Nissan will begin delivering the zero-emission Leaf at the end of the year and plans to begin mass production in 2012, planning for a capacity of 500,000 cars in Europe, Japan, and the U.S.A. Nissan is going to be the only relevant player in this game. Note the use of teh word relevant, because as Mitsubishi is planning a similar vehicle, they are not preparing for the level of production that Nissan is.

“Let’s be serious. It’s not because someone is coming with a prototype and one car that this is competition. The question is how much capacity are you building.” one Nissan exec said about the situation.

Nissan is already reporting 56,000 orders for the vehicle in the United States, and they plan to start taking orders soon in Japan and Europe. The French government has shown interest in 100,000 of the vehicles so far.

Nissan predicts that in ten years, 10% of the global auto-market will be fully-electric. Currently, there are 3,000 electric vehicles on U.S. roads out of a total of 200 million vehicles.

As it stands now, Nissan is essentially a non-player in the hybrid and eco-conscious markets, having only one borrowed hybrid drivetrain from the Toyota Camry hybrid for its Altima sedan. But Carlos Ghosn has a tangible plan and product planned to help change the face of Nissan across the global markets – especially in the U.S. where having eco-alternatives is essentially a requirement for success.

“What I am sure is that in 2011, I am going to be the only one on the market,” Ghosn said, regarding a pure EV with mass production capability.

“Frankly, I mean so far there is no competition,” Ghosn told a group of reporters at the Geneva Auto Show Wednesday. “Let’s be serious. It’s not because someone is coming with a prototype and one car that this is competition. The question is how much capacity are you building.”

Ghosn said Nissan will become the only major player to be responding to demand on any scale, with Mitsubishi’s figures being much smaller. Ghosn also cited that only 3,000 or so of the 200,000 million cars currently on the road in the U.S. are electric vehicles, and he believes that will change to 10 percent, globally, in 10 years.

Nissan’s Leaf, its first in-house electric vehicle of any kind, will begin production at the end of 2010, and should enter large-scale mass production by 2012. Nissan has planned capacity of 500,000 annual units of its Leaf between the U.S. market, Europe and Japan. Ghosn said that it has already accumulated 56,000 orders in the U.S. alone – with public ordering to begin in Europe and Japan soon.

In Europe, the French government has already ordered 100,000 battery-powered cars, and the start-up Better Place has ordered another 100,000 to be delivered over several years. Better Place plans to allow users to swap in freshly charged batteries at a network of stations in Israel and Denmark.

“The numbers are big,” Ghosn said. Ghosn also went on to explain that Nissan won’t make further investment into additional capacity for Leaf production until it can gauge market reaction. Ghosn also suggested that some of the otherwise unsustainable high-cost jobs in Europe may be savable with Leaf production.

Ghosn also briefly answered questions regarding the possibility that the automaker may be in talks with other automakers, namely Daimler, in regards to possible platform and technology sharing, but stopped short of confirming the talks. “The name of the game is scale and co-investment and sharing technologies. There are a lot of talks and we don’t communicate before we reach agreement because sometimes these talks collapse,” said Ghosn.

GM has taken a long time to bring a strong hybrid offering to market, and recently chairman Bob Lutz made it clear that the company’s decision to pursue hybrid cars is bittersweet. The 2010 Chevy Volt is a popular topic, made obvious by the amount of buzz streaming across the Internet and its already extensive waiting lists of orders.

With all of the positive publicity why then is Lutz down on hybrids? He says that GM loses money on many of its hybrids and will continue to do so in the intermediate future. Marring the future of hybrids further he also predicted that they will own a small piece of the overall car market, at 10% or less over the next 10 years!

That’s a cynical viewpoint, but perhaps based on some realistic experience. Lutz later said “for the next 10 years, that’s the way we see it! That would would be over 1.2 million units per year; at today’s price premium for plug-ins, that’s even an optimistic estimate, I think,” according to GM-Volt.

He also clarified later that he was referencing PHEV hybrids like the 2010 Chevy Volt and all electric vehicles like the Nissan LEAF. It seems that government requirements are driving a lot of GM’s research in hybrid vehicles, which wouldn’t be surprising considering how much money the company accepted in loans from the United States republic.

GM may also be benefiting from Toyota’s recent battle with defective gas petals which created mass recalls and destroyed part of its bubble of perfection. Where consumers once considered Toyota the only viable source of hybrid cars with its Prius model, they now may be considering competitors more seriously.

Exact pricing on the Chevy Volt isn’t available yet but it’s expected to be around $40,000 with about $7,000 in tax credits. They will likely be in production by the end of November 2010 but most of those will be snapped up quickly so realistically an average consumer may not have a chance to get one until 2012.

