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Flamboyant Renault-Nissan CEO, Carlos Ghosn, aims to leave no doubt in peoples’ minds that Nissan will be a leader in emissions-free motoring, as he points to the fact that the company will focus on pure EVs moving forward. In fact, a five-seat, all electric hatchback, known as LEAF, will be launched in the US, Europe and Japan next year – with additional global launches to follow in 2012.
The LEAF will have an all-electric range of 160 kilometers, and cost the equivalent of competing non-electric cars. The key here is that customers will likely have the option of being able to lease the battery pack separately when they buy the car. This would allow customers not only to pay for the battery over time, but also give them the opportunity to upgrade the batteries over the life of the vehicle.
“This direct management of the battery’s entire value chain is important to ensure that our EV customers do not bear the cost of the battery,” said Hideaki Watanabe, head of Nissan’s Zero Emission Business Unit. “Nissan is exploring several options, including battery lease or credit model based on a monthly payment scheme. With this proposition, the total running cost, which equals the monthly battery payment plus the cost to charge the battery, is comparable to the cost to refuel a similar gasoline-powered car. Ultimately, this is a compelling economic proposition for a zero-emission car that meets all your driving needs.”
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Closer to home, the Bangalore based, Reva Electric Car Company, is also planning to offer a battery leasing option for their EVs. This would involve charging customers for the electric car minus the battery pack, which would then be offered on lease through a bank or financial institution.
Nissan is going one step further however, and also addressing the problem of what to do with spent battery packs after they’ve lost the ability to power your EV – another challenge facing the industry. The carmaker has partnered with Japanese giant, Sumitomo Corporation, to explore the possibility of reusing the lithium ion batteries that are used in electric cars – essentially giving them a ‘second life.’
As Nissan Chief Operating Officer, Toshiyuki Shiga, pointed out, “Consumers are excited by the promise of all-electric, zero-emission cars, but they also want assurances that lithium-ion batteries can be reused and recycled. In fact, our batteries are not only reusable, they also contribute as a solution to energy storage.”
Nissan has an existing joint-venture company with NEC Corporation to mass produce high-performance lithium-ion batteries. And now with this additional partnership with Sumitomo, Nissan is now fully engaged in the entire value chain of the battery, which is the most expensive component of an electric car. Ghosn hopes that this comprehensive approach will help Nissan gain an edge as alternative-propulsion vehicles, and more specifically EVs, make their way into the mainstream car market. |
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