Nissan Sakura Keeps the Crown as Japan’s Best Selling EV

Nissan's Sakura, a tiny electric "kei car" built for Japan's small-vehicle tax bracket, is getting a design refresh for 2026 while keeping its title as Japan's best-selling EV for a fourth straight year. The update brings mostly cosmetic and comfort changes: a new front-end look, a cherry-blossom pink paint option, relocated drive controls, an extra cup holder, and features like heated seats and steering wheel now standard on the mid-tier trim. The battery, motor, and range are unchanged.

The Sakura's real draw is its price. It starts around $15,400 before incentives, dropping to roughly $11,800 after Japan's national clean energy subsidies. Its 20 kilowatt-hour battery gives about 180 kilometers of range, modest by American standards but suited to short city commutes. It charges overnight at home in about eight hours, or to 80 percent in 40 minutes using DC fast charging. It also has vehicle-to-load capability, meaning it can power household devices or act as backup power during an outage.

None of this is sold in the US, so it won't show up in your driveway. But it matters as a signal: European regulators and automakers are reportedly studying the Sakura as a model for smaller, more affordable urban EVs, since most electric cars sold in the US and Europe are far larger and pricier. If that thinking spreads, it could eventually mean more compact, lower-cost EV options for buyers outside Japan, including features like bidirectional charging for home backup power.