Nemith Nissan

Japanese automaker's top priority: bringing affordable zero-emission vehicles to the U.S. market.
By Jacob Gordon of TreeHugger



Having fallen behind domestic rivals such as Honda and Toyota in the green stakes, Nissan decided to make EVs the focus of its eco-strategy by announcing it will be the first manufacturer to mass-produce a fully electric horseless carriage.

Nissan Motors recently announced plans to bring an affordably priced electric car to the U.S. market by 2010, raising the stakes in the race to develop environmentally friendly, zero-emission vehicles by being the first major automaker to commit to delivering an electric vehicle (EV) for a certain market by a certain date. While Nissan's yet-to-be-named initial offering will most likely be a small economy-sized car, Carlos Ghosn, the Japanese automaker's chief executive, says the company also plans to roll out a complete line of EVs in all shapes and sizes worldwide by 2012.

According to Ghosn, Nissan's decision to accelerate its EV development program into hyperdrive stemmed from growing public concerns over soaring prices at gas pumps and the negative environmental impact of fossil fuel use, rather than the need to meet stricter U.S. fuel-economy standards that take effect in 2015. Having fallen behind Japanese rivals Honda and Toyota in hybrids, Nissan has definitely made the EV the pillar of its green strategy.

Although Ghosn was willing to share his company's position on electric-powered cars, he was unwilling to share any real details about the new electric products. However, company sources tell us that the car will not be a version of an existing model, but rather a uniquely designed sedan with room for up to five passengers. It will be powered by a special breed of laminated lithium-ion batteries made by consumer electronics giant NEC. Minoru Shinohara, Senior Vice President of the Nissan-NEC joint venture, claims the new battery pack (which will lie flat under the car's floor and won't intrude on cabin or trunk space like the one in the Nissan Altima Hybrid) is capable of traveling up to 124 miles between charges.

While this kind of range is respectable, it's still about half the distance claimed by the exotic Tesla Roadster (220 miles). Charging time, drive motor and specific performance specs are still highly guarded secrets. However, sources say the car will offer performance comparable to that of Nissan's most fuel-efficient gasoline-powered automobiles.

Although the automaker declined to discuss how much the vehicles would cost, Mark Perry, Nissan's North American director of EV and Advanced Technology strategy, stressed that they would be priced competitively with comparable vehicles, and that the first EV will cost "considerably less" than the $40,000 price tag expected for the Chevy Volt, General Motors' plug-in hybrid due in 2010.

As the electric car market continues to grow, one thing is for certain: Nissan wants to be a frontrunner. "We are determined to achieve zero-emission-vehicle leadership," says Perry. "Not just to be a competitor, not to just have a few vehicles, but to lead the market in quality and number of EVs."

While Nissan hasn't played in the electric since marketing its J-cool Hyper Mini, which was built from 2000-2003 in Japan, its experience with battery power goes back over 60 years, starting with the Tama in 1947. A box-shaped two-door with seating for five, the Tama featured an upright posture giving drivers a commanding view of the road and offered plenty of cargo room. Yet it was respectably compact, perfect for city dwellers with limited parking possibilities.

Nissan will need to rely on this experience as Japanese rival Mitsubishi Motors Corp., working with Japanese battery maker GS Yuasa Corp., said it was building a plant in Japan to mass-produce lithium-ion batteries for its electric vehicle. Mitsubishi plans to have the vehicle available for rental next year and for sale the following year. Meanwhile, both Ford and Toyota are working on plug-in electric hybrids for release during the same timeframe.

Jacob Gordon is a freelance writer, a blogger for TreeHugger.com and a producer of TreeHugger Radio. He can be reached at jacob@treehugger.com.

The Nissan Rogue has earned a Top Safety Pick award from the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety. The Rogue, as well as nine other small SUVs, was evaluated for front, side and rear crash protection. The Top Safety Pick award recognizes vehicles that provide superior overall crash protection among vehicles in their class and only includes vehicles with available electronic stability control, the Rogue comes standard with Nissan’s electronic stability control system, Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC).

