(October 14, 2010) Last year, Nissan Motor Co. announced that it was working on at least three new electric-vehicle models. Later this year, the Japanese automaker will begin selling its new Leaf electric car in the U.S.

Nissan also recently announced that, as part of the company’s future electric-vehicle plans, its Infiniti premium division will launch its first all-electric model in the U.S. and other world markets in 2013. In a company statement, Nissan describes the new luxury EV as a “stylish, high-performance, 5-seat premium vehicle.”

Mike Omotoso, senior manager of global powertrain in the Automotive Forecasting Division at J.D. Power and Associates, provides insight and answers some questions about the new Nissan EV

Q: Nissan’s premium EV will be based on the same platform as the Leaf electric car that is slated for sale in this market later this year. Will powertrains be the same for these models?

A: The ‘powertrain’ in this case is a lithium-ion battery, an electric motor and a single-speed transmission. The specifications are likely to be similar to those for the Nissan Leaf, but the battery and/or the electric motor may be slightly larger to provide superior performance. The Infiniti EV may have a slightly longer driving range than the Leaf’s 100 miles, and it is likely to have a more powerful motor to provide more torque, faster acceleration and a higher top speed.

Q: Nissan plans to strengthen its ‘eco-performance’ strategy with the Leaf and this new Infiniti EV, as part of a greater focus on hybrid and EV technology. Is Nissan playing catch up, or is it ahead of the game in comparison to Toyota and Honda?

A: Nissan is behind Toyota and Honda in terms of hybrids, but definitely ahead in terms of EVs. Nissan only sells one hybrid in the US right now—the Nissan Altima hybrid—which is not even sold nationwide. The Altima hybrid is only sold in eight states, including California. However, the Nissan Leaf will be launched in December 2010, while Toyota and Honda plan to launch EVs here much later—in another two years. Nissan’s CEO, Carlos Ghosn, maintains that EVs are the wave of the future and hybrids are only an interim step. So Nissan plans to focus on EVs and place less emphasis on hybrids.

Q: Nissan indicates that it intends to keep its focus on reducing emissions without sacrificing driving excitement or engagement. Will the Leaf and this future Infiniti EV with new powertrains be more exciting to drive than similar Toyota or Honda models?

A: Electric cars have the advantage of instant torque provided by the electric motor(s), so the initial acceleration of an EV is more exciting than what one would experience in a hybrid such as the Toyota Prius or Honda Insight. The fact that EVs don’t use any gasoline or diesel fuel may also contribute to the excitement factor, and the interior design of EVs is typically more futuristic than that of conventional cars and even hybrids. Hybrids have been around for over 10 years now, while EVs (after the GM EV1 disappeared in the late-‘90s) are the new kids on the block. On the other hand, EVs are nearly silent when they are being driven because there is no engine noise and no sounds from changing gears since there are no gears. There is talk of adding artificial engine noise to EVs to give drivers the feeling of acceleration and power that they are used to from conventional cars. There is also the safety aspect of helping blind pedestrians know that an electric car is nearby.

Q: Infiniti will unveil the 2012 M35 hybrid (M35h) sedan at the upcoming Los Angeles Auto Show (Nov. 19-28). The M hybrid will deliver V-8 performance with the fuel economy of a 4-cylinder engine — 302-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 engine and 50-kilowatt electric motor (67 horsepower) — according to Infiniti. The new premium hybrid will go on sale next spring. Will hybrids, such as this one, still be the dominant choices among greener vehicles in this market?

A: Hybrids will still be the dominant choice in some vehicle segments, but diesels are the dominant choice for some compact cars such as the Audi A3 and Volkswagen Golf. There is no hybrid A3 or Golf, so we can’t do a head-to-head comparison in that segment, but the diesel price premium is lower than the hybrid premium, so it makes sense for car buyers to opt for a diesel in this case. However, the diesel version of the Mercedes-Benz M-Class SUV outsells the hybrid version. The same applies for the diesel versions of the Chevrolet Silverado and Sierra pickup trucks compared to the hybrid versions. So, for trucks requiring large towing capacity, diesels make more sense. For midsize cars such as the Infiniti M, Lincoln MKZ and Ford Fusion, consumers tend to prefer hybrids. In the more price-sensitive compact car segment, we expect to see diesels outsell hybrids.

Q: Carlos Ghosn has said that his company is spending $5 billion through 2010 to become a leader in EV sales worldwide. Is this an achievable goal for Nissan?

A: This goal is achievable if one includes Nissan’s parent company, Renault. No other carmaker has made such a large financial commitment to the EV market, so Nissan is in the lead now and we expect them to remain in the lead. The Volkswagen Group is their nearest challenger globally, with the Audi E-tron program and the Volkswagen e-Up! electric vehicle concepts shown at recent auto shows in Europe and North America. But in the short term, both Audi and VW are more focused on their diesel and hybrid programs.

(Source: J.D. Power and Associates)