Nissan unveils zero-emission hatchback 'Leaf'
- Source: Shanghai Daily
- [08:20 August 03 2009]
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BACKTRACKING ON HYBRID SKEPTICISM?
Other automakers such as Toyota Motor Corp and Volkswagen AG have also announced plans to launch electric cars in the next several years, but they say it could take decades for the vehicles to spread due to their high cost, limited driving range and long charging times with the current battery technology.
Nissan did not announce pricing for the five-seater Leaf, but Ghosn said the price, without the expensive lithium-ion battery that Nissan is considering leasing, would be within the range of a comparable gasoline-engine car.
Nissan's Leaf has a top speed of over 140 km/hour (76 mph) and a cruising range of at least 160 km (100 miles) -- a distance that covers the needs of 80 percent of the world's drivers, according to Nissan.
The carmaker has lagged its bigger domestic rivals Toyota and Honda Motor Co in offering fuel-sipping hybrid cars, which have taken the Japanese market by storm this year with the help of government stimulus steps.
For years, Ghosn has downplayed the importance of hybrid cars -- both for consumers hoping to save money at the pump and for manufacturers looking to make profit. As recently as a month ago, he sought to knock down the hybrid hype, saying electric cars were a far better alternative despite their limited cruising range.
But in what could signal a major shift in strategy, Ghosn said Nissan would leave the option open to offering hybrid vehicles if the market demands it. So far, Nissan has only announced plans to launch an internally developed hybrid vehicle on high-end models.
"It's going to take some time before we have a complete, full (electric vehicle) product line-up from entry level to the top," he said.
"In the meantime, you just cannot abandon the market -- you're going to have to continue to develop your product line-up with combustion engine, clean diesel, hybrids, etc."