About the safety features of the Nissan Rogue:
The 2008 Nissan Rogue offers a full complement of standard safety features, including vehicle dynamic control with a traction control system,  multiple standard air bags, featuring the  Nissan Advanced Air Bag System (AABS) with dual stage supplemental front air bags with seat belt sensors and an occupant classification sensor, roof-mounted curtain supplemental side-impact air bags for front-and rear-seat occupant head protection, along with a standard Tire Pressure Monitor System (TPMS) and driver/passenger seat belt warning lamps. Also standard are front seat belts with pretensioners and load limiters, LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren) child seat anchors and tether system, front seats with active head restraints and Zone Body Construction with front and rear crumple zones to help dissipate crash energy away from the passenger compartment.

The Nissan Altima Hybrid, which offers the efficiency and fuel economy of a hybrid drivetrain with the performance and excitement customers have come to expect from the Altima line-up, has been named one of the “Top 10 Green Cars” by the editors of Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com.

In compiling the list, the kbb.com editors considered factors such as comfort, performance, utility and technology, along with fuel economy and price. “The Nissan Altima Hybrid combines impressive fuel economy with much of the same sporty character that has helped establish the Altima’s reputation as one of the most fun-to-drive mid-size sedans,” said Jack R. Nerad, executive editorial director and executive market analyst of Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com. “The advanced technology isn’t confined to the engine bay, either, as the Altima Hybrid offers a slew of electronic comforts and digital conveniences like push-button start, navigation with traffic info and a rearview camera.”

“The Altima Sedan has been a success with consumers offering high levels of performance, quality, and fuel efficiency,” said Al Castignetti, vice president and general manager, Nissan Division, Nissan North America, Inc. “For Altima Hybrid, we took all the best qualities from the popular Altima Sedan, added a hybrid powertrain, and not only achieved improved fuel economy but added another successful product to the Nissan line-up.”

The 2009 model year Altima Hybrid goes on sale at Nissan dealers in select markets on August 1, 2008 in states that have adopted California emissions regulations: California, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont.

The Altima Hybrid, Sedan and Coupe are assembled at Nissan’s manufacturing plant in Smyrna, TN. Nissan also produces the Altima Sedan at its plant in Canton, MS.

For more information about Kelley Blue Book’s “Top 10 Green Cars,” visit www.kbb.com/topgreen08.

What is the Nissan Green Program?

Nissan regards the following three issues as paramount: reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions; minimizing emissions to preserve the atmosphere, water and soil; and the recycling of resources (reduce/reuse/recycle). The Nissan Green Program is a mid-term environmental action plan with focused objectives and activities meant to tackle these three key issues. We achieved virtually all of the objectives we set for the previous plan, Nissan Green Program 2005. The Nissan Green Program 2010 sets new objectives and plans between now and 2010.

Our goal is to reduce CO2 emissions in all areas of Nissan's corporate endeavors. Our ultimate goal is to reduce the environmental impacts caused by corporate activities such as manufacturing and usage of Nissan vehicles to stay within the Earth's natural ability to absorb such impacts.

If someone told you, you could drive your new Nissan for the next 7 years or 100,000 miles, almost worry-free of unexpected repair costs, would you be interested?

Nissan's Security+Plus® family of extended service contracts delivers the peace of mind that does just that. Security+Plus® vehicle protection plans can cover everything from over 1,100 vehicle components to roadside assistance to rental vehicle costs and provide:

Nationwide Coverage (over 1,000 Nissan dealers nationwide); utilizing Genuine Nissan Parts (new or in some cases remanufactured); installed by Factory Trained Technicians (trained by us to work on your vehicle). And you'll be protected against future inflation (rising cost of parts and labor).

Security+Plus® coverage can be purchased any time within your vehicle's original 3-year/36,000-mile basic limited warranty period. Just contact Nemith Nissan and tell us you'd like to take advantage of one of the best mechanical breakdown plans available for your Nissan today.

For more information about Security+Plus®, contact Bob Tellone at 518-867-3400 x229 or visit nissanusa.com/owning/service-plans.