Nissan Micra EV likely to gain a hot NISMO variant

Update: Introduction, ‘CMF-BEV’ and ‘Production’ section updated and ‘Nissan rules out ICE Micra successor’ section added.

In November 2021, Nissan announced that it plans to introduce 15 new EVs by the year 2030. The company did not release a list of models, but confirmed a Nissan Micra EV successor for Europe, riding on the Alliance’s CMF-BEV platform. Take a look at what we know about the Nissan Micra EV:

Confirmed in February 2022

Nissan COO Ashwani Gupta announced the Nissan Micra EV successor and released the first teaser at the Alliance digital conference on 27 January 2022:

We are moving to boost our compact vehicle line-up to drive our growth in the biggest segment in Europe with a breakthrough CMF-BEV platform. Introducing an all-new model that will replace our iconic Micra, here is the sneak preview of this eye-catching compact EV that will be on the road in the near future.

Ashwani Gupta, COO, Nissan (Alliance digital conference on 27 January 2022)

Alliance 2030

Nissan Micra EV front teaser
The Nissan Micra EV successor will share its platform with the Renault 5, though it should be the latter that launches first in early 2024. Image: Nissan

The Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance will invest EUR 23 billion (USD 26 billion) in the next five years to further accelerate their electrification strategy with a plan to have 35 new EVs in 2030 based on five common EV platforms. To that extent, Nissan announced that the CMF-BEV platform (revealed by Renault last year) will underpin the Micra EV and other compact EVs for the alliance.

The Alliance members have come up with a “smart differentiation” methodology that ensures the desired level of commonality for each product, but the design (which Nissan refers to as ‘upper body differentiation’) will take a ‘stricter’ approach to ensure the products between them do not look alike. For example, where the Renault 5 has squared edges, the Micra uses a curvaceous design.

Renault will lead development on a common centralized electrical and electronic architecture and is targeting to launch its first full software-defined vehicle by 2025. Nissan will continue to take charge of the development of solid-state batteries (ASSB), and share this tech with the other alliance partners too.

Platform

Nissan Micra EV rear teaser
The Nissan Micra EV’s design direction indicates a throwback to the third generation model which stood out with its curves and circular lights. Image: Nissan

Nissan says the CMF-BEV platform will be the “most competitive compact electrical platform in the world,” and is targeting its launch in 2024, indicating that is when the Nissan Micra EV successor will launch, too. According to Nissan, the platform will provide a range of up to 400 km with “outstanding” aerodynamic performances and a power consumption 10 per cent lower than the Renault Zoe. The CMF-BEV platform will reduce the cost of production by up to 33 per cent compared to the Zoe. Electric cars measuring 3.9-4.2 metres in length would be built on this base, and it would provide significant cost advantages as 60 per cent of the non-electric components come from the CMF-B.

We will have a battery pack that will allow at launch – that means 2024 – up to 400 km of range with the battery of a little bit more than 50 kilowatt (hour). It will also integrate an evolved electronic architecture and infotainment system.

Luca de Meo, CEO, Renault Group, answering a question about the CMF-BEV platform (Alliance digital conference held on 27 January 2022)

The CMF-BEV will be the base for 250,000 vehicles per year under Renault, Nissan, and Alpine brands. Today, we know that the Micra EV, Renault R5, Alpine R5, and the Renault 4 are the vehicles that are confirmed to use this platform starting in 2024. A future Mitsubishi mega city car could join the lineup at a later stage.

Features & Design

Apart from teasing the lights of the Micra EV and its overall silhouette (or a concept that could preview the production model), Nissan has not announced details or specifications of its entry-level EV in Europe. The headlight design, with individual LED modules, seems reminiscent of the third generation Micra which came in 2002, but overall, it does look very familiar to the nameplate.

Additionally, we note that the charging flap is placed on the front fender (port side), unlike the Leaf which charges through a port located above its grille and centered on the bonnet. The side profile shows off pull-type door handles for the front, and what appears to look like concealed handles for the rear doors in the pillar, which should be replaced with a practical design. The Nissan Micra EV also appears to get a ‘split roof’ design thanks to the C-pillar and extender in the body color. Aerodynamic wheel covers and a panoramic sunroof are other features we notice in the teaser video.

Additionally, the CMF-BEV platform’s packaging is expected to deliver a roomy cabin, which is already a trait on Nissan B segment ICE products; with similar dimensions, yet without the internal combustion components, CMF-BEV products could deliver class-leading interior room.

Manufacturing

Nissan also mentioned that the Micra EV will be designed by Nissan and engineered by Renault and will be made at one of the Renault ElectriCity facilities (Douai, Maubeuge, and Ruitz) in Northern France.

Nissan Micra EV Price & Release Date

The Nissan Micra EV is expected to premiere in the second half of 2024. Similar to the Renault 5, the price is expected at around EUR 25,000 in the European market. The Micra has a long history in the UK, and an RHD version should be developed concurrently for the British market.

Nissan Micra EV headlamp
The Nissan Micra EV should become the brand’s most affordable electric car in Europe, however, from the alliance, the Dacia Spring/Spring successor on the CMF A-EV platform will have a lower price point. Image: Nissan

An 80-100 kW single motor, FWD, and a circa 50 kWh battery pack offering a range of up to 400 km (249 miles) in the WLTP metric would be competitive specifications for the top-spec Nissan Micra EV successor. We don’t expect Nissan to adopt LFP cell chemistry to cut costs. Like Renault Group, it would rely on the more popular NMC cell chemistry across the product range. The CMF-BEV platform will support the Plug & Charge feature, making charging EVs very convenient for first-time EV buyers in the segment.

No petrol-powered Micra in the next generation

When asked whether the Micra successor will be available in an ICE variant at the Alliance digital conference, Ashwani Gupta suggested that the Nissan Micra successor will come only as an EV in Europe, and later, maybe even globally:

What exactly we want to offer to the customer is the parity with the ICE and with a better performance, and that’s why the Micra successor in Europe will be only Micra EV. Now, it’s too early for us to say, but of course this platform being so much competitive and as we are using CMF-B, two kind of specification on ICE platforms around the world, we would like to explore the opportunity to go for transition towards the battery electric around the world, but at first, we want to focus in Europe because that’s where we want to demonstrate the competitiveness of Nissan using the Alliance assets.

Ashwani Gupta, COO, Nissan (Alliance digital conference on 27 January 2022)

With the CMF-BEV platform, Nissan expects to achieve cost parity with ICE vehicles. If it succeeds, there would be no need to launch an ICE Micra in Europe which is transitioning quickly to electric vehicles.

Nissan Micra EV NISMO

Nissan is considering making NISMO versions of its electric cars, according to Top Gear. This would involve beefing up the cars to make them more performance-oriented. Guillaume Cartier, Nissan Europe chairman, confirmed that the brand was evaluating the possibility of creating NISMO versions of its electric models. The Micra electric could be one of the first cars to receive the NISMO treatment, alongside the Ariya.

Nissan’s NISMO treatment for the electric car won’t be a simple cosmetic upgrade, according to Cartier. It could be a close relative of alliance partner Renault’s Alpine R5. Based on the revised CMF-BEV platform, the Nissan Micra EV NISMO could offer around 200 hp and a 0-62 mph time in the 6-second range.

The official teasers in this story are screenshots that have been enhanced by EVW only to provide additional brightness to observe key details.