Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Nissan, Renault
Renault-Nissan to build an electric car in 2010
Renault and Nissan are working on a new zero carbon emission power-train that is expected to be applied to a vehicle in 2010. The two companies are cooperating on a lithium ion battery to power the vehicle. Nissan will be focusing on the Japanese market while Renault will tackle the European fleet market. The joint development work is targeting developments in packaging the full system, the electric motor, and the control software for the regenerative braking, battery charging and optimizing battery life. [Source: Just-Auto.com - subscription required]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Eminem Sucks 12:18AM (12/12/2006)
There is so much dogging on GM and Ford on not going green enough, but Nissan-Renault is far from being friendly to Mother Earth.
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Steve 2:08AM (12/12/2006)
An electric car would be marvelous. I wonder how much electric power it'll need.
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Ivan 5:54AM (12/12/2006)
Actually i would dissagree with the first comment about Renault / Nissan not being so green. The reality is that it is not a simple cooperation, but Renault Own Nissan. Secondly Renault, Fiat and PSA - that is the Peugeot Citroen group are the manufacturers that have the highest levels of cuts in production emmissions and one of the highest ratios for using recycled materials together with one of th elowest CO2 plant emmissions levels... just a passing thought...
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JP 7:27AM (12/12/2006)
GM is greener than most people think.
Here is just one example.
http://www.gm.com/company/gmability/environment/news_issues/news/leed-cert_080406.html
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Karl 8:56PM (12/17/2007)
Wouldn't it be something if Renault and Nissan were to be so unAmerican as to STANDARDIZE their batteries and make battery exchange the reality that Americans can't possibly figure out? I've been told by Andy Frank that the batteries weigh 4,000 pounds (he is getting on in years) but other top EV advocates don't think American engineers can make a latch that would ever work. Clearly it's going to take either Europe or Japan to put good ideas into production before Americans will stop whining and make the cars that will do what we need.
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Chris M 2:10AM (10/19/2008)
Renault/Nissan is working with "Project Better Place", so they might just go for that swappable battery design.
Interestingly, Tesla Motors let slip that their upcoming Model S might also have a swappable battery. No word yet on whether Tesla plans to use the "Project Better Place" design or go their own way.
Gypse 10:38PM (3/05/2008)
I wonder if this car will be killed like GM's EV1. The EV1 could not be bought. You had to lease it. When the laws changed and GM was no longer required to make zero emission vehicles, it took back all the EV1's and crushed them.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Motors_EV1
Here's what could happen with this new Renault-Nissan EV: You'll buy the car but subscribe to the energy, including the use of a battery on a kilometers-driven basis.
GM's EV1 was fantastic. Renault-Nissan has the advantage of 10 years advances in technology. They should be able to to even better.
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Vasco 11:37AM (7/09/2008)
"I wonder if this car will be killed like GM's EV1. The EV1 could not be bought."
This car will be for sale.
John 8:56PM (10/18/2008)
If you knew the true cost of owning the EV-1 you would do the same thing GM. It was so heavily subsidized it's not even funny. If you look at cars like the Tesla, that is a more realistic figure for making AND operating long term a true electric. BTW, I work in the tractor industry, not automotive so I have no agendas.
Also check out the "Wired" article from July or August, I think. That will answer a lot of questions.
Chris M 2:16AM (10/19/2008)
This time around, there is no legal mandate to sell a certain percentage of "zero emission vehicles", so all the current EV sales proposals are based on expected demand. With the dislike of oil company ripoffs and all the money going to hostile overseas nations and the concern for the environment, they will likely sell quite well.
Jim 2:42PM (4/25/2008)
Building an electric car makes far more sense than burning food (corn) to drive our cars. It is unfortunate the oil companies are running Washington. Electric cars are not politically popular in Washington. If Exon, Chevron, or Halliburton made electric cars, we would all be driving them.
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Billy 11:45AM (5/14/2008)
I have always believe that electric cars was the way to go. also why can not you have a small engine in the car like a lawn mower motor that could charge these batteries. these motors could be l0 or 12 hp. billy butler
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ej 10:41AM (5/24/2008)
Which manufacturers will actually sell electric cars in the US by 2010? Nissan, or only in Europe? Chevy Volt? Does anyone know how heavy/safe/powerful (good acceleration) any of these models supposedly will be? Also, are the batteries they'll use environmentally friendly, or are they going to be akin to nuclear waste as a disposal problem? How much household current will I have to use to recharge them? Thanks for any accurate information you can provide.
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Chris M 2:50AM (6/09/2008)
Robert McConkey: There are several problems with compressed air cars: The energy density is less than lead acid batteries and much less than LiIon, making for bulky storage. Due to thermodynamic losses, the efficiency is much lower than with EVs. To get even halfway reasonable range very high pressure (4,500 psi, possibly higher) is needed, which in turn requires very expensive pressure tanks and expensive special compressors. No, you cannot fill up at a tire air pump!
Tata has said the Air Car requires several more years of research. The ultracheap car Tata is making this year, the Nano, runs on petrol, not compressed air. "849 miles on 8 gallons of gas" sounds impressive, but has that claim been verified? How much of the energy comes from the gasoline and how much from the compressed air?
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Robert McConkey 1:09PM (6/09/2008)
Compressed Air Cars. Ok, what is going on here. Electric cars??? Why do we want to get stuck with heavy expensive batteries?? Why is the U.S missing the boat on the compressed air technology race. Tata of India and Zero Pollution Motors are going to produce the compressed air car. Tata is going to mass produce the vehicles this year, while ZPM is working for 2010. 849 miles on an 8 gallon tank of gas. 96 miles per hour. No batteries just compressed air. Plug it in at home, it has a built in compressor. Clean and Green. Let me say it again, Compressed air cars. The technology is here and it works...
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Daniel 7:44AM (7/06/2008)
With petrol heading for $2.00 (australian) per litre (US $1.80) the electric car has the oppertunity to undermine the monoculture of petrolium powered personal transport in the daily crawl to and from work. Further more with the Tesla claiming to have range of aprox 370 km on a charge, the prospect of a car with Lithium Ion batterys developed for automotive applications gives me hope that 400 to 500km range may be possible giving the capability for short country runs as well as city driving.
Regetably the hybrids on offer at the moment are bastards of petrol / electric cross, trying to be 2 cars at once, and underachieving in both catogories.
I shall be holding off updating my car until 2010 to see if the electric car nissan offer will be affordable and practical.
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