New Nissan Micra EV: latest details and exclusive image of the Renault 5’s sister car
The Micra will return with all-electric power and feature distinctive styling cues together with a low price
Nissan will soon launch five new all-electric vehicles and heading up the revised range will be the all-new Nissan Micra. Due to be unveiled in full later on this year, the electric Micra has already been teased by Nissan ahead of its entry into the rapidly growing all-electric supermini sector.
Although Nissan hasn’t confirmed the Micra name will be utilised for its entry-level EV, it appears the Japanese brand will keep its strongest nameplates for this new electric car range with the Nissan Juke gaining electrification and the Nissan Leaf transitioning into a crossover. So it’s likely that the Nissan Micra will also continue.
The Micra will have plenty of tough competition when it arrives with the likes of the Vauxhall Corsa Electric, Peugeot E-208 and MINI Electric already on the market plus new rivals in the shape of the Volkswagen ID.2 and Cupra Raval. The closest equivalent will be the Renault 5, however, because the two cars will share the same underpinnings thanks to Nissan and Renault’s ‘Alliance’ partnership.
How much range will the Nissan Micra have?
Previously known as CMF-B EV architecture, the new AmpR Small Platform in the Renault features a 52kWh battery for a range of up to 249 miles and we expect similar for the similarly-sized Nissan - especially given that the two will be built by Renault’s Ampere subsidiary.
A smaller 40kWh battery could be made available for the Micra, which may allow for a range of around 186 miles, but with a cost saving. Technical details on the Micra have yet to be revealed, but we suspect the Renault 5’s multi-link rear axle will feature on the Nissan due to battery packaging reasons. The switch to electrification confirms that the outgoing fifth-generation Micra will be the last to be offered with an internal-combustion engine.
What do we know about the interior and exterior design?
Nissan’s official images of the car feature a rounder design language, more in line with the new Nissan Ariya than the angular Renault 5 with which the Micra will share its architecture. Our exclusive image gives an idea of how the new model will look.
The costs involved in developing small combustion-engined cars for upcoming proposed Euro 7 emissions regulations look set to make them harder than ever to make money on, with Skoda boss Thomas Schafer pointing out recently that the price of one of the Micra’s key rivals, the Fabia, could rise by as much as £5,000 if the most stringent EU7 proposals are adopted.
Speaking to Auto Express back in 2021, Nissan’s European boss Guillaume Cartier hinted that the firm could make a Micra successor.
“The core business today and tomorrow is crossover - Juke, Qashaqi, X-Trail, Ariya, and the new car that we’ve spoken about [the Leaf-replacing crossover EV],” he said. “That’s already five cars. Then for each car we have to make sure that we have the depth - enough powertrains to match the volumes we have. We want to make sure that this core, in terms of volume per model, is increasing.” Since then, Auto Express has learned the first of these new all-electric vehicles will be the Micra.
The Renault-Nissan Alliance claims that the AmpR platform’s overall cost of manufacturing is 30 per cent lower than that of the electric version of the CMF-B that underpinned the Zoe - which ended production in March 2024. This means that small cars based on this tech can reach near price parity with combustion-engined superminis.
Click here for our list of the best small electric cars...
