Nissan Hypermini Overview: Generations and Buying Guide
The Nissan Hypermini is a mini-class electric city car built from 1999 to 2001, offered in a single 34 hp automatic RWD version.
The Nissan Hypermini is a mini-class electric city car produced from 1999 to 2001, with every version rated at 34 hp. It suits drivers who need a compact, simple urban runabout with an automatic transmission and rear-wheel drive, and collectors interested in an early production electric vehicle from Nissan.
Nissan Hypermini generations
1 generation (1999–2001)
The first and only generation of the Nissan Hypermini was built from 1999 to 2001 in a single mini body style. The lineup contains exactly one modification: the Nissan Hypermini AT, an electric version producing 34 hp, paired with an automatic transmission and rear-wheel drive. With one body, one gearbox, one drivetrain layout and one power output, this generation is as uniform as a model range gets — there are no trim-level power differences or alternative drivetrain options to compare.
The electric powertrain defines the character of the car. The Nissan Hypermini AT (1 generation) delivers its 34 hp through the rear wheels, and the automatic transmission means there is no clutch or manual shifting to deal with in city traffic. The 1999–2001 production window places the Hypermini among the earlier purpose-built electric minicars, well before mass-market electric vehicles became common.
Which Nissan Hypermini to buy
- AT (1 generation): the only modification offered, with 34 hp, an automatic transmission and rear-wheel drive, produced across the full 1999–2001 run.
Buying used is straightforward in one sense: with a single generation and a single 34 hp version, there is no risk of picking the wrong specification — every Nissan Hypermini on the market is mechanically the same variant. The short 1999–2001 production period does mean all examples are of similar age, so the choice between cars comes down to individual condition rather than model year or trim.
Summary
The Nissan Hypermini range is a one-version story: a mini electric car, 1999–2001, 34 hp, automatic, rear-wheel drive. The Nissan Hypermini AT (1 generation) is simultaneously the entry point and the top of the range, which makes the buying decision unusually simple. Since the power range runs from 34 hp to 34 hp, there is no dominated version to avoid and no performance ladder to climb — the search is entirely about finding a well-kept example of the single modification Nissan built.