While SUV and crossovers might remain the most popular body style for electric vehicles in many markets, there’s still clearly an appetite for smaller and more affordable EVs. Suzuki is the latest manufacturer to enter the small EV segment, this week unveiling the Suzuki e-Sky, which has been built around Japan’s strict ‘kei’ registrations for vehicle length and drive power. With a length of just under 3.4 metres, it’ll become one of the shortest four-door EVs on sale, dwarfing the length of other small options such as the 3.8 metre Hyundai Inster.
Suzuki e-Sky could come to Europe as a ultra-small, ultra-affordable EV
The Suzuki e-Sky goes on sale in Japan later this year, entering a kei car market so far dominated by fuel-efficient models with sub-660cc petrol engines. That focus on efficiency makes the segment ripe for electrification, yet only a handful of mini EVs meet Japan’s stringent kei regulations, including the Nissan Sakura, Mitsubishi eK X EV, and Honda N-ONE e. Suzuki see the e-Sky’s appeal reaching well beyond Japan too, with the car reportedly due in European markets such as the UK and Italy from 2027.
When it arrives in the UK, prices for the e-Sky are set to start at under £20,000, which will firmly position it as one of the cheapest electric cars on the market. At this price, it’ll have a number of competitors, including the Renault Twingo, BYD Dolphin Surf, Honda Super-N, and more.
Suzuki says the e-Sky will manage 310 kilometres (193 miles) on a single charge, which for a car of this size is respectable. However, as these are just estimates from Suzuki’s prototype for now, it remains to be seen how that figure will differ on the WLTP cycle, particularly when out of the city at higher speeds. That range comes from a tiny 26kWh battery, which helps keep the car’s weight down to a featherweight 1,030 kilograms. That small battery size also means a recharge to 80% can take as little as 30 minutes, despite the car’s maximum fast charging speed of just 50kW.
