Nissan EV-02 prototype
Buzzing down the highway
Nissan believes electric vehicles (EVs) will play an important role in reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. As such, it expects to introduce its first zero-emissions vehicle in the U.S. by 2010, with plans to sell it globally in 2012.
Dubbed the EV-02 test car, the prototype seen here is powered by Nissan’s new laminated lithium-ion battery pack and zero-emission electric motor technology. Don’t let its cubic looks fool you (the body is a second-gen extended wheelbase JDM Cube after all), we’re told a production model will look nothing like this.
Though Nissan is very tight-lipped about that and other subjects in general, it’ll likely be some kind of compact five-door hatchback with seating for five and all the dynamic safety features and amenities we expect in Nissan’s current offerings. It would have to have a minimum range of at least 160 km (100 miles). And while my seat time didn’t amount to anything more than a few quick laps around some cones in a windy parking lot, it’s clear the all-electric powertrain is capable of at least that much.
Nissan’s development of Li-ion batteries began in 1992, and the company has since used them in several electric (EVs), hybrid electric (HEVs) and fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) from the ‘97 Altra EV to the ‘05 X-Trail FCV. The current laminated battery pack and control unit, which is located beneath the passenger seats, is said to have twice the capacity (140 kWh/kg) and 1.5 times the power (2.5 kW/kg) of its earlier, more conventional batteries, thanks to nano-level electrode improvements.
As for the electric powertrain, the finer technical details are scant. Power to the drive wheels is somewhere between 80 and 130 kW via the electric motor in the front. In more familiar tranny terms, it’s a one-speed deal with a variable gear ratio that provides acceleration that’s directly proportional to the amount of input. That said, the vehicle gets off the line quickly and up to speed smoothly and silently.
With all the improvements and advances in battery technology, range anxiety is still a concern for many consumers. After all, EVs run on electricity alone. As such, they need to be charged. For the home and office, that’ll mean plugging into a 240V outlet (professional installation required) for a period of time.
While out doing errands, quick charging stations at the super market, mall or restaurant parking lot, for example, could help keep a battery topped-up. Finally, and most importantly perhaps, is the creation of a pathway network that would equip services with higher-voltage (say 480V to 600V) charging stations that will have you back on the road after a quick pit stop and snack.
Be it hydrogen or electricity, Japanese automakers seem eager to help develop and promote the necessary alternative energy supply networks and infrastructure projects North America needs to ensure that zero-emission mobility can become a viable long term reality.
In the short and mid term, EVs can still succeed in the absence of an all-encompassing charging network, mostly in urban markets. Partnerships with both governments and private enterprise are needed to help move this along. To this end, the Renault-Nissan Alliance is partnering with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Tennessee to promote the development of zero-emission vehicles and a complementary charging infrastructure.
Besides an existing partnership with the State of Tennessee, Nissan has additional infrastructure partnerships in California, Arizona and Oregon – both existing and “in-the-works” – that it hopes will lead to an electrified corridor, if you will, stretching from Seattle to San Diego and beyond.
An EV pathway charging network might be similar to California’s Hydrogen Highway initiative Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger helped kick-start in 2005 with $6.5-million in funding to build hydrogen-equipped fuelling stations along the CaH2Net. A bigger key to this project, however, has been the development of hydrogen fuel standards, which were finalized in 2008.
So, where does this leave us Canucks? Aren’t we at the forefront of energy conservation and eco-action? Well, BC, of course, has its Hydrogen Highway project that’s scheduled to link Vancouver and Whistler by the time the Olympic torch arrives there in 2010. The Federal Government is actively supporting this project and other environmental initiatives. As for EVs, the manufacturers are still waiting for some guidance in the form of a white paper that will better define the targets. One could be ready mid-May 2009.
Nissan’s own research has found the average Canadian drives 80 kilometres a day. By the time 2012 rolls around, expect electric vehicles to be getting twice that. And, while the EV-02 prototype is offers a strong hint as to what’s coming in the form of zero-emission mobility from Nissan, we fully expect a gasoline hybrid electric to come to market around the same time, perhaps even sooner.
Some dealers might not be thrilled at the lower maintenance costs associated with EVs compared to vehicles with internal combustion engines. Others will see it as an opportunity to sell accessories that are tailored to EVs.
The shift from a fuel-based society to one that embraces renewable energy alternatives and new technology is already underway. Electric vehicles may only be a small part of it, but they are part of it.
Latest News
-
1.
-
2.
-
3.
-
4.
-
5.
-
6.
-
7.
-
8.
-
9.
-
10.