TOKYO; Suzuki Motor Corp. announced Tuesday that it will launch the e-Sky, a mini passenger electric vehicle (EV), on November 16, with a starting price, including tax, of ¥2.12 million, making it the cheapest mini EV currently available in Japan.
This marks Suzuki’s first foray into the mini passenger EV market. With a fully charged range of 310 kilometres — the longest among Japanese mini cars — it delivers an efficiency of 11.92 kilometres per kilowatt-hour.
Taking advantage of government subsidies, the effective purchase price is expected to start at approximately ¥1.55 million, making it more than ¥300,000 cheaper than Nissan Motor Corp.’s Sakura mini EV.
Suzuki aims to sell 1,000 units per month.
Although the automaker held the top spot in the domestic mini car market last year with a 34% share, it has fallen behind other manufacturers in the EV sector.
Headline changes: “Japan’s cheapest mini EV” is more direct and immediately tells international readers where the vehicle will be sold. “Launch” and “in November” are retained because they clearly convey the key news, while removing “available” makes the headline more natural. - Japan Now/ANN
