unlikely to come here - though it's the same width as my old Corolla (KE-10B).

 

We had a few back in the ''60s/70s - little Honda Z, also some Suzuki and Daihatsu - though we might have got a super-sized version.

Like the Jimny:

Kei version:


Export version:



Or after the after-market accessories have been added here:

 

Weren't some older Suzuki and maybe older Subaru actually Kei cars in Japan, at least the size-wise? But to meet the safety requirement of the US the car had to be redesigned and manufactured specifically for the US models?

At a $14000 price tag, I would buy it, especially if it gets a full $7500 tax credit. The 112 miles range is probably sufficient for me to use almost all of the in-town and around drives I do.

 

That range is on Japan's test cycle, which is more generous than NEDC. Best case, this will have the range of the first Leaf on EPA.

 

Even without a tax credit that looks like good value.

I couldn't quite replace one of my cars with that, but I'd be far more likely to take on a 3rd car at $14k than replace one of the other two at anything north of $30k.

 

Oh, I got one. The Smart Fortwo was definitely a kei size car. I think it was actually sold in Japan as a Kei car.

 

Japan sure has weird looking cars compared to other parts of the world... The most successful YouTuber of all time moved to Japan and he just got his license and papers and here's the first car he's rented for a month, a Honda... I agree with him that it's the ugliest car ever... Of course when in Japan...

If anyone has the specs on this Honda please let us know?

 

IMIEV was a Kei car in Japan but had a minor modification to enter our market

Japanese car actually went further in real life due to better frontal area

for $9999 you can get a Kandi k27 (Kei sized)

Sadly our gov has made them clamp on a governor

 

The iQ EV was my first thought.

They were marketing a neighborhood, low speed, EV version from the beginning. Sounds like the lack of the faster model not getting sold was because they were stubborn over air bag supplier.

 

Except for the 3000lb weight limit I’m uncertain why we couldn’t import any foreign EV under the NEV laws (aka Euro specific for example), more amusing is the fact my state overturned the “EV” aspect of NEV law so you could theoretically import any lightweight foreign car put on a limiter and license as nev

heck I could now import a LUPO 3L as an NEV, lol

“Marketing” indeed, all the preorders were for the highway variant because the NEV version (until recently) was more expensive after tax credit, a few of the full speed cars made it into the wilderness , the rest got the vins converted to NEV


IQ EV is the definition of compliance and does appear to be almost KEI compliant

 

Yep - 70 US miles if you're lucky, at medium temps. Pull a hill? ... on a 32°f / 0°C day? LOL. ~45 miles if you're lucky. But who wants to run ANY vehicle to zero. Most want to refuel BEFORE you get to just 45 miles. But - there's always room for a cheap golf cart with doors presumably.
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Chevy should have kept it going.

 

GM's orginial plane for the Spark EV was for nationwide availability. That was before the official updates to CAFE were announced, when the industry thought the import and domestic distinctions to car fleets were going away. That didn't happen. So the Spark EV ended up being sold in only four states.

 

Gearhead buddy at work bought a used one and loved loved loved it. He was shocked how much torque it had off the line.
His performance was what caused him to sign up for a model 3.

 

Yep, Sparkie has surprised many another car at a stoplight Grand Prix.

 

..... and yup - that's best case NOT running it's resistance heater on a snowy Frozen day in Japan.



But being a different Market in Japan, that may work ok for many in their congested areas.
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