The export version will be based on the Vision e-Sky, due for launch in Japan this November as Suzuki's first electric kei passenger car.

Suzuki Motor plans to introduce an electric kei-class minicar to Europe by 2027 at the earliest, competing against local and Chinese EV makers, according to Nikkei Asia.

The export version will be based on the Vision e-Sky, due for launch in Japan this November as Suzuki's first electric kei passenger car.

Manufacturing is set for a plant in Shizuoka prefecture, southwest of Tokyo.

Potential launch markets in Europe include the UK and Italy.

Suzuki has not yet confirmed pricing or exact timing for the European model.

Still, the UK price is expected to stay under 20,000 pounds, positioning it among the most affordable electric vehicles on the continent and similar to Renault's Twingo city EV.

The e-Sky should deliver a range of 310km, with tweaks to suit European rules and road conditions.

Batteries will come from a supplier connected to Chinese automaker BYD.

If realized, this would mark the first kei car export to Europe since the 1990s with only minor changes from the Japanese version, last seen with limited Cappuccino convertible shipments.

Suzuki introduced the Cappuccino kei sports car in the UK in 1993, selling about 1,200 units over two years before tougher emissions rules and higher costs led to its withdrawal in 1995.

The effort follows the European Union's creation of a new vehicle category in 2025, drawing from Japan's kei car approach with subsidies and relaxed rules for small electric vehicles made in the EU.

This class permits vehicles up to 4.2m long, beyond standard kei limits.

Because the model will be built outside the EU, it will likely miss out on those incentives.

Suzuki's European sales fell 15 percent to 187,000 units in the year ending March.

The firm aims to bolster its European presence by entering the growing electric vehicle segment, with potential success opening doors in other small-car markets like Southeast Asia.

Data from the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association showed battery electric passenger vehicle sales across 31 European countries rose 35 percent year-over-year in the first half of the year.

This was the first time such sales topped petrol vehicle sales over six months, accounting for 22 percent of all new vehicle sales.

In a separate move, Suzuki Motor said in June it would expand marketing in Africa, seeking about 20 percent growth to reach 150,000 units by fiscal year 2030.