Ello concuerda con los planes a medio plazo que se marcó el fabricante nipón hace un tiempo. El Plan Comercial Nissan GT 2012 ya preveía que la marca sería uno de los principales fabricantes de coches limpios.
De ahí que haya trabajado mucho en desarrollar baterías de ión-litio de nueva generación, parecidas a las que utilizan los teléfonos móviles de hoy en día, y que garantizarían una autonomía suficiente para no tener que estar recargando el auto cada dos por tres. Según Nissan, estas baterías son más compactas y proporcionan el doble de energía que las baterías convencionales.
El vehículo que presentaban estaba basado en el Cube, un prototipo de líneas muy cuadradas e impulsado por electricidad que Nissan ha presentado en varios salones del automóvil.
El vehículo, que se venderá en 2010, no se sabe todavía ni cómo se llamará. De momento, se le conoce como EV y los responsables de la marca japonesa ya han anunciado que, estéticamente no se parecerá al Cube; que será un modelo completamente nuevo y con una imagen diferente a la de cualquier otro auto de Nissan.
Poco más se sabe: que su potencia rondará los 110 caballos y que todavía está en fase de pruebas, así que no se conoce cuánta autonomía tiene. Eso sí, sus emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero son nulas.
Además del EV, Nissan también ha presentado un prototipo híbrido enchufable que combina un motor de gasolina y otro eléctrico. Sus previsiones pasan también porque esté en el mercado en el 2010 y así convertirse en un referente en lo que a coches de bajas emisiones se refiere; algo que están buscando prácticamente todos los fabricantes de automóviles viendo el precio del petróleo y sabiendo que éste no durará eternamente.
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NISSAN CELEBRATES EARTH DAY WITH EV PROTOTYPE;
ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY
FRANKLIN, Tenn. (April 22, 2009) – The Renault-Nissan Alliance today announced that Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), the nation’s largest energy-research center, is partnering with Nissan in Tennessee to promote the development of zero-emission vehicles and a complementary charging infrastructure. This expands the scope of an existing partnership between Nissan and the State of Tennessee, which also includes the Tennessee Valley Authority.
Nissan will introduce zero-emission vehicles in the United States in 2010 and will mass market them globally two years later. Today’s announcement coincides with the Earth Day visit of Nissan’s EV Prototype vehicle to the Nissan Americas campus in Franklin, Tenn., as part of a coast-to-coast tour. Gov. Phil Bredesen was on hand to take the day’s first test drive of the prototype, which is powered by Nissan’s lithium-ion battery pack and zero-emission electric motor. While this vehicle does not represent the design of Nissan’s electric vehicle that will be sold in 2010, the EV Prototype is an indicator of what’s to come in zero-emission mobility.
"Nissan, through the Renault-Nissan Alliance, has committed to being a global leader in zero-emission vehicles," said Dominique Thormann, senior vice president, administration and finance, Nissan North America. "Nissan in Tennessee is working with partners that share in the belief that the introduction and expansion of electric vehicles is one of the best solutions to reducing CO2 emissions. It’s only through collaborative efforts such as this that we can make zero-emission mobility a reality."
Managed by UT-Battelle, Oak Ridge National Laboratory is the Department of Energy’s largest multi-purpose research lab, with a $400 million portfolio of energy-related projects.
Dana Christensen, ORNL’s Associate Lab Director for Energy, said the partnership "will combine the unique assets of Nissan, TVA and the Laboratory to pursue breakthrough technologies needed for an electric vehicle charging network."
Bredesen, who recently proposed a solar research institute at ORNL and the University of Tennessee, marked the occasion by highlighting the combined potential of solar and electric vehicle technologies in Tennessee: "Given Tennessee’s growing interest in both solar energy and electric vehicles, it seems natural that these technologies could complement each other," he said. "We can and should be exploring opportunities that highlight the Volunteer State’s leadership in both areas."
The TVA, the nation’s largest public power supplier, is helping to lead the way in research into making the power system work as part of a future transportation infrastructure. "This is another step toward the common goal of reducing our nation’s carbon emissions," said Ken Breeden, TVA’s executive vice president of customer resources. "When we work in partnership through efforts such as this, involving the state, Nissan North America, and local utilities, we’re helping generate economic and environmental benefits for the Tennessee Valley and for our nation."
The Renault-Nissan Alliance has begun ZEV initiatives in Kanagawa Prefecture and Yokohama in Japan, as well as in Israel, Denmark, Portugal, Monaco, the United Kingdom, France, Switzerland, Ireland and China. In the United States, the Alliance is exploring ways to promote zero-emission mobility and the development of an EV infrastructure in the State of Tennessee, the State of Oregon, Sonoma County and San Diego in California, and Phoenix and Tucson in Arizona.
