YOKOHAMA, Japan (Jan. 10, 2019) – The Nissan Note was Japan’s best-selling car in 2018 as customers embraced its innovative e-POWER electrified powertrain, which also helped make the Nissan Serena the most popular minivan.

Nissan sold 136,324 Note compact cars in Japan in the year that ended Dec. 31, topping registered vehicle sales rankings. The rankings exclude minivehicles and foreign brands.

The e-POWER system’s popularity helped the Note become the first Nissan model ever to take the full-year sales crown. About 70% of Note customers opted for the system.

Nissan has sold more than 200,000 Nissan Note cars with e-POWER since introducing the technology in Japan in November 2016. The system features an electric drivetrain with a battery that’s charged by a gasoline engine. Because the wheels are driven solely by an electric motor, e-POWER models offer the same smooth, instant acceleration and agile performance as a pure electric vehicle. The gasoline engine, used only to charge the battery, runs at an optimal speed at all times for maximum fuel efficiency.

The e-POWER system has been available in the Serena since March 2018. Nissan sold 99,865 Serenas in 2018, making it Japan’s No. 1 minivan.

“Nissan’s technologies are giving our customers a safer, more enjoyable and more convenient driving experience,” said Nissan Senior Vice President Asako Hoshino. “You can expect even more to come.”

Note: Domestic new car sales figures are based on research by the Japan Automobile Dealers Association. Minivans are defined as domestically made vehicles for more than six passengers.