YOKOHAMA, Japan (Nov. 17, 2011) - Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. and the Wuhan Municipal Government are moving forward with elements of the previously announced Pilot Program to promote zero emission mobility. Recently, the city of Wuhan accepted the delivery of 15 Nissan LEAFs, with 10 more units of the 100% electric vehicle to be delivered in 2012.
Through the Pilot Program, Nissan will be working with the city of Wuhan on a variety of joint activities aimed at contributing to the establishment of an energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly city. Another focus of the program is to plan for the full-fledged rollout of EVs in the Chinese market. The pilot program will be managed primarily through the Wuhan Electric Vehicle Demonstration Co., Ltd.
Pilot Program Overview
- Through test drive trials of Nissan LEAF, Nissan and the city of Wuhan will gather data on how EVs are used in the Chinese market to determine an optimal charging infrastructure.
- The Pilot Program will research the characteristics of driver usage, providing useful information in the development of future EVs most suited to the needs of Chinese consumers.
- Nissan and the city of Wuhan will jointly host educational outreach activities to support the full-fledged rollout of EVs across China.
Prior to the delivery of Nissan LEAFs, the city of Wuhan had already completed building charging infrastructure throughout the city, including both regular and quick chargers. Demonstrations using Nissan LEAF will be conducted by using these charging facilities.
Besides test drive events for consumers, Nissan plans to host vehicle exhibitions, test ride events, and opinion exchanges to advocate a low-carbon, energy-saving society and to develop a better understanding of the role EVs can play in the future. Events will be held in cooperation with universities and other stakeholders in Wuhan, together with the Wuhan Electric Vehicle Demonstration Co., Ltd..
Nissan, together with its alliance partner Renault, has entered into more than 100 partnerships with national and local governments and companies worldwide, to realize a low-carbon society. Nissan hopes that the development of this Pilot Program with the city of Wuhan will be a major step in creating a platform for a full EV rollout across China.
Additionally, Dongfeng Motor Co., Ltd., Nissan's joint venture with Dongfeng Motor Group in China, has announced plans to produce and sell an EV from VENUCIA, its new local brand in China, by 2015 through Dongfeng Nissan Passenger Vehicle Company.
Nissan Business in China
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan's second largest automotive company by volume, is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, and is an integral pillar of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Nissan provided customers with more than 4 million vehicles globally in 2010. China is the largest single market for Nissan, representing nearly a quarter of the company's total global sales.
Nissan started full-scale operations in the Chinese market in 2003 when Dongfeng Motor Co., Ltd. was established. Nissan also launched its luxury brand, Infiniti, in China in 2007. Nissan's sales volume, including both passenger and light commercial vehicles, has risen dramatically from 94,000 units in 2003 to more than 1 million in 2010. For 2011, Nissan is targeting sales of 1.15 million units in China.
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