The Nissan Kicks is an electric car that makes sense for Singapore

Singapore

NISSAN'S new car is for drivers who want to dip a toe into electric vehicle (EV) waters. The Kicks E-Power is a crossover that marries the running gear of an electric car with an on-board generator that happens to run on petrol.

The Kicks is the second car in Singapore with Nissan's E-Power setup, which uses an electric motor to drive the car.

By using petrol to generate electricity, the system gets around two problems: The need for expensive, heavy batteries and a place to charge them.

Nissan says converting petrol to electricity works better than having an engine power a car directly. Besides running quietly, electric motors offer seamless, instantaneous acceleration. The setup is also highly efficient.

"With Nissan's E-Power technology, drivers can enjoy the smoothness and refinement of electric drive, as well as impressive fuel economy of 4.6L/100km, all without the need for plug-in charging," said Glenn Tan, deputy chairman and managing director, Tan Chong International Limited, in a statement.

The Nissan distributor put the Kicks on sale here Wednesday with a launch price of S$99,888 inclusive of Certificate Of Entitlement. The price is similar to that of a comparable fossil fuel car, and lets drivers get their EV kicks without overpaying for the privilege.