Skip to main content

Shanghai Auto Show: Nissan’s Chinese brand, VENUCIA, unveils new EV concept

Venucia Viwa
Image used with permission by copyright holder

When automakers put out a press release for a new vehicle, concept or not, in the U.S. and Europe, it often reads like a short story complete with a narrative and some facts interspersed along the way.

The press release for the new Nissan China-only VENUCIA Viwa EV concept is rather short and reads more like a car salesman’s notes with bullet points, including “Reliable; Practical; Efficient; Accessible,” but says little about the car itself. This lack of detail makes us a bit suspicious.

Nissan, like many other global automakers eager to hit the expanding Chinese market, has created a new brand offshoot – VENUCIA – for the burgeoning market. Along with it, it’ll have distinctive new models like this Viwa EV concept.

VENUCIA says the Viwa follows the direction of the new Chinese energy vehicle policy but virtually nothing of vehicle specs.

“VENUCIA unveiled its first-ever mass-produced EV, the e30, at the China (Guangzhou) International Automobile Exhibition last November,” according to the press release. “Along with its zero emission vehicles, VENUCIA also displayed the MY2013 D50 (Sedan) and R50 (Hatchback). Compared to its predecessors, the new models offer improved fuel economy of 6.0 liters per 100 kilometers [62 miles on 1.5 gallons] through engine refinement and the addition of a rear spoiler.”

Impressively, the VENUCIA brand has already sold over 70,000 cars since its launch in spring of last year.

While we don’t know much of the brand or its products now, we suspect we won’t have to wait long to learn more. With sales figures like that from an all-new brand, more is sure to come from VENUCIA – and fast.

Editors' Recommendations

Nick Jaynes
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Nick Jaynes is the Automotive Editor for Digital Trends. He developed a passion for writing about cars working his way…
Tesla’s fix for faulty Cybertruck pedal is simpler than you might think
Tesla Cybertruck

Less than five months after handing over the first Cybertrucks to customers, Tesla has had to recall the electric pickup to fix an issue with the accelerator.

In a notice issued on Friday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said that the recall impacts Cybertruck vehicles manufactured from November 13, 2023, to April 4, 2024. This suggests that all -- or almost all -- of the 3,878 Cybertrucks being recalled are those that have been manufactured to date.

Read more
Ford Mustang Mach-E 2024 vs. Mach-E 2023: What’s new in Ford’s electric Mustang?
Blue Ford Mustang Mach-E on a rooftop

The Ford Mustang Mach-E is easily one of the best EVs for the price, offering a solid range, sleek design, and pretty good tech on the inside. In recent years, it has gotten even cheaper -- thanks in large part to a price war between it and the Tesla Model 3. And, the company just took the wraps off of the latest and greatest version of the Mach-E, labeled as the 2024 model.

The 2024 Mustang Mach-E is notably different from the 2023 iteration in some meaningful ways. So much so that we decided to take a look at the two head-to-head -- to see if it was better to pay for the 2024 model or save some cash on any remaining 2023 stock.
Design
The Mustang Mach-E looks relatively unique -- in a good way. And thankfully, Ford has largely kept the overall design the same for the 2024 model, at least when it comes to the more consumer-focused models. The car retains the slatted taillights and crossover size. It also offers a large selection of colors, including the very blue Grabber Blue Metallic, as well as Rapid Red Metallic. It's a good selection of colors, and there should be an option for most buyers.

Read more
Tesla to begin production on new, more affordable models
Tesla Model 3

With competition increasing from Chinese and other automakers, Tesla boss Elon Musk revealed on Tuesday that his company is planning to begin production of new, more affordable models in “early 2025, if not late this year.” Notably, that's earlier than the previously stated date of late 2025, though whether Musk actually succeeds in meeting the earlier production time frame is another question entirely.

The news came as Tesla released its latest quarterly figures. Revenue for the electric vehicle maker came in at $21.3 billion, down from the $23.3 billion it reported for the same three-month period a year earlier and also down from the $25.2 billion reported in the previous quarter. Profit reached $1.1 billion, marking a 55% fall compared to the same period a year ago.

Read more