Source : taintedgreen.com

NISSAN UNVEILS “LEAF” – THE WORLD’S
FIRST ELECTRIC CAR DESIGNED FOR AFFORDABILITY
AND REAL-WORLD REQUIREMENTS
Event ushers in a new era for Nissan and a new era for mobility

YOKOHAMA, (Aug. 2, 2009) – Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. today unveiled Nissan LEAF, the world’s first affordable, zero-emission car. Designed specifically for a lithium-ion battery-powered chassis, Nissan LEAF is a medium-size hatchback that comfortably seats five adults and has a range of more than 160km (100 miles) to satisfy real-world consumer requirements.

NISSAN LEAF
Slated for launch in late 2010 in Japan, the United States, and Europe, Nissan LEAF ushers in a new era of mobility – the zero-emission era. The car is the embodiment of Nissan’s radical, transformative vision for the future and the culmination of decades of investment and research.

“Nissan LEAF is a tremendous accomplishment – one in which all Nissan employees can take great pride,” said Nissan President and CEO Carlos Ghosn. “We have been working tirelessly to make this day a reality – the unveiling of a real-world car that has zero – not simply reduced – emissions. It’s the first step in what is sure to be an exciting journey – for people all over the world, for Nissan and for the industry.”

Key characteristics of the LEAF include:

1) Zero-emission power train and platform
2) Affordable pricing
3) Distinctive design
4) Real-world range autonomy – 160km (100 miles)
5) Connected Mobility: Advanced intelligent transportation (IT) system

The “LEAF” name is a significant statement about the car itself. Just as leaves purify the air in nature, so Nissan LEAF purifies mobility by taking emissions out of the driving experience. Pricing details will be announced closer to start of sales in late 2010; however, the company expects the car to be competitively priced in the range of a well-equipped C-segment vehicle. Additionally, Nissan LEAF is expected to qualify for an array of significant local, regional and national tax breaks and incentives in markets around the world. As an added benefit, because the vehicle has less mechanical complexity than a traditional gasoline-powered car, Nissan LEAF is designed to be friendly to the wallet as well as to the environment.

ZERO-EMISSION MOBILITY
Nissan LEAF is powered by laminated compact lithium-ion batteries, which generate power output of over 90kW, while its electric motor delivers 80kW/280Nm. This ensures a highly responsive, fun-to-drive experience that is in keeping with what consumers have come to expect from traditional, gasoline-powered automobiles.

Unlike internal-combustion engine (ICE) equipped vehicles, Nissan LEAF’s power train has no tail pipe, and thus no emission of CO2 or other greenhouse gases. A combination of Nissan LEAF’s regenerative braking system and innovative lithium-ion battery packs enables the car to deliver a driving range of more than 160km (100 miles) on one full charge*. (*US LA4 mode)

Extensive consumer research demonstrates that this range satisfies the daily driving requirements of more than 70% of the world’s consumers who drive cars.

And, Nissan’s approach makes charging easy and convenient. Nissan LEAF can be charged up to 80% of its full capacity in just under 30 minutes with a quick charger. Charging at home through a 200V outlet is estimated to take approximately eight hours – ample time to enable an overnight refresh for consumer and car alike.

REAL-WORLD CAR
The engineers and designers behind Nissan LEAF worked to create a competitively priced real-world car that would enable Nissan to lead mobility into the zero-emission era. To ensure comfort, spaciousness and cargo capacity, Nissan LEAF employs a completely new chassis and body layout.

“Our car had to be the world’s first, medium-size, practical EV that motorists could afford and would want to use every day. And that’s what we’ve created. The styling will identify not only Nissan LEAF but also the owner as a participant in the new era of zero-emission mobility,” said Masato INOUE, Product Chief Designer.

DISTINCTIVE DESIGN
Even the smallest details can yield tremendous effect.

Nissan LEAF’s frontal styling is characterized by a sharp, upright V-shaped design featuring long, up-slanting light-emitting diode (LED) headlights that employ a blue internal reflective design that announces, “This car is special.” But the headlights do more than make a statement. They are also designed to cleverly split and redirect airflow away from the door mirrors, thus reducing wind noise and drag. And, the headlights provide yet one more benefit in that they consume just 10 percent of the electricity of conventional lamps, which helps Nissan LEAF to achieve its world-class range autonomy.

Through bright trim colors inside, Nissan LEAF creates a pleasing and stylish cabin environment. An environmentally friendly “blue earth” color theme originates from the Aqua Globe body color of Nissan LEAF’s introductory model. This theme is carried into the interior through blue dashboard highlights and instrument illumination.

