The new electric vehicle, developed by Ampère, will mark Nissan’s return to the European city car segment after more than a decade

Ampere, the electric vehicle division of the Renault group, held a presentation in France, marking one year since its creation with some intriguing announcements. In the foreground: the development of a new A-segment electric vehicle for Nissan, which will be closely aligned with the next Twingo from Renault. In other words, Nissan is returning to the European small car market, but this time it’s electric.

According to Ampère, Nissan tasked them with “exploring the development of its next A-segment electric vehicle,” with the aim of leveraging Ampere’s focus on “cost reduction roadmap and reduced development time” . The target? An affordable electric vehicle that doesn’t skimp on what customers expect in terms of performance or features.

More: The 2026 Nissan Leaf spied with the look of the Mini-Ariya SUV coupe

The new entry-level Nissan will ride on the AmpR Small platform. The same architecture underpins the Renault 4 E-Tech crossover, Renault 5 E-Tech supermini and Alpine A290 hot hatchback. It should also serve as the basis for the Nissan Micra in 2025, and the Renault Twingo in 2026.

Makoto Uchida, Nissan CEO, has confirmed the brand’s intention to re-enter the A segment in Europe, more than a decade after the discontinuation of the Nissan Pixo. This largely forgotten city car was based on the Suzuki Alto and remained on sale between 2009 and 2013.

As Autocar reports, talks between Ampere and Nissan are still in their early stages. Nevertheless, Nissan’s CEO promised that the new electric vehicle “will offer the convenience and advanced features that customers enjoy, but in a small size and at an attractive, affordable price.”

Uchida added that the all-electric successor to the Nissan Micra (B-segment) supermini hatchback is on track for launch next year, making it clear that the urban electric vehicle will be a different model. The Micra was previewed last year by the sporty Nissan Concept 20-23following a bunch of revealing 2022 teasers.

More electric vehicles coming

Ampere acknowledged the recent slowdown in electric vehicles, but pledged to “accelerate to catch up with the leaders and widen the gap with its peers in Europe”. The company estimates that the electric vehicle market will grow at around 25% annually over the next five years and wants to take advantage of this growth.

Currently, Ampere manufactures the Renault 5 E-Tech, 4 E-Tech, Megane E-Tech and Scenic E-Tech in France, but a number of electric vehicles are expected to debut in the coming years.

In 2025, Alpine will present the production version of the A390 sport fastback. Nissan will introduce the Micra supermini and the new generation Leaf compact crossover. Mitsubishi has also confirmed an as-yet-unnamed compact electric SUV based on the Renault Scenic E-Tech.

In 2026, Renault will present the production version of the new Twingo. Ampere will also start production of the first LCV based on the FlexEVan platform.

More: Mitsubishi presents two new Renault-based SUVs, which will be launched in Europe in 2025

More importantly, Ampere will introduce the next generation of compact electric vehicles in 2028. These will bring greater efficiency and sustainability, as well as a 40% cost reduction compared to current models. THE Concept Renault Emblem FCEV which debuted in Paris earlier this month serves as a preview of things to come.

2028 is also the target year for the “next technological leap” in battery chemistry. Ampère’s new cobalt-free batteries are expected to combine the density of NCM (nickel, manganese, cobalt) with the cost and safety of LFP (lithium, iron, phosphate), while charging in less than 15 minutes.

Finally, Ampere announced the launch of a dedicated entity called Advanced China Development Center. A new team in China will work “very closely” with local partners, aiming to reduce development times for future electric vehicles. Last June, Renault confirmed they will collaborate with a Chinese engineering partner for the development of the new Twingo, following the failure of negotiations with the VW group.