Nissan who has spoken at great lengths about its family sized, moderately priced EV expected to enter into production soon and now has come forth with numerous details about the vehicle including a production schedule and official unveiling dates.
The unnamed EV from Nissan will be on display for its first public appearance on August 2nd at the company's new global headquarters in Yokohama, Japan. This vehicle on display will be the prototype version. Later this year, the production version will get its official unveiling at the Tokyo Motor Show in October. The vehicle is a midsize, five door hatchback, with unique styling that is not shared with other Nissan vehicles.
As for production, the EV will roll off of the lines at the Oppama plant located in Japan during the winter of 2010. According to Nissan, additional production facilities could be used if demand requires them to ramp up production. The company set their target at 50,000 units per year initially, but is open to increasing production by 2012 or 2013 if need be. The electric motor for the vehicle will be made in Yokohama.
Nissan's EV will be powered by a lithium-ion battery pack that will be made by AESC in Zama. According to the company, the unit has better reliability and twice the energy of normal lithium-ion batteries.
Now that the company has outlined many of the production plans for the vehicle, we are only awaiting an official announcement for pricing and a release date. According to the company, this vehicle will be priced near that of the average compact vehicle. Research has shown that typically equipped compact models come in around $27,000. Nissan hopes to hit near that price point before any incentives are figured in.
If Nissan can bring their EV to market on time and at the price above, they may sweep the market as most EVs are priced significantly higher while offering much less interior space and features.
Source: Autocar.co.uk
