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S14DB
01-30-2005, 10:13 AM
Nissan Chief: Hybrid Cars Make No Sense



NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) - The head of Nissan Motor Co., breaking ranks with some of his leading rivals, said on Saturday that building fuel-sipping hybrid vehicles makes little sense in today's world because of their high costs.

"They make a nice story, but they're not a good business story yet because the value is lower than their costs," said Nissan Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn.

Nissan will, in fact, start manufacturing a gas-electric hybrid version of its Altima sedan for the U.S. market in 2006.

But Ghosn said the model was only intended to help Japan's second-largest automaker comply with strict fuel economy and emissions standards in states like California, not because he expects it to be a money-maker.


Nissan will license some technology for the hybrid Altima from Toyota Motor Corp., which is the world leader in hybrid production along with Honda Motor Co. Ltd..


The hybrids made by Toyota and Honda are in high demand, but production levels are still relatively small.


Toyota plans to nearly double production of its hybrid Prius car for the U.S. market this year, with production totaling some 100,000 vehicles.


Ford Motor Co. is alone among U.S. automakers in producing mass-market hybrid models; Ford recently announced plans to introduce four new models between this year and 2008.


Ghosn's comments, which are likely to draw criticism from environmental groups, came in an address to the National Automobile Dealers Association, which opened its annual convention in New Orleans on Saturday.


In his speech, he noted that only about 88,000 of the 16.9 million light vehicles sold in the United States last year were hybrids, adding that they are still considered "niche" products and something way outside the automotive mainstream.


He also poured cold water on hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, which many automakers see as the industry's next big technological breakthrough.


"The cost to build one fuel cell car is about $800,000. Do the math and you figure out that we will have to reduce the cost of that car by more than 95 percent in order to gain widespread marketplace acceptance," Ghosn said.


Ghosn, who is credited with a dramatic turnaround at Nissan, is poised to take over as chief executive at France's Renault SA in May.


His future role, simultaneously running operations at two major automakers, is thought to be an industry first.


Nissan -- owned 44 percent by Renault -- scored the biggest sales jump of any major car maker in the United States last year, with a 24 percent surge to 986,000 vehicles.

dunno
01-30-2005, 10:42 AM
Strange how such a large portion of us (the Nissan enthusiasts) disapprove of newer Nissans but sales are up 24%.

-Matt

wootwoot
01-30-2005, 11:14 AM
Nissan needs to introduce direct injection to their lineup. Good bye bad emissions hello more power and gas mileage.

Phlip
01-30-2005, 01:03 PM
Strange how such a large portion of us (the Nissan enthusiasts) disapprove of newer Nissans but sales are up 24%.

-Matt
Because we, the enthusiasts, would rather spend new car money on modifying cars from 10-15 years ago... Nissan is not selling US the cars, they are selling sedans to people who need sedans, selling sports sedans to the late-30's guys who don't want to feel old, selling vans to soccer moms, selling SUVs to the fucking losers who feel they need them, selling trucks to people who seek utility and selling Z-cars to guys with big wallets and small penises.

Dutchmalmiss
01-30-2005, 01:29 PM
Nissan needs to introduce direct injection to their lineup. Good bye bad emissions hello more power and gas mileage.

isn't the VQ35 doing good with power and gas mileage. my mom's murano has that motor and it does 26mpg, while still making 250hp.

Phlip
01-30-2005, 02:08 PM
isn't the VQ35 doing good with power and gas mileage. my mom's murano has that motor and it does 26mpg, while still making 250hp.
Isn't the VQ direct injection?

240Stilo
01-30-2005, 02:29 PM
VQ is direct injection. Already checked nissan-global.

Phlip
01-30-2005, 02:37 PM
VQ is direct injection. Already checked nissan-global.
Good, now I feel better for getting the right anwer

FaLKoN240
01-30-2005, 08:44 PM
He's right about electric cars, that's cool and all that they save the environment and gas, but the ppl that can afford them don't really have to worry about affording gas in the first place. . .

S14DB
01-30-2005, 09:19 PM
Electric Cars are not better for the enviroment. The electricity comes from power plant that burns coal. Makes more poultion to charge the car than a gas car would produce. LEV cars exhaust is cleaner than the air in LA.

West
01-30-2005, 10:07 PM
The Toyota Prius is only $20k. So I wouldnt say its a expensive car. Plus, most Hybrid cars that are offered as both Hybrid Motors and Gas Motor end up with more power and better gas milage over the Gas Motor. Why wouldnt you want that? Nissan is stupid to use Toyota for their Hybrid technology.

raging panda
01-30-2005, 11:04 PM
Most energy in the west isn't made from coal burning, its made from hydroelectric damns, so its fine to use electric cars and have to charge them.

The prius is only 20K, but that doesn't mean thats how much it cost them to develop and make them. They may be losing money on each one they sell, but they make it back selling normal cars. Hybrid cars don't usually make more power, just better mileage.

RiversideS13
01-31-2005, 12:57 AM
I think he just bitter that toyota and honda got alot of funding and technology to make hybrid cars. In my opinion all the car made by recent nissan USA are piece of crap. but infiniti and Z are still as nice as back early 90's. anyway, I think with a cheif like this, nissan is going to have bad name

Tenchuu
01-31-2005, 03:13 AM
ALot of power does come from dams, but I'm pretty sure
nuclear > Hydroelectric
Or at least around San Deigo.

so we are enviormentally friendly by useing Nuclear power plants.

w1ngzer0
01-31-2005, 08:14 AM
Electric Cars are not better for the enviroment. The electricity comes from power plant that burns coal. Makes more poultion to charge the car than a gas car would produce. LEV cars exhaust is cleaner than the air in LA.


what are you talking about? Have you even read the kind of technology toyota and the others are using on their hybrids?. They don't plug in the hybrids. Its gas/electric. The only one that you plug in is the insight and that is a shitty car.

Honda has taken the technology pioneered in the Insight and improved on it. It uses a small 1.3-liter, four-cylinder gas engine (85 horsepower) assisted by a 13-hp electric motor. When the driver backs off the throttle or hits the brakes, the energy that is usually wasted is captured in a bank of batteries mounted behind the rear passenger seat. The next time extra power is needed, when pulling away from a dead stop, for instance, that captured energy is, in a sense, recycled.

Prius,new hybrid accord, new hybrid altima, hybrid civic = not plug in
insight=plug in

teh beauty of kinetic energy :bigok:

theicecreamdan
01-31-2005, 11:22 AM
the new hybrid accord makes more power than the V6 model, so not all hybrids make less power.

ZK
01-31-2005, 12:17 PM
I remember a Honda Insight with R-compound tires at an autocross once. It was posting some class beating times in a stock class...