Nissan, Mitsubishi plan electric vehicle venture

Nissan and Mitsubishi are jointly developing a super-small, all-electric car, which could hit showroom floors as early as 2018.

Japanese media, quoting company sources, are reporting that once Nissan flexes its controlling stake in the embattled Mitsubishi later this year, the two will work far more closely.

Both manufacturers already sell EVs, but Nissan’s Leaf has been far more successful globally than the awkardly-named i-MiEV. Even in Japan the Nissan has destroyed the Mitsubishi in terms of sales, with Leaf selling over 12,000 in 2015, the i-MiEV just 490.

The new model will be sold by both companies and reports indicate that it will be build at Mitsubishi’s specialised Mizushima plant in Kurashki.

Mitsubishi hit the EV market with a mass-market ready production line already in place, and Nissan is expected to make significant savings on R&D.