The Nissan Micra EV—same as the Renault 5 E-Tech—is a competent, comfortable, and cute electric hatchback selling in Europe.But since it’s smaller than a Leaf and more expensive, is it too small and too dear for US customers?European pricing starts at over $33,000.It’s easy to go to Europe, rent a car, and say, “They should sell this in the States! I’d buy one!”I had a Nissan Micra electric car, almost the exact same thing as the Renault 5 E-Tech electric car, a product of the whole Nissan/Renault/Whomever corporate tie-up. The cute little five-door hatchback was perfect for scooting around Paris. It was easy to drive, easy to park, and it offered 197 miles of range with its 40-kWh battery. It also offered 120 hp twisting through the front half-shafts from the single electric motor. It was fun! Spring for a more upscale Micra and you get 258 miles range from the 52-kWh battery and 148 hp.Micra is styled differently from the R5 above the beltline.The Micra is small, but not impossibly small. It’s the same width and height as the gasoline-powered Nissan Versa, but almost a foot shorter. The Versa sold here in the States for over 20 years, with sales peaking 11 years ago at 144,528. Its numbers trailed off from there but were recovering the last four years before Nissan killed the Versa last year to concentrate on crossovers, like every other manufacturer.And while we hear so many stories about the magical $12,000 Chinese electric cars supposedly floating around the global market, this wouldn’t be a $12,000 bargain. The nissan.fr website translates as, “List price for the range starting from €28,000.” That’s $33,081 as of yesterday’s exchange rate. There’s a monthly lease listed at €199, or $235, with about $2,000 due at signing. That’s more palatable.A reader helpfully pointed out the VAT, which adds to car prices in Europe: "If a new car is priced at €28,000 in France (including 20% VAT), the equivalent base price in the US, before accounting for shipping, import duties, or market-specific pricing differences, would be approximately €23,333, which converts to roughly $24,500 - $25,500 USD (depending on the exchange rate)." However, if there is a tarrif on the car, that could equal any VAT. So judging U.S. pricing for a theoretical import is tough to do with any degree of accuracy.Compare these Micra EV prices in Europe to a Nissan Leaf EV in the US. The Leaf starts at $31,485. There’s a lease deal on the Nissan website for $459 a month for 48 months with $3,889 due at signing. The Leaf’s a lot bigger, almost a foot and a half longer, with a lot more room inside. Nissan pulled the plug on a planned cheaper Leaf with a smaller battery for 2026.Maybe we don’t want really small cars here? Chevrolet snuffed out the Spark, and Hyundai dropped its Accent in 2022. Kia killed the Rio, and Mitsubishi made the Mirage disappear in 2024. But if people just drove the little Nissan Micra and/or Renault 5 E-Tech, they’d love them, I’m certain. But would they love them 30 grand’s worth? Discuss below.
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