Nissan Micra Successor Will Be an EV

• Nissan reveals teaser video previewing battery-electric successor to Nissan Micra hatchback.

• The hatch will be based on Renault Nissan's CMF B-EV platform, which will be shared with the Renault 5 hatch and offer up to 248 miles of range.

• The successor to the Micra will be designed by Nissan but engineered and built by Renault in France, at the new ElectriCity hub.

The Nissan Micra may not be model seen too often on US roads, having been sporadically offered in Canada over the past 35 years while playing the role of Nissan's smallest offering in North America. The Micra is now due for a redesign soon with the latest generation having debuted five years ago, and the new model is expected to be EV-only.

Nissan has revealed a short teaser video previewing a sub-compact hatchback with round headlights and taillights, while also indicating that the model will receive a different name when it arrives in the metal.

The new model is slated to be based on the CMF B-EV platform, shared with Renault, with the French automaker expected to use the platform for its own model, which will be the spiritual successor to the Renault 5 that was very well received in concept form just a couple of years ago. The successor to the Micra will be designed by Nissan but engineered by Renault in France and built there as well, at Renault's new ElectriCity manufacturing hub that has combined and repurposed several existing sites.

"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," said Nissan Chief Operating Officer Ashwani Gupta.

"This is a great example 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," Gupta added.

The teaser video revealed the profile of a small four door with minimal overhangs and a contrasting black roof. The large, ring-shaped daytime running lights will be LEDs of course, while the taillights will also feature a similar ring shape. The headlights themselves, meanwhile, are likely to be narrow rectangular pixel units bisecting the LED rings, as the teaser image below suggests.

When it comes to range, Nissan indicated that the Micra successor's platform will be designed for up to 248 miles of range.

Overall, the CMF B-EV platform is slated to underpin 250,000 vehicles a year under the Nissan, Renault and Alpine brands. Curiously enough, Mitsubishi models are not slated to receive this platform per Nissan's announcement this week, so it's likely that Nissan has some other plans for what is now effectively its junior brand.

We expect the Micra to debut in Europe 2024, but it remains to be seen whether Nissan will be brave enough to offer this car in Canada or the US. Volkswagen has certainly shied away from offering the ID.3 hatchback stateside, despite its popularity in Europe, and small cars overall have not done especially well in the US over the past decade. But when it comes to price points the Micra is expected to be positioned below the Leaf, and could offer some competition to the likes of the Mini Cooper SE Electric. The EV market of 2024 is difficult to predict even now, so there could be demand for a small electric hatch positioned below the Leaf in North America.

The announcement of a Micra successor was part of Renault, Nissan, and Mitsubishi's Alliance 2030 strategy that will see 35 new electric models debut by 2030.