Nissan North America
In North America, Nissan’s operations include automotive design, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program 2010, whose key priorities are reducing CO2 emissions, cutting other emissions and increasing recycling. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles can be found online at www.NissanUSA.com and www.infinitiusa.com.
Renault-Nissan Alliance
The Renault-Nissan Alliance, founded in 1999, sold 6,090,304 vehicles in 2008. The objective of the Alliance is to rank among the world’s top three vehicle manufacturers in terms of quality, technology and profitability.
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Nissan shows electric car test model at Tenn. HQ
Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen test-drove a Nissan Motor Co. electric vehicle at the company’s North American headquarters Wednesday, pledging the state’s support in the automaker’s effort to put the cars on the road soon.
Nissan, the third-largest Japanese automaker, plans to introduce plug-in electric vehicles in the U.S. in 2010 and mass market them globally two years later. The company has declined to say yet how many models it will initially produce.
The drawbacks of high costs and sites needed for recharging the vehicles, however, are hurdles keeping entirely electrical vehicles at the experimental stage so far.
Bredesen, along with the Tennessee Valley Authority utility and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, a U.S. Department of Energy research lab, promised to help in the research and development of recharging stations in Tennessee.
Specifically, the governor urged building solar-powered charging stations in areas including Nashville, Chattanooga and Knoxville.
At least three stations would come online with the release of Nissan’s electric vehicle, though the governor encouraged the building of more and exploring federal support to fund solar and electric vehicle-releated research. He said the state could initially put up to $15 million toward developing the charging stations.
Nissan North America has applied for assistance from the Department of Energy through a $25 billion loan program designed to help automakers retool plants to build more fuel-efficient vehicles. The company has declined to say how much money it is seeking.
Nissan in the U.S. has forged similar partnerships to bring electric vehicles to Oregon, San Diego and the Phoenix area. Globally, the company has announced partnerships to promote the vehicles in Israel, Denmark, Portugal and France, among other countries.
After zipping around in the electric vehicle at Nissan’s headquarters in the Nashville suburb of Franklin, Bredesen quipped, "I’ve never driven an all-electric car before that wasn’t a golf cart.
"It has a very nice feel about it. It’s a different experience, but in no way is inferior to driving a gasoline car. In fact, I think I really like the quietness of it and obviously you feel a lot better about what you’re doing to the environment in a car like this than in any gasoline car."
The governor said the state needs to work with Nissan to try to get the infrastructure in place so people are not tied to their garages for recharging.
The electric vehicle is powered by Nissan’s lithium-ion battery pack and zero-emission electric motor. While it does not represent the design of Nissan’s electric vehicle to be sold in 2010, the prototype is an indicator of what’s to come in zero-emission mobility.
The company says the vehicle can go 100 miles on a single charge. Home charging would require a 220 volt line, similar to what’s used for a dryer or hot tub. Public charging stations would likely be located in parking lots, downtown streets and neighborhoods.
"Nissan in Tennessee is working with partners that share in the belief that the introduction and expansion of electric vehicles is one of the best solutions to reducing CO2 emissions," said Dominique Thormann, senior vice president, administration and finance, Nissan North America.
"It’s only through collaborative efforts such as this that we can make zero-emission mobility a reality."
Besides Nissan, General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and other automakers are planning electric vehicles in the near future. Governments in the U.S., Europe and Japan are offering or planning consumer incentives, such as tax breaks, for environmentally friendly vehicles.
But even with those perks, consumers may be less likely to veer away from gasoline-powered cars if gas prices remain low, said Michelle Krebs, editor of Edmunds’ AutoObserver.com.
"No one has come out with one (electric vehicle) yet that can go on public roads and travel like a gasoline car can," she said. "It’s a race. So it’ll be interesting in seeing who wins it. Nissan is making a big push here."
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Nissan Unveils Electric NUVU at Shanghai Auto Show
Nissan Motor Co. Ltd is showcasing its complete lineup including the NUVU electric concept at the 13th International Automobile Industry Exhibition in Pudong, Shanghai.
The NUVU features unique 2+1 seating and measures just three meters in length. It is powered by advanced lithium-ion batteries and is fully zero-emission.
Other Nissan highlights at the show were the new Nissan Sylphy with a manual transmission.
Nissan booth is complemented by the GT-R, NV200, Teana sedan, Tiida sedan and hatchback, Livina series, Qashqai compact crossover and X-Trail SUV.
www.nissan-global.com/EN/index.html
