Nissan finally unveiled its plan to release an electric car in both Japan and the United States by 2010, according to a recent article in the New York Times. Carlos Ghosn, the company's chief executive, made the announcement Tuesday at a news conference in Tokyo and revealed his decision, which contradicted opinions he expressed about hybrid vehicles just a few years ago.
In 2005, Ghosn stated that the cars were simply "niche products" that were valuable only in states like California, where strict fuel-economy standards exist. He now insists that the situation for pursuing the hybrids is a no-brainer: more people are purchasing cars and it's becoming more critical to reduce emissions.
Can Nissan really step up as the innovator of a "zero-emissions" vehicle (that term, by the way, refers to the emissions from the tailpipe and not the overall electricity used to run the car), when many believe they have lagged behind this trend for a while now? Time will tell if Nissan will indeed have them mass-produced by 2012. While I can't proclaim to fully understand (or predict) the impact that lithium ion battery use will have on our fuel consumption, I have to say that the idea is an intriguing one.
Guess he's eating his words now. Image where Nissan would be if they had pursued Hybrid technology or electric cars several years ago instead of knocking the trend. Nissan makes a great car, so I hope the electric and hybrids they produce can match their quality and style.
Posted by: ckroll98 | May 19, 2008 at 08:37 AM
Since California now has a dealership dedicated soley to electric cars, I think they will be come more and more popular. Hybrids still produce some emissions, but electric cars are still burdensome to charge. Eventually the technology (and price) will become more prevalent and affordable.
Posted by: PeculiarPoPo | May 19, 2008 at 08:45 AM
Some marketing analyst at Nissan is most likely out of a job for giving Mr. Ghosn reason to declare such a fallacy in 2005. Whether they'll be able to absorb the loss and catch up is questionable, since by 2012 they're also going to be in much thicker competition.
Posted by: Mazerman | May 20, 2008 at 07:31 AM
Lithium ion batteries can ignite when overheated. This raises some concern about safety. That they'll run about 100 miles on a charge will be progress though.
Posted by: Ivan | May 21, 2008 at 11:52 AM
Just in time? A little late, I think. I'd like to have seen them mass-produced nest year. Better than nothing, I guess.
Posted by: fixit | May 28, 2008 at 11:19 PM
This is great for the consumer. let different strategies compete. I hope they all do well, but electric sounds especially promising.
Posted by: ltorres | May 30, 2008 at 04:50 AM