Nissan, a longtime electric vehicle pioneer best known for launching the original Leaf, has quietly set a new global benchmark for fuel efficiency with its latest hybrid sedan. The new Nissan N6, developed in partnership with Chinese automaker Dongfeng, has officially broken the world record for fuel economy, while also hinting at a future where advanced self-driving technology could cost far less than Tesla’s Full Self-Driving package.
The N6 plug-in hybrid is Nissan’s first model built specifically for the local Chinese market under the jointly developed Tianyan Architecture of the Dongfeng Nissan Passenger Vehicle Company. This platform is designed for what China broadly calls “new energy vehicles,” a category that includes both electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids.
The record-breaking performance earned the N6 a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. Over a grueling 14,000 kilometer journey, roughly 8,750 miles, the sedan averaged just 2.9 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers. That translates to about 81 miles per gallon. The route included a wide range of terrain and weather conditions, making the achievement even more notable. The result was officially certified, cementing the N6 as the most fuel-efficient car ever tested under real-world driving conditions.
This impressive efficiency comes from a carefully tuned hybrid system that pairs one of the world’s most efficient gasoline engines with a 21 kWh LFP battery. The engine, developed by Dongfeng, boasts thermal efficiency exceeding 48 percent, a figure that would have seemed unrealistic not long ago. The battery supports fast charging, reaching full capacity in about 20 minutes, and allows the N6 to dip below 2 liters per 100 kilometers even in charge-sustaining mode. Nissan claims annual running costs of around $280, a figure that will certainly attract budget-conscious buyers.
Extended-range electric vehicles, or EREVs, have surged in popularity in China because they combine electric-only driving for daily use with a gasoline engine for long trips. Even tech companies like Xiaomi are signaling a move in this direction, underscoring how fast the segment is growing.
Beyond efficiency, Nissan is also making moves in autonomous driving. The company is an early investor in self-driving startup Wayve, whose vision-only approach has drawn praise from Nvidia’s Jensen Huang. Nissan plans to launch vehicles with ProPilot self-driving powered by Wayve technology in 2027 and says the system will cost about $4,000, roughly half the price of Tesla’s FSD.
As competition intensifies, lower prices and wider adoption of advanced driver assistance could make safer roads a reality. More details on the N6 can be found in Nissan’s official release.