Try to list all of the stories we've had recently about Nissan's work to bring electric cars to the masses. It's hard, because there have been a lot of them, covering the company's efforts in Japan, Israel and the U.S., to name just a few. We're not the only ones who've noticed what Nissan (and Renault) are up to; the non-profit group Plug In America (PIA) has issued a statement praising the company for the EV push. PIA president Linda Nicholes said in a statement that, "It's past time that people had the chance and the choice to get behind the wheel of an electric car. Nissan, through innovative leadership, will make that choice possible to people all over the world." PIA's laudatory release continues:

Nissan is the first manufacturer to say it will market all-electric vehicles worldwide. Its commitment to plug-in vehicles is sure to fan competition among rivals, ultimately reducing both greenhouse gas emissions and U.S. dependence on foreign oil.

The full statement is available after the jump. Now Nissan just has to deliver on these promises and we'll all have sometime to praise.

Click the Denki Cube for a high res gallery.

The Denki Cube from Nissan uses new laminated lithium ion batteries from Nissan's joint venture with NEC stashed below the floor and rear seat. Just as long as those batteries stay, we could do without the lightning-pattern grillework, dressed-up headlamps, and hole-punch patterns on the front and rear bumper covers. Even with those fasion question marks, this one ranks pretty high on our list due to its small size and the fact that it's likely to actually make it to market.


On to Number 6.

Click the Denki Cube for a high res gallery.

As part Nissans Green 2010 program, they announced today that they will be going for a new low next year. Sometime in 2009 Nissan will launch the next generation Cube in the US market as an entry level model below the Versa. The Cube should be be a nice replacement for who missed the style of the original Scion xB, when the bigger second gen model debuted last year. Nissan didn't give any other details on the new car but they did have a pair of current Japanese market models on display. They also showed off one of their prototype electric cubes. The Denki Cube uses new laminated lithium ion batteries from Nissan's joint venture with NEC. The batteries are stashed below the floor and rear seat. The Nissan press release is after the jump.



[Source: Nissan]

For those of you who were so disappointed when Toyota super-sized the second-generation Scion xB, Nissan may soon offer an alternative. Next week at the New York Auto Show, Nissan will be showing an electrified version of the Cube equipped with lithium ion batteries. Nissan is planning to introduce an electric Cube in the U.S. and Japan in 2010 with fleets getting them for field testing for the first two years. After that, Nissan plans to expand availability to retail customers starting in California and, eventually, worldwide. The production edition is expected to have a range of 100 miles per charge.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. req'd]