Nissan Sakura - The $14k kei car that sold out in Japan

[Sasquachulator]

Originally Posted by Irace86.2.0

I know you have HOV lanes in Calgary and Canada. If they are anything like the carpool/HOV lanes here then they are comparably empty during rush hour traffic. This indicates to me that most people are traveling in single occupancy vehicles.

The average occupancy per vehicle dropped from 1.87 in 1977 to 1.5 in 2019. Household size dropped from 3.4 to 2.6. Average American is 25lbs heavier than their 1960's counterparts. Average vehicle weight has gone up 800lbs since the 80's when cars got smaller and lighter than the steel behemoths in the 50's, 60's and 70's due to the gas crisis; before the 80's, vehicles weighed closer to what cars weigh today without the benefits of more powerful engines and lighter alloys/materials. Dimensionally, cars are far bigger today. If most Americans are driving by themselves or with one other person and carrying an extra 25 lbs on their frame, do we need 800 lbs of extra weight and larger dimensions to our vehicles? Probably not. Seems like many people could commute in a mini EV, as a primary commuter, and then they could have a single family vehicle for group traveling. Even if a quarter of cars on the road were mini, especially single seaters, the decrease in energy demand and road congestion would be significant.

https://css.umich.edu/publications/f...tion-factsheet
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/0...ds%20in%202002.

Maybe a special HOV lane for single seater EVs and motorcycles would boost sales. The Toyota Coms EV is a single seater, but if it had a radial flux motor and solid state or lithium ion (silicone) battery, the power and range would be more than adequate.

We don't really have any HOV lanes in Calgary, most HOV lanes that we do have were just one lane taken away from the road and are just converted for bus and bikes. Maybe in TO and Vancouver they have them (BC seems to be a more ecofriendly province). Plus the heart of Oil country here is all about bigass lifted trucks they're everywhere. Seems to be an unnecessary requirement to have here but I guess it goes hand in hand with the oil/gas sector. Charging infrastructure sucks here (its as if the province chooses to do the absolute bare minimum for charging infrastructure just so they can say we have it) but i am seeing more and more teslas nowadays.

Dont forget winter weather, i dont think a keicar is going to be very effective maneuvering in it (if you can even get anywhere without getting stuck).

If we had a kei car designation in Canada or the US, heck yeah i'd be all over that. But as it is without sweeping changes to a whole lot of stuff, they just dont work here without being exempted from everything.

[Irace86.2.0]

Originally Posted by Sasquachulator

We don't really have any HOV lanes in Calgary, most HOV lanes that we do have were just one lane taken away from the road and are just converted for bus and bikes. Maybe in TO and Vancouver they have them (BC seems to be a more ecofriendly province). Plus the heart of Oil country here is all about bigass lifted trucks they're everywhere. Seems to be an unnecessary requirement to have here but I guess it goes hand in hand with the oil/gas sector. Charging infrastructure sucks here (its as if the province chooses to do the absolute bare minimum for charging infrastructure just so they can say we have it) but i am seeing more and more teslas nowadays.

Dont forget winter weather, i dont think a keicar is going to be very effective maneuvering in it (if you can even get anywhere without getting stuck).

If we had a kei car designation in Canada or the US, heck yeah i'd be all over that. But as it is without sweeping changes to a whole lot of stuff, they just dont work here without being exempted from everything.

[Irace86.2.0]

Even more of a Kei car. No wonder Nissan sold out.

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by Irace86.2.0

Even more of a Kei car. No wonder Nissan sold out.

So basically a hardtop souped up golf cart that makes a smart look spacious. No thanks.

[Irace86.2.0]

Originally Posted by Dadhawk

So basically a hardtop souped up golf cart that makes a smart look spacious. No thanks.

Yeah that one wasn't a serious effort by Toyota like the guy mentions.

[soundman98]

Originally Posted by Irace86.2.0

If the Nissan Sakura was sold for $14k in the US and qualified for $7,500 in tax rebates like other EVs, so it was $6,500, you think these wouldn't sell in the 100k+/year? I would buy one in a second as a daily and as a backup when I'm working on my BRZ.

let's change the question.

according to sales data posted at goodcarbadcar,
https://www.goodcarbadcar.net/mitsub...es-usa-canada/

2014=16,708
2015=21,515
2016=22,226
2017=22,386
2018=24,316
2019=26,966
2020=19,135
2021=22,743
2022=15,814
2023=5,316

why didn't the mitsubishi mirage ever exceed 30,000 units per year?


but let's not forget that the current structure of the $7500 rebate program is in the form of an end-of-year tax credit, and does not carry a direct effect on a vehicles pricing.

[soundman98]

Originally Posted by Irace86.2.0

Jimny is sold in Mexico. Tell me you wouldn't want this beast to go off-roading?

this is the absolute worst trim spec to go off-roading in.

the tires are highway-rated, the low profile sidewall(for a truck) doesn't offer enough flexibility in the tire, and the body kit severely limits approach, breakover, and departure angles. i'd worry about tearing off those bumpers just tooling around town.

[Irace86.2.0]

Originally Posted by soundman98

let's change the question.

according to sales data posted at goodcarbadcar,
https://www.goodcarbadcar.net/mitsub...es-usa-canada/

2014=16,708
2015=21,515
2016=22,226
2017=22,386
2018=24,316
2019=26,966
2020=19,135
2021=22,743
2022=15,814
2023=5,316

why didn't the mitsubishi mirage ever exceed 30,000 units per year?


but let's not forget that the current structure of the $7500 rebate program is in the form of an end-of-year tax credit, and does not carry a direct effect on a vehicles pricing.

…But it does influence affordability and consumer demand.

The Mirage wasn’t a good value in its category, but it sold more than many vehicles despite its shortcomings.

Apparently the Nissan Sakura is a good value in its category. Maybe other EV kei/mini cars will be popular when at equally attractive prices. And they could be here. People could prefer to spend more or get used, but getting a new EV with decent range at such cheap prices might be compelling.

[Irace86.2.0]

Originally Posted by soundman98

this is the absolute worst trim spec to go off-roading in.

the tires are highway-rated, the low profile sidewall(for a truck) doesn't offer enough flexibility in the tire, and the body kit severely limits approach, breakover, and departure angles. i'd worry about tearing off those bumpers just tooling around town.

It could be fine. It doesn’t have to go bouldering.

[alex87f]

Originally Posted by Irace86.2.0

It could be fine. It doesn’t have to go bouldering.

The 1st gen Forester impressed me the most!

[Irace86.2.0]

[Irace86.2.0]

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by Irace86.2.0

City Transformer video

It's an interesting vehicle but it seem to me they went one step too far in its sizing and speed.

Would adding enough length to make it fully a two person vehicle been that bad for the design?

Making it's top speed enough so it could keep up with the top speed around cities been that bad? (many cities of speed limit areas above 50MPH, and certainly above 50kph).