Nissan says moving into higher gear on electric cars

TOKYO (AFP) — Nissan Motor Co., playing catch-up in fuel-efficient motoring, said Monday that it and NEC Corp. will invest 115 million dollars to mass produce new batteries for electric, hybrid and fuel-cell vehicles.

The push into advanced lithium-ion batteries comes as Japanese automakers invest in an array of new environmentally friendly car technologies amid soaring prices at the pump.

Nissan has been slower than rivals Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. to embrace petrol-electric hybrids, but it aims to become the industry leader in electric vehicles.

"Our vision for a more sustainable future is clear," said Nissan's executive vice president Carlos Tavares. "Nissan firmly believes the ultimate solution for sustainable mobility lies in zero emission."

"Electric vehicles will be a key product breakthrough our industry can deliver," he told reporters, adding that Nissan was ready to supply the batteries to any company interested in the technology.

The venture, Automotive Energy Supply Corp. (AESC), which was set up last year, plans to build its first battery production line at a Nissan facility in Kanagawa Prefecture southwest of Tokyo.

Nissan Plans to Launch More Models in India

The Japanese car maker, Nissan is planning to become bigger in India. It plans to launch eight new models in India by the year 2012. This would also include the new crossover Nissan Murano that shall be unveiled soon this year.

Nissan is Japan’s third largest car maker intends to sell atleast 100,000 cars in India per year. It has already appointed Hover Automotive India Ltd. to develop its sales network in the country with an aim of establishing at least 55 dealers by 2012.

Renault, the French Auto maker, holds 44% shares in Nissan. They are already coming up with a new plant India near Chennai. Nissan also plans to launch a small car in alliance with Renault-Bajaj.

Nissan currently has SUV X-Trail and Taena sedan in India that are completely imported from Japan. It shall soon bring eight new models to India out of which four shall be manufactured locally.

Nissan is betting on the economic strength of the emerging markets as sales are slumping in US. India is the fourth strongest economy in Asia. It holds numerous promising features for the auto makers of the world. Chakan near Pune is also shaping up like the new Detroit in India.