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| Nissan to sell electric car in Japan, U.S. by 2010 |
BEIJING, May 13 (Xinhuanet) -- Japan's Nissan Motor Company plans to sell an electric car in the United States and Japan by 2010.
The commitment -- expected to be announced Tuesday by Nissan's chief executive, Carlos Ghosn -- will be the first by a major automaker to bring a zero-emission vehicle to the American market. Nissan also expects to sell a lineup of electric vehicles globally by 2012.
In an interview Monday, Ghosn said Nissan decided to accelerate development of battery-powered vehicles because of high gasoline prices and environmental concerns, not just because of the need to meet stricter fuel-economy standards.
"What we are seeing is that the shifts coming from the markets are more powerful than what regulators are doing," he said.
Ghosn said Nissan envisioned a broad range of electric vehicles, starting with small cars, and added: "It's not only about a small city car or a small minivan. It can also be about a small commercial vehicle and a small crossover."
Other automakers like Mitsubishi Motors and Fuji Heavy Industries are testing versions of electric cars, and General Motors and Toyota are working on battery-powered vehicles that have small gasoline engines for recharging. GM plans to start producing the Chevrolet Volt in 2010, while Toyota expects to offer a similar so-called "plug in" hybrid around the same time.
But Nissan, which a decade ago was on the brink of bankruptcy, is the first manufacturer to say it will sell mass-market all-electric vehicles worldwide. The zero emission refers to those from the car's tailpipe and not those from the production of electricity used to power the car.
(Agencies)
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