Nissan’s new solar-powered mini-EV can drive 3,000 km a year without ever plugging in
Published on Oct 22, 2025 at 3:12 PM (UTC+4)
by Alessandro Renesis
Last updated on Oct 22, 2025 at 8:09 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
Nissan just announced a solar-powered EV based on the Nissan Sakura for this year’s Japan Mobility Show.
Built using the super popular kei car as a platform, the solar-powered Sakura promises ‘free’ motoring thanks to its solar panels.
In theory, you can drive it for a year without ever plugging it in.
In practice, there’s an inevitable catch.
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Set to be unveiled to the public at the 2025 Japan Mobility Show, the solar-powered Nissan Sakura looks basically the same as the ‘normal’ Sakura kei car, apart from the massive extendable solar panels on the roof.
These panels are used to power the electric engine, and, theoretically, this makes the vehicle self-sufficient.
As long as you keep it parked in the sun, you can drive it for an entire year without ever needing to charge it manually.
The only problem is that this system only guarantees around 3,000KM (1,860 miles) of range a year.
At this point we have to break out our calculator and conclude that this works out to around 8 kilometers (4.9 miles) a day, which is not great.
The solar-powered Sakura is designed for (short) daily commutes, but that’s about it.
So if you live in, say, Culver City and work in Beverly Hills – about five miles away – then this car is ideal for you.
Solar-powered cars haven’t really caught on, but that might be changing
Solar-powered cars aren’t really catching on.
We’ve seen several different prototypes over the years, but none of those made it to production.
With one exception: the Aptera.
The Aptera was first announced as a concept car in 2023, and then the company began testing a working prototype about a year later.
They’ve been testing the electric vehicle on grueling road trips, including in the desert, with excellent results.
With 50,000 pre-orders under its belt, Aptera is gearing up to launch a full-fledge production vehicle soon.
Alessandro is an automotive journalist with 10 years of experience covering supercars, automotive history, emerging vehicle technology, and luxury transportation. He wrote the first article published on SupercarBlondie.com when the website launched in 2022 and has since built a reputation for insightful reporting across the automotive and transportation industries. His expertise is grounded in hands-on experience. Alessandro has driven every Tesla model ever produced, from the original Roadster to the Cybertruck, and regularly covers the latest developments in electric vehicles and automotive innovation. His passion for transportation extends beyond cars, he has even flown a Boeing 787 Dreamliner simulator in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. His reporting spans everything from classic American muscle cars and rare automotive discoveries to luxury yachts, private aircraft, high-end watches, and cutting-edge vehicle technology. Known for his deep knowledge of automotive history and ability to uncover the stories behind iconic vehicles, Alessandro brings readers a blend of historical context, technical expertise, and first-hand experience.
