Look around the world and the largest cities face the same problems no matter the country: space is at a premium and access to high-power fast-charging stations is limited at best.
Applying that logic, the very small four-passenger Nissan Sakura EV seems to be the perfect formula for a daily driver in Seoul, London and Amsterdam – all cities that have been the focus Level 2 road chargers located close to where people live, complemented by some fast charging stations at key junctions.
The game-changer from a low-infrastructure American perspective: The Sakura has a 20 kWh battery – lithium-ion chemistry and liquid-cooled. Nissan claims a quick charge time of 40 minutes to 80%, but with its 3.5kW onboard charger a full charge at 240 volts could be achieved in under 5 hours.
Heck, on a standard 15 amp 120 volt garage outlet in the US, plugging the Sakura in overnight is probably enough to charge the Sakura or at least close to full. And that’s good for a range of 180 kilometers in the global WLTP cycle.
Japan is struggling with the same charging access issues. And given the reality of charging, it’s not so surprising that the Sakura is the best-selling electric car in the country.
2024 Nissan Sakura EV – Tokyo
“That’s one of the reasons why Sakura is so successful – because you don’t need a high-power charger to charge at home,” said Pierre Loing, vice president of product strategy and planning at Nissan, during a question-and-answer session at the auto show weeks ago in Tokyo.
Driving the Sakura during the show, Green Car Reports noted that the Sakura served as a reminder that small urban electric vehicles make a lot of sense on our side of the ocean, too—if only America would give them another model a chance.
The Sakura, which launched about a year ago, brings Nissan’s EV expertise from the Nissan Leaf and more recently the Ariya to the Japanese kei car Mold. Kei cars are steeped in regulations – they prioritize passenger space in the smallest space and offer buyers various tax and fee benefits for driving a vehicle that takes up less space.
Kei cars tend to cost less, and the Sakura is no exception. It starts at the equivalent of about $15,000, and the fully equipped version I drove still ended up under $20,000.
2024 Nissan Sakura EV – Tokyo
2024 Nissan Sakura EV – Tokyo
2024 Nissan Sakura EV – Tokyo
Measuring just 133.7 inches long, 58.1 inches wide and 65.2 inches high, with a 98.2-inch wheelbase, the Sakura has a shape that’s about as foreign to Americans as that of the Cybertruck. To get there, start with van-like dimensions, significantly reduced in size, but keep the height as high as modern crossovers while being much narrower.
To put it in perspective, height aside, the Sakura is about 10 inches shorter than the two two-door models 2013-2019 Fiat 500e the previous generation or the closest all-electric offering for the US market – this 2013-2016 Chevrolet Spark EV. While the Spark EV is long gone, a gasoline version of the Spark was sold in the US market until 2022, and a 2024 Fiat 500e That’s about the same length and will be available soon, starting at $34,095.
The Sakura features front-wheel drive with a permanent magnet electric motor that delivers 63 hp and 144 lb-ft of torque. It rides on a three-link setup at the front, rear with ventilated disc brakes at the front and drum brakes at the rear.
2024 Nissan Sakura EV – Tokyo
2024 Nissan Sakura EV – Tokyo
2024 Nissan Sakura EV – Tokyo
From the driver’s seat, the interface feels very familiar, with the choice of D (drive), B (more regenerative braking) and an E-Pedal mode (lots more regenerative braking). I was surprised and pleased to find amenities like comfortable, supportive seat cushions, heated seats, a heated steering wheel, and automatic climate control. There’s even a version of Nissan’s ProPilot driving assistance system. Yes, this is a world away from the no-frills Ford Festiva I once drove (just 7 inches longer than the Sakura).
It’s what’s inside that borders on the miraculous. Somehow the Sakura can accommodate four adults, with easy entry and exit. I felt much more comfortable in the backseat of the Sakura than I did in the backseat of a Chevy Tahoe the following week.
And with a height of 1.80 meters, I am far from the typical Japanese proportions, but I was still able to sit comfortably behind someone.
2024 Nissan Sakura EV – Tokyo
If you’ve never driven a kei car before, the feel of the rack and pinion steering system and how it contributes to the driving experience here might be your first surprise. Its gearing is long and precise, giving the car a confident feel that at first glance belies fears that it’s big and tipsy. But the Sakura’s low battery mass adds to this, and the steering tuning and package give a particularly low-profile impression that’s definitely different from other gas-powered kei cars I’ve driven.
Just thinking about the powertrain, the Sakura feels a lot like the first-generation Leaf behind the wheel (trust me, we still have one in the house). It doesn’t have the low-speed performance of the current Leaf, and even the most powerful E-Pedal mode is a little more restrained, but long throttle travel gives you plenty of control, while the brake mix is better than that of many other luxury brand models.
Bodywide, there’s not much lift, squat and dive as we car testers say, although a quick right-left-right maneuver was enough to tell you there’s a lot of softness and body roll during abrupt maneuvers – and thin 155/65R14- Tires – to eliminate this possibility. The top speed is limited to 81 mph, but on my inner-city loop between traffic lights in a business district, I didn’t get much past 40 mph.
2024 Nissan Sakura EV – Tokyo
After getting out and standing back, it occurred to me that the Sakura’s tires and 2,376-pound curb weight make it what Americans often drove as a compact car in the 1980s and 1990s – albeit with a larger contact patch.
Can Americans overcome their prejudices – and our very different security concerns? If we can get past the focus on oversized electric pickups and gigantic three-row electric SUVs, we might find that keeping electric vehicles charged for daily driving would be a lot easier if we just found a way to look for them a little smaller .
