Following up on its pledge to become the industry's leading manufacturer of zero-emission cars, Nissan on Monday unveiled a miniature two-seat electric vehicle called the New Mobility Concept, according to the Associated Press (News - Alert).
The vehicle, developed by Nissan and its alliance partner Renault SA, has the look and feel of a high-speed, sophisticated go-kart. The Concept can climb to 47 miles-per-hour and has a range of approximately 62 miles, which is rather impressive for an electric vehicle of its size.
Corporate Vice President Hideaki Watanabe did not announce the expected launch date or price point of the Concept, noting that the projected uses of the vehicle are still being studied. Watanabe suggested that the car may be best suited for amusement parks or as part of Japan's green mobility projects, the AP reports.
Over the next few years, a great deal of Nissan's success will be tied directly to the electric vehicle market. Beginning in 2011, the Japanese automaker is planning on manufacturing a minimum of 250,000 EVs a year. Meanwhile, Nissan and France-based Renault SA will combine to produce 500,000 EV batteries over the next 12 months.
It will be interesting to see how much success Nissan will have with its new venture, considering most analysts deem EVs to be more of a niche product than an established line of vehicles. In fact, EVs have been around for the better part of two decades, it's just that they never caught on in mainstream society.
So the question is, why will consumers embrace electric vehicles this time around?
Some industry experts believe that society will accept EV technology in the coming years because of a perceived attitude change among consumers, car manufacturers and governments.
“There’s a lot more momentum,” Chelsea Sexton, a long-time EV advocate and past director of Plug-In America, told Wired. “Last time around, a lot of the automakers were dragged kicking and screaming into it. This time around everyone realizes they have to do this, and most of them want to do this.”
Furthermore, governments in many countries, including the United States, have recently introduced legislation that gives consumers incentives to purchase eco-friendly vehicles. Currently, Americans can receive as much as a $7,500 tax credit for buying a green vehicle.
Beecher Tuttle is a TMCnet contributor. He has extensive experience writing and editing for print publications and online news websites. He has specialized in a variety of industries, including health care technology, politics and education. To read more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.
Edited by Tammy Wolf
