Interview Nissan: “With Silence, we reach new target audience”
Silence S04
The Silence S04 is produced by Silence, a subsidiary of ACCIONA – pronounced “aksionia” – which focuses on electric micromobility. The Silence brand was founded about 20 years ago by Carlos Sotelo. “Since then we have already been able to realize 150 battery stations, more than 20 of which are in Madrid and 20 in Barcelona. Users can easily change the batteries of our vehicles – which are the same for every vehicle – themselves at our battery changing stations,” stated Sotelo. The top executive continues: “These battery changing stations use the 230V network. The construction of new stations is therefore extremely quick to implement.”
Silence previously had its own distribution partners, but it did not like that model. “Differences of opinion, let’s call it that,” Sotelo says. The partnership with Nissan is a better match, according to the top executive.
Gareth Dunsmore
Gareth Dunsmore, Nissan AMIEO eMicro Mobility Managing Director, is responsible for rolling out Silence across Nissan’s network. “Silence is currently active in Spain, but Silence has also been rolled out on a larger scale in countries such as France, Germany and Italy. We used the first six to nine months to get to know each other. In January 2025, we actually started selling and distributing the Silence S04. Since then, Silence has sold more than 800 units of the Silence S04 through 116 dealers. These vehicles have been purchased by six hundred new customers for Nissan,” Dunsmore said.
Says Dunsmore, “The reason for our partnership with Silence is to create a new stream of revenue, reach a new audience and stay ahead in the automotive industry. Partnering with Silence also provides us with a more sustainable future, a wider range of electric vehicles and a stronger dealer network.”
BaaS model
Expansion of the dealer network is already planned. The Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Denmark, Norway, the United Kingdom, Turkey, Poland, Greece and Ireland will all be added to Silence’s network by 2025.
A key asset for Silence is its BaaS model, which stands for Battery As a Service. That means you don’t buy a vehicle’s battery, but have it on loan for a fee. You then pay a fee each month. Silence is betting on 22.50 euros a month for three charging cycles or 33.40 euros for six charging cycles. Each additional charging cycle you take off costs 6 euros, including tax.
“With BaaS, we can keep the cost of the vehicle lower. For the basic version of the S04 L6e, we are aiming for a starting price of 8,990 euros. For the S01+ L3e scooter it is 5,670 euros, followed by 4,770 euros for the S01 L3e. With battery purchase, you have to think of about 1,000 extra. So buying two batteries will cost you about 2,000 euros,” said Dunsmore.
Prices Silence
Prices will soon range in the Netherlands from about 10,000 to about 16,500 euros. Those prices include the batteries. The Battery ass a Service option will probably only be rolled out in the Netherlands during 2026. Until then, you can only purchase the vehicle including batteries.
Safety
The Silence S04 has no systems like ABS or ESP. Dunsmore: “That’s not necessary in this segment. It is not a car, but it is much safer than a motorcycle. The vehicle is safe enough for urban driving. Additional safety features will be considered, but they should not interfere with the price. For maintenance of the S04, you will soon be able to visit Nissan dealers. Private leasing is also coming. We will come back to that later in 2025.”
