22 Oct 09 11:51
Ghosn with Land Glider
Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn has revealed that Infiniti will be making an electric car and that another electric vehicle based on the Land Glider will be added to Nissan's electric car line-up.
The all-new Infiniti will ride on a totally new platform and will not be available with conventional petrol or diesel engines. It will form part Nissan's policy to have 10% of its cars running on electric motors by 2020.
Nissan also unveiled the Leaf - the first full electric vehicle set for mass production in 2012 - and also revealed plans for an electric commercial vehicle based on the NV200.
Ghosn also said that a 'radical' fourth model based on the highly unconventional Land Glider concept would follow.
The Land Glider was described by Ghosn as the ideal city car: easy to park and combining the best of two- and four-wheel worlds. The Land Glider, a two-seat tandem electric vehicle, dispenses with traditional controls instead incorporating an aircraft-style joystick. It's other major feature is that it is designed to tilt when cornering.
Ghosn said: 'The race for zero emissions has begun. The world has to address the issue of CO2. Nissan is already taking steps, not only with the introduction of EVs, but by developing more efficient gasoline engines, cleaner diesels and hybrid vehicles.
Nissan's aim, he added, was to make the purchase price of EVs equal to conventional internal combustion engines.
Colin Dodge, who heads up Nissan's operations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa said the Land Glider could be a production reality and the company is already looking at how such a radical vehicle could fit with homologation and crash testing requirements.
'I believe there is a market in Europe for this type of vehicle,' said Dodge.
