Chinese Automaker BYD to Launch Electric Car e6 in the US

Chinese companies are in a race to make green cars. For the first time, a vehicle made in China is going to be launched in US and that is an all-electric 5-seater e6. Produced by Chinese automaker BYD Inc., the minivan will be available on West Coast sometime this year. This car can generate its power through all ‘green’ sources including battery, solar panel and even wind turbines.

This is not the end of the story. In fact, a number of Chinese automakers like Chery Automobile and Volvo buyer Geely are now concentrated on making green vehicles. China government is also promoting Green technology in its bid to grab a significant share of the comparatively new electric car market. Moreover, more focus on green technology would help China reduce pollution.

It seems that in the near future Toyota and Honda, two leaders in hybrid car market, could face stiff competition from the Chinese automakers. Moreover, the entrance of Chinese car makers into hybrid car market means that it is high time for other car makers like GM to think about this new but potential market seriously.

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Electric Cars Dominated at Detroit Auto Show 2010

What if you can not get the required fuel for your vehicle after 10 years or say 20 years? That is the fear roaming around in the global auto industry and among the car enthusiasts. This fear was well reflected in the recent Detroit Auto Show 2010 where automakers brought their environment-friendly hybrid concept cars which would come into the market in the coming years.

Toyota presented its plug-in hybrids and battery electrics models which are expected to be hit the market in 2012. The Japanese auto makers also came up with hydrogen fuel cell vehicle model which is expected to come to the market in 2015. There are reports out in the media that oil demand could surpass supply in the next 20 years and that will be time people would have no other option expect hybrid cars.

Honda Insight gave a good challenge to Toyota’s dominance with Prius in the hybrid car market. Honda is now ready to roll out its 2010 CR-Z Sport Hybrid Coupe car which could make the competition more intense. The new Honda hybrid car focuses on both style and economy.

The good news is that some other big players like Volkswagen and Hyundai are also going to put their mark in electric car market in the near future. Car analysts think that in the next decade hybrid or electric car market would grow significantly and grab a big chunk of the whole auto industry.

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Automotive Energy Supply Corporation (AESC) will spend $115 million for a new lithium-ion battery plant

In a move to catch up with the growing hybrid vehicle and electric vehicle market, Japan’s third largest automobile producer Nissan Motor Company (TYO: 7201) with NEC Corporation (TYO: 6701) announced that their joint venture lithium-ion battery producing company Automotive Energy Supply Corporation will spend $115 million over the next three years in building Nissan’s first battery production line at Nissan’s Zama facility in Kanagawa prefecture. In the beginning, the plant is targeting to produce 13,000 units which will be increased to 65,000 by 2011. The batteries produced will be used in Nissan Motor Company’s hybrid and electric vehicle aimed to be released by 2010. Forbes.com reports:

Nissan (nasdaq: NSANY - news - people ) and NEC (nasdaq: NIPNY - news - people ) last year set up Automotive Energy Supply Corp., a joint venture that aims to capitalise on its parents' technology to develop and produce lithium ion batteries for Nissan and other manufacturers of hybrid, electric and fuel cell vehicles in the world. Nissan holds a 51 percent stake in the venture and NEC jointly owns the rest with its subsidiary NEC Tokin Corp.

NEC Tokin has separately allocated 11.0 billion yen to build over the next three years its own facility within NEC's Sagamihara plant site in Kanagawa to mass-produce lithium-manganese electrodes for the joint venture by 2009.

Last year, Automotive Energy Supply Corporation (AESC) announced its plan to supply batteries for forklift trucks. Nissan is now looking forward to introduce electronic vehicle in Japan, the United States, Israel and Denmarke by 2011. The company will go into mass marketing from 2012. At a news conference, Nissan’s Executive Vice President Carlos Tavares told that Nissan was determined to become a leader in this next shift in global mobility and the advanced battery technology developed by the joint venture was critical to achieve that goal.

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Nissan will stop Micra production

Nissan Motor Company Limited (TYO:7201) has decided to stop the production of one of its largely produced small car, Micra, at the Sunderland plant in UK. The company is going to build a new model which it is expected to announce next month. Forbes.com reports:

Nissan is expected to announce next month that a replacement for the Micra, to be launched in 2010, will be made elsewhere, although increased production of its Qashqai mid-sized model will take up the slack at the factory in northeast England, the newspaper reported.

Qashqai is a family hatchback. Carlos Ghosn assured that the Sunderland plant will operate in its full facility because running below the plant capacity is not profitable for the company.

On Tuesday, Nissan is going to announce its five year plan. At face of rising oil price, the car company is aiming to mass produce electric vehicles in future.

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Nissan : Going electric

On the coming Tuesday, Nissan Motor Company Limited (TYO:7201) is going to present its five year plan. The company that almost went out of business is now back again. Thanks to its major share holder Renault SA, the French car maker who came to its rescue. Under the leadership of Carlos Ghosn, the company has become profitable again. Now, with the rising oil price and growing environmental pressure, the auto maker is planning to produce electronic vehicle. The way oil price is rising, electric vehicle is going to be the next big thing. Times Online reports:

Nissan is sharing its electric- car expertise with its partner Renault and using the French brand. Ghosn has made an exclusive deal to supply cars to Israel as part of a state- backed venture that includes creating a network of roadside stations where cars can recharge their batteries.

Israel’s plan to be the first nation to encourage large- scale use of electric cars was developed after Ghosn met President Shimon Peres at last year’s Davos economic summit and heard of the infrastructure proposals of Shai Agassi, a Silicon Valley entrepreneur, who runs an initiative called Project Better Place.

Having no oil and being a small country where typical car journeys are short, Israel is regarded as an ideal testing ground for electric cars. The infrastructure will be in place by 2011 and, to encourage consumers to use electric cars, the government has set the purchase tax on them at 10%, rather than the regular 72%.

Ghosn has targeted Israel as the testing ground of Nissan’s electric car. The country is very small and does not have any oil. It is the best place for electric cars. From 2011, Israeli government is going to introduce tax breaks on zero emission cars. Ghosn expects to bring out electric car for mass market by 2011.

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