Nissan is currently in the initial stages of developing an electric city car specifically for the European market, in partnership with Renault. The new electric city car will be twinned with the upcoming Renault Twingo EV. This collaboration between Nissan and Renault’s Ampere EV division will see the development of an ‘A-segment’ EV based on the Ampr Small platform, which also underpins the upcoming Twingo, Renault 4, and 5 models.
During a televised address at Ampere’s ElectriCity production hub in northern France, Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida announced the company’s plans to re-enter the European city car segment after more than a decade. The new city car will utilize underpinnings supplied by Renault, marking a significant step in Nissan’s electric vehicle strategy for Europe.
Nissan is already gearing up to launch an electric successor to the Micra supermini on the Ampr Small platform, scheduled for release in 2025. Uchida expressed the importance of maintaining the positive momentum of the collaboration between the two companies by introducing a second model. While details about the new model are scarce, Uchida highlighted the benefits of collaborating with Ampere, including reduced development costs and timelines due to the use of a pre-developed platform.
Ampere’s development programs prioritize speed, with the Twingo going from conception to sign-off in just nine weeks. The goal is to have the Twingo in production within two years from that point, in order to keep up with the fast-paced development cycles of competitors in the Chinese market. Renault has committed to offering the Twingo at a price below £17,000, with impressive cruising efficiency and significantly reduced carbon emissions compared to traditional city cars.
Overall, the partnership between Nissan and Renault’s Ampere division is aimed at optimizing their market coverage in Europe and delivering innovative electric vehicles at the best time for consumers. The new electric city car is expected to contribute to the companies’ sustainability goals while offering a compelling option for urban drivers. Stay tuned for more updates on this exciting collaboration between Nissan and Renault in the electric vehicle space.
