Nissan plans to launch electric cars in RP

MANILA, Philippines – Nissan may introduce electric vehicles to the country after it penetrates the Japanese and United States market.

In an interview, Universal Motors Executive vice president Elizabeth H. Lee said their mother company is seriously considering the Philippines as one of the countries where they could sell their electric vehicle.

In fact, Lee together with Nissan Asia Pacific managing director Steve Ardianto made a courtesy call to Board of Investment managing head Elmer C. Hernandez yesterday to discuss the matter.

“The visit is the first step to consider introducing to the Philippine market and to see the potential and opportunities for the electric vehicle,” Lee said.

Nissan will sell its electric vehicle in the US and Japan next year. The electric vehicle will be available to the rest of the world by 2012.

It was only last month that the hybrid car became commercially available in the country.

For Nissan, the plan is to introduce it to Japan and California. This first wave will initially be sold to a test fleet market before retail customers can lay their hands on the Nissan EV.

According to their website, the Nissan EV will be based on the Nissan Cube but may not necessarily be called that and will use an engine powered by a range of Lithium-Ion batteries developed by the new joint-venture between Nissan and NEC Corp.

Masahiko Tabe, Nissan’s manager of advanced vehicle engineering said that the technology will first appear in a small vehicle.

The new electric car should be good for 100 miles, at a top speed of 75 mph. A full recharge should take about eight hours. –Ma. Elisa P. Osorio, Philippine Star