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Nissan will give its new global electric car its first public airing when the company opens its new global headquarters in Yokohama on August 2.

Nissan's EV, billed as a medium five-door hatchback with dedicated body styling, will appear first as a prototype. The real car will make its debut at the Tokyo motor show in October.

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Nissan has fired the starting gun in the race to satisfy consumer demand for battery electric vehicles (EVs.) Even the misled and lagging American car-buying public is now ready to buy EVs, which would indicate world demand starting at several million highway-capable EVs per year.

Once consumers get into peppy, reliable and affordable EVs (and inevitably start talking about their experiences,) I imagine that demand will grow very rapidly.

EVangel:

Even the misled and lagging American car-buying public is now ready to buy EVs

Aptera, Tesla, Volt, Fisker…been living in a cave? Better have a look at Mr. Ruppert’s blog “Electric dreams - and nightmares”, he is fellow Brit and he is not on your bandwagon. I guess we lagging Americans will have to lead the way.

People tend to forget that America is a big place and that (sorry for being too general here) but those in the West and those in the East are more European and Global than the misinformed think.

Back to electric

What was that prototype called from the early 90's?

I am sure it was developed in California for the tight emissions legislation. I do believe it was a bit quick.

Way ahead it was.

drivenfromtherearplease:

What was that prototype called from the early 90's?

Driven, I believe you are talking about GM’s EV1 maybe? It was an honest attempt at developing an electric vehicle but the cost of the car at that time would have been prohibitive. GM killed the project because it was very expensive, short sited perhaps, but there was easy money to be made in gas guzzlers and petrol was dirt cheap so unfortunately it was a tough sell at the time. Hopefully GM learned something from that early failure and the Voltec platform is the beneficiary. They have an EV1 battery pack standing next to the Volt pack in their new battery lab; The EV1 pack is huge by comparison.

That was it!

And I believe you are quite correct in the oil comparison. Perhaps there was more of an interest to keep the gas guzzlers in the board rooms for other reasons also. It was never going to work commercially of course back then

But this showed what technology and advancement was available and I believe that if the right people are in the right places the US could very well lead the way here. (And in some respects they already are)

Obama wants to lead the US into a new dawn and the EV market could be just the ticket.

Just please for goodness sake do not leave out the enthusiast!

 

drivenfromtherearplease:

Just please for goodness sake do not leave out the enthusiast!

Oh I think someone will always have that market covered.