The next Nissan Micra will be electric

Nissan's next Micra will be electric-only. It launches in 2024 and is closely related to the new Renault 5. It will be built in the same plant in France.

Nissan even showed some teaser images today. They show a car with the rounded forms of some old-generation Micras, but it hardly seems retro. It has a contrast roof, cute circular lights, and pronounced shoulders at the back like the Z and Juke.

It will have a range of '400km' or 250 miles WLTP. That's from a battery of 'just over' 50kWh.

But aren't electric small cars expensive? Nissan and partner Renault argue not. The 5 and Micra will use a new electric platform called CMF-B EV already being developed by Renault. The two companies say it will have similar prices to petrol superminis. Without subsidies. Mind you, with new emission controls petrol cars will get more expensive to meet EVs.

Nissan's COO Ashwani Gupta says "we need to create customer pull" for EVs. In other words, not just cars that legislation or taxes force people to buy. The electric cars need to be desirable. "The goal is to have parity on price with ICEs but better performance," he adds.

Renault and Nissan already sold a million electric cars between them, and know how to get battery cost down. Besides, the new platform is designed specially for EVs, so it shares some parts with the bigger electric Megane and Ariya and next Leaf, but has a cheaper type of battery chemistry.

It uses the Megane/Ariya's Google-based connected system. It shares with the Clio and current Micra suspension parts and seats and so on, saving more cost.

It's also got excellent aerodynamics, the companies claim.

All of which makes the new 5 and Micra a third cheaper to build and 10 per cent more efficient to drive than the Zoe.

The electric Micra will be Nissan's supermini for Europe, and it will be electric only. Elsewhere in the world there will be petrol and PHEV small Nissans.