Is Europe and France playing catch-up with Asia and North America?
Originally created on December 02 2007
republished from After Gutenberg
The Nissan Altima Hybrid currently uses a 244.8V NiMH battery pack made by Panasonic. “It sits immediately behind the seat back. The presence of the pack consumes about one third of the trunk space, dropping it from 15.3 cu.ft. to 10.1 cu.ft. The remaining volume is well shaped and useful, but small.”
According to a report in Japan’s Nikkan Kogyo newspaper, Nissan Motor and Robert Bosch GmbH are in talks to form a comprehensive alliance. The alliance encompasses the hybrid parts that Bosch has begun to offer on an increasingly larger scale. Nissan’s first foray into the hybrid market was the Altima, which Nissan started selling in the U.S. in 2007. Like Ford Motor Company with the Ford Escape HEV, Nissan initially built the Altima Hybrid with Toyota components.
“Nissan is ending that relationship,” says Green Car Congress1, and will produce future hybrids using its own technology. Carlos Ghosn, CEO of Nissan, previously had derided hybrids as making no economic sense, but it is difficult to argue with the success of the Prius. Toyota now has a decided advantage in this market and going forward with plug-in hybrids.
Since Nissan effectively has sat on the sidelines and watched Toyota make the first mistakes, they do have the potential to take on a more innovative approach and come up with a better product than Toyota. Thus, it might make more sense now, say GCC commentator Alexander Terrell, for Nissan to go with a series hybrid. When this blog first noted that Nissan may be developing a plug-in hybrid, it was observed that Nissan had two development pathways that could help with transition: a Super Motor and Continuously Variable Transmission.
Nonetheless, Ghosn may choose another recent Nissan-Renault development to set their hybrids apart from competitors: diesel. This blog recently asked whether a new crop of diesel superminis could manage Euro 6; noted that a Prius burning Compressed Natural Gas in its Atkinson cycle, internal combustion engine achieve CO2 emissions below 80g/km; and suggested that combining electric drive capable of all-electric miles with diesel would seem one sure way to achieve a Euro combined cycle below 90g/km.
Another recalcitrant auto maker, VW / Audi, would seem to have made note of and responded to such direction in meeting stricter emission standards. Of course, it remains to be seen whether Volkswagen by teaming up with such companies as Bosch, Degussa, etc., and the group will invest €360 million over the next few years in battery research, can forgo the ICE paradigm and truly embrace the Frank axiom.Similar Posts:
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