For the first time, a light car type EV = electric car was selected as the best car by car critics from the new cars announced in Japan in the past year.

"Japan Car of the Year" is selected by automobile critics based on a comprehensive evaluation of the concept, design, performance, etc. of the car, and is the 43rd time this year.



As a result of the selection process, the mini-car-sized EVs “Sakura” and “eK Cross EV” jointly developed by Nissan Motor and Mitsubishi Motors were selected.



According to the committee that selected it, the EV of the mini vehicle was highly evaluated for adopting the standard of the mini vehicle and making it a realistic vehicle price, which increased the possibility of the spread of EV in Japan. This is the first time I have received an award.



This year, in addition to overseas manufacturers such as Mercedes-Benz, domestic manufacturers such as Toyota Motor and Subaru also released EVs one after another.



According to research firm MarkLines, the number of EVs sold in Japan from January to October this year, excluding Tesla, was 2.8 times more than the same period last year, reaching more than 39,000 units. to a record high.



Next year, the Chinese manufacturer BYD will also introduce new passenger cars to the Japanese market, and other companies are planning to introduce new models, so the EV sales competition is likely to intensify.