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07 August 2008

Nissan unveils prototype electric car



Nissan has unveiled a new prototype electric vehicle with more powerful batteries.
Nissan aims to release its electric car between 2010-12.
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Nissan Motor Co has unveiled a new prototype electric vehicle with batteriestwice as powerful as conventional technology, aiming to take a lead inzero-emission cars.

Japan's third-largest automaker said thefront-wheel drive, boxy-shaped car has a newly developed 80 kilowattmotor with advanced lithium-ion batteries installed under the vehicle'sfloor to avoid taking up space.

The laminated batteries, jointlydeveloped with electronics giant NEC Corp, pack twice the electricpower of conventional nickel-metal hydride batteries currently used inhybrid and electric cars, it said.

Nissan aims to start sellingan electric car in the United States and Japan in 2010 and the rest ofthe world in 2012. It will have a new "unique body style" that is notbased on any existing model, the company said.

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

Such cars have so far failed to break into the mainstream, partly because of their limited battery life.

Nissanis also developing hydrogen fuel-cell cars as well as its own hybridsystem, betting that zero-emission vehicles will take a 15 per centshare of the global auto market in the future.

The company alsounveiled a prototype hybrid that will also be launched in the US andJapan in 2010, as well as a new, slimmer fuel cell stack with doublethe power density of previous ones and 35 per cent lower costs.


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