CONNECTED MOBILITY IT SYSTEM
Nissan LEAF employs an exclusive advanced IT system. Connected to a global data center, the system can provide support, information, and entertainment for drivers 24 hours a day.

The dash-mounted monitor displays Nissan LEAF’s remaining power – or “reachable area” – in addition to showing a selection of nearby charging stations.

Another state-of-the-art feature is the ability to use mobile phones to turn on air-conditioning and set charging functions – even when Nissan LEAF is powered down. An on-board remote-controlled timer can also be pre-programmed to recharge batteries.

“The IT system is a critical advantage,” says Tooru ABE, Chief Product Specialist. “We wanted this vehicle to be a partner for the driver and an enhancement for the passengers. We also wanted this vehicle to help create a zero-emission community, and these IT features will help make that possible.”

Continue reading →

French car maker Renault SA (RNO.FR) and its Japanese alliance partner Nissan Motor Co. (7201.TO) Monday said they plan to build two factories in the U.K. and Portugal to produce lithium-ion batteries for future models of electric vehicles.

The announcement is in line with the stated ambition of the alliance to become the leading volume producer of zero-emission vehicles in the next decade. Nissan will start offering electric vehicles in the U.S. and Japan in 2011 and the alliance plans to start mass-marketing electrical vehicles in 2011.

Electric vehicle production is in its infancy at present, but the alliance reckons that by 2020 electric vehicles will represent between 10% and 15% of the overall European market, or about one million vehicles.

The U.K. plant will be located at Sunderland, north-east England, where Nissan already has a vehicle assembly plant. A decision on the location of the Portuguese facility is pending.

The alliance is investing EUR250 million in the Portuguese plant, which will create 200 jobs, according to a statement. No figure for the Sunderland investment was given, but the project will create up to 350 jobs directly and hundreds more at upstream suppliers, according to a Nissan press release.

It quoted U.K. Prime Minister Gordon Brown as saying that Sunderland, “could now be a strong contender to produce electric vehicles for Nissan in Europe, and we will continue to work with Nissan to ensure this happens.”

The Renault-Nissan alliance is negotiating grants and loan guarantees totalling EUR200 million from the U.K. government to help finance the project.

Each plant will produce 60,000 batteries annually.

Continue reading →

My Iris reported that TATA Motors has plans to use its Nano platform to build electric and hybrid cars and to produce more high end models.

TATA Group said TATA Motors should target exports of the car in the developing countries like Brazil, China, Indonesia and Russia where the growth rate is over 10%.

The introduction of Nano was compared to that of the Ford Model T, the car that completely revolutionized the automobile industry. Nano is also expected to create a new distinct category in the auto industry – the People’s car.

A true Indian car, Nano has 97% local content. Before Nano, Maruti 800 was the cheapest car in the Indian market priced at around INR 2 million.

Thailand aims to lure automakers to relocate their production of new-technology vehicles by offering tax incentives for projects worth at least 10 billion baht, the Board of Investment (BoI) said yesterday.

The board, chaired by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, yesterday agreed to designate the new segment of vehicle production eligible for BoI privileges.

“We want to attract new investments from automakers to use Thailand as their production base for exports of new-technology vehicles such as hybrid cars,” said BoI secretary-general Atchaka Brimble.

“These vehicles must be models that have never been produced locally.”

According to Dr Atchaka, there are foreign automakers that have expressed interest in such projects in Thailand but she declined to elaborate.

Under the criteria endorsed by the BoI, companies need to invest in a new production line with the capacity to make a minimum of 100,000 units in the first five years of operations.

Investment, including land and working capital, must be at least 10 billion baht. Interested automakers must submit their proposals to the BoI by 2010 to obtain the privileges, she said.

The incentives include a waiver of tariffs on machinery imports and a temporary waiver of corporate tax for five to seven years, subject to project value and timing of the proposal submission.

Toyota Motor Corp, which has produced hybrid cars in Thailand, would not qualify under the new scheme because the Japanese company had expanded existing production lines for hybrid models but has not made a new investment for production relocation, she said.

India’s Tata Motors would be eligible but has yet to show keen interest to invest in such a model in Thailand.

Dr Atchaka said that US-based Ford Motor Co was considering increasing its investment in Thailand among other countries in the region.

In a related development, the BoI yesterday approved privileges for six investment projects worth a total of 12.88 billion baht.

The first project was a joint venture worth 2 billion baht between Italy’s Faber Industry, a major producer of compressed natural gas (CNG) cylinders, and Japan’s Sumitomo Corporation to produce 200,000 units a year of CNG cylinders.

