Nissan's Challenge as Carbon Neutral Leader

Authors

Toshihiro Hirai, Alliance Global Vice President, Corporate Vice President, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Kanagawa, Japan

Year

2020

Print Info

Fortschritt-Berichte VDI, Reihe 12, Nr. 813

Summary

In recent years, automotive industries have faced the critical issue of having to drastically reduce CO₂ and real world pollutant emissions in order to realize a sustainable society. Nissan’s proposed solution is a unique two pillar powertrain electrification strategy. The 1^st pillar is BEV (Battery Electric Vehicles) which is a major pillar supporting this long-term vision. Nissan led the automotive industry with the world’s first mass production BEV. By using technologies for improving the energy density of lithium batteries and the reduction of running resistance etc. Nissan has already succeeded in development of technology that enables driving range per one charge comparable to that of ordinary gasoline vehicles. Now, with the new 3^rd generation “LEAF e+” Nissan has a product with very high performance at an affordable cost.
The 2^nd pillar is “e-POWER” which provides 100% electric drive with the electric power for the motor being supplied by an ICE (Internal Combustion Engine). e-POWER has the following two features thanks to the drive system and the power generation system being mechanically separated; one is that the basic components of the drive system and its control can be carried over from BEV, the other is that system control can freely select the ICE speed and the torque regardless of the running condition. These features give the best customer values of powerful & refined driving performance, extreme quietness and excellent fuel economy at an affordable cost without requiring charging infrastructure. As a result, in the Japanese market, Nissan has achieved segment best sales level by launching “e-POWER” systems in vehicles such as “NOTE e-POWER” and “SERENA e-POWER”.
Towards carbon neutral mobility, the innovation in technology and the social infrastructure construction including development and installation will become the key factors. Nissan has been promoting carbon neutral mobility through comprehensive efforts, including partnership with national and local governments, electric power companies and other organizations. Lithium-ion batteries used in BEV retain capacity well beyond the useful life of the vehicles themselves. The “4R” business model, which reuses, refabricates, resells and recycles lithium-ion batteries, allows for their effective use as energy storage solutions in a range of applications, thus creating a much more efficient energy cycle of battery use.
In this presentation, not only Nissan’s strategy, but the clear benefits for customers and environment will be discussed.