Nissan has announced that it will launch an all-electric supermini over the next few years which will succeed the Micra as the company's entry-level vehicle in Europe. The announcement came as part of the release of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance's roadmap outlining its future platform-sharing and electrification strategy.
Very little is currently known about the new model or when it will arrive, but Nissan says it will utilise the CMF B-EV platform, due to make its debut in 2024 and which, the Alliance says, will provide a battery range of around 400km as well as underpinning 250,000 compact cars per year from Renault, Nissan and other Alliance brands. The replacement for the Micra will, it is expected, share the platform with the upcoming Renault R5, a retro reimagining of the old Renault 5 supermini, as well as a hotter Alpine version of that same car.
Teaser images from Nissan show part of the front-end of the new model and it appears to feature friendly, rounded styling as well as a front headlight consisting of a large LED fibre-optic ring. The new car is set to be designed by Nissan but engineered and built by Renault at its ElectriCity EV plant in northern France.
According to Nissan's Chief Operating Officer, Ashwani Gupta:
"This all-new model will be designed by Nissan and engineered and manufactured by Renault using our new common platform, maximizing the use of our Alliance assets while maintaining its Nissan-ness."
"This is a great example," he said, "of the Alliance's 'smart differentiation' approach. Succeeding our iconic Micra, I am sure this new model will provide further excitement to our customers in Europe."
The Alliance is due to invest some €23 billion in electrification over the next five years as well as launching 35 new electric models by 2030, 90 per cent of which will be based on five platforms common to the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi group including the one on which the Micra successor will be based.
No further details of the Micra replacement are known at this time, however, though given that the CMF B-EV platform isn't scheduled to launch before 2024, the new model certainly won't arrive before then.