Other projects approved were:

- A joint venture worth 2.48 billion baht between Thai Summit Auto Parts and a Japanese company to manufacture 1.34 million chassis units and 547,000 axle housings per year.

- A venture by MTP HPPO Manufacturing Co to produce tap water for industry worth 1.12 billion baht.

- A waste-water management project worth 1.13 billion baht.

- A plan by Mab Ta Phut Tank Terminal Co worth 1.88 billion baht to offer transport services for liquefied petroleum gas.

- A venture by Rayong Terminal Co worth 4.2 billion baht to offer transport services of 3.2 million tonnes of LPG per year.

According to a BoI report, applications for investment privileges in May showed a promising trend, with 84 projects worth a combined 29 billion baht seeking approval.

The applications increased from 58 projects worth 24 billion baht in the same month a year earlier.

However, application values in the first five months of this year were down by 9% to 166.6 billion baht compared with 183.6 billion in the same period last year.

source:Bangkokpost

TOKYO–Nissan Motors wants a bold design for its upcoming electric vehicle–one that doesn’t make it look like a hybrid.

The goal is a look that screams green but stands apart from the wedge-shaped silhouette that has come to signify environmentally friendly driving in the Toyota Prius and Honda Insight hybrids.

“We need some kind of difference so that when people see our car, they will realize this is an EV, not a hybrid,” Nissan chief designer Shiro Nakamura told Automotive News.

Nissan has not released pictures of the car, which is scheduled to go on sale next year. But its new styling cues include:

* No grille, to underscore the electric drivetrain
* A low hood enabled by the lack of an engine
* A visible recharging plug at the nose of the car
* A profile that is flowing, instead of triangular

A concept version of the EV will be unveiled in August and will be a front-wheel-drive, five-seat hatchback, Nakamura said.

The working design has a drag coefficient of 0.30, he said. The third-generation Prius has 0.25 and the Insight 0.28. Nakamura expects to eke out further improvements in drag by tweaking the design and adding underbody fittings to smooth air flow.

In pursuing a design that stands out, Nakamura is taking a page from Toyota–which gambled on the Prius’ wedge shape and scored a hit when the car became the benchmark for green styling.

Because EVs lack a bulky engine and gasoline tank, they open up new design possibilities. Nakamura said he couldn’t maximize such flexibility because the EV uses an existing platform. He wouldn’t be specific about the platform, but said the car will be comparable in size to the Cube or Versa.

“It is not designed completely from scratch,” Nakamura said. “We will go step by step. Later on we will bring more advanced, tires-extreme designs. We want to be economical.”

Source:Automotive News

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. today announced the company will produce electric vehicles (EV) at its Oppama Plant (Natsushima-cho, Yokosuka City, Kanagawa) from fall 2010.
The Oppama Plant is a core base of Nissan’s manufacturing and will be positioned as the model plant for best practices in EV production. In the fall of 2010, the plant will start EV production with capacity of 50,000 units a year, which will continuously increase for the start of EV mass-marketing in 2012. Motors and inverters, which are key components of EVs, will be built at the Yokohama Plant (Takara-cho, Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama City, Kanagawa), and initially in the Zama Operations Center (Hironodai, Zama City, Kanagawa), respectively. In addition, Automotive Energy Supply Corporation (AESC), one of Nissan’s affiliated companies based in Zama Operations Center, will produce laminated-type compact lithium-ion batteries for EVs.
Aiming to a be a global leader in zero-emission vehicles, Nissan will continuously seek overseas production opportunities for EVs and sourcing of components.

Nissan has decided to stay away from hybrid power trains in its compact vehicles and instead employ electric only power trains in the compact and subcompact class of cars.

Though Nissan does make hybrid vehicles, the company intends to reserve hybrid power trains for mid-size and full-size vehicles as well as luxury vehicles. Both Toyota and Honda plan to offer hybrid power trains in their compact vehicles. Toyota will introduce a hybrid Yaris and Honda hybrid Fit in the near future, but Nissan will not follow suit.

Nissan will focus on electric only powertrains in this class of car. The company believes that it is a more persuasive technology and they intend to make EVs work. According to Nissan Senior Vice President Andy Palmer, “We think it’s a more persuasive technology. That’s where we’re directing our efforts. In the small cars, it’s clear we’re going to make the EV thing happen.”

Nissan’s small EV is expected to reach showrooms sometime next year and will be powered by lithium ion batteries through partner NEC. Nissan has requested government funding to build and electric vehicle plant in Smyrna, Tennessee.