Hybrid Car Review

Nissan demonstrated their new electric vehicle (EV) using a Tidda-based prototype.  Powered by a lithium-ion battery pack set beneath the vehicle floor, the EV has a range of 99 miles (160 km) with a full charge.

Nissan has pushed ahead with EV even as Toyota and Honda have seen great success with their hybrids recently. Nissan has said they want to develop their own hybrid technology for smaller vehicles, and will have a hybrid Infiniti in the next year.

In the meantime, Nissan will be launching an EV in 2010 with a unique design and body. The actual design of the production EV will be revealed on August 2nd, while the prototype shown today is just for demonstration purposes. A Nissan Zero-emission Website (www.nissan-zeroemission.com) will also go live on Aug. 2nd.

Nissan has put together some innovative support functions for its new EV, which may help the adoption of the all electric vehicle with 99 miles of range.

EV-IT support function
Nissan has developed an sophisticated IT system for its zero-emission EVs, connecting the vehicle’s on-board transmitting unit to a global data center to support EV driving 24 hours 7 days a week.

Maximum range display

• With a simple touch of a button, the navigation map shows the driving radius within range under the current state of charge.
• The system can calculate if the vehicle is within range of a pre-set destination.

• The navigation system points out the latest information on available charging stations within the current driving range.
• Detailed information for each charging station will also be displayed.

• The timer function enables the air-conditioner or battery charging to begin at a specified time. The air-conditioner can be pre-set while the vehicle is plugged-in to cool the cabin to a desirable temperature before driving begins, without taxing the vehicle’s battery. Meanwhile, the battery charging can be set to start at a specified time at night to benefit from more favorable electricity rates.

• The driver can monitor the state-of-charge of the EV via an online website and a cellular phone. For example, when the battery is fully charged, a message alert is sent to the cellular phone. Additional remote control functions range from switching the charging system ON/OFF or setting the air-conditioner timer.