Dongfeng Nissan may make electric vehicle

Shanghai, December 18 (Gasgoo.com) Nissan China has recently announced Nissan's global plan to mass produce electric vehicles in 2010, and Dongfeng Nissan is likely to make Nissan electric cars for the Chinese market, said xinhuanet.com today.

Nissan will start mass-producing its electric vehicles globally in 2010 and has signed the memo of understanding with several countries and regions. The Japanese carmaker is also in talks with China's auto authorities for local production of Nissan electric cars for the Chinese market. The joint venture Dongfeng Nissan may choose Beijing or Shanghai for a new facility to make the Nissan electric cars.

Nissan's all-electric prototype based on its Cube model

Because the manufacturing cost of electric vehicles is too high, Nissan expects the Chinese government to issue some favorable pricing policy for these cars. A Dongfeng Nissan executive said that in Japan only 25% of the price difference between the electric vehicle and common vehicle is paid by the consumer.

Before it is locally made in China, the Nissan electric car will be imported at first to the Chinese market. The size of local production in China, likely to start in late 2010, will depend on the volume of its market demand. An earlier report said that Dongfeng Nissan will put its electric car on sale in China by 2012.

At the 2008 Guangzhou auto show last month, Yasuaki Hashimoto, president of Nissan Motor (China) Ltd., said that China is one of the most important markets for electric cars. Nissan is heading to China with new plans for electric vehicles.

Nissan already has some significant electric vehicle deals lined up with its French partner Renault, under the Renault-Nissan Alliance. In August, Nissan unveiled an all-electric prototype based on its Cube model.