Williams Auto Group

Europe to Institute Draft!

Are you one of those people who has trouble reading in the car?  Do you get a little queasy from the motion, or is it because the steering wheel keeps knocking the book out of your hands?

No, this is not an admonition against distracted driving, which is, of course, a real problem these days, as evidenced by hands-free phones and lots of new no-texting-while-driving laws.  Rather, let us introduce you to the concept of the Road Train.

First, meet Sartre.  No, not existentialist philosopher/author Jean-Paul Sartre.  No, this Sartre seems even stranger, and refers to Safe Road Trains for the Environment.  It is a Euro-concept designed to increase highway fuel economy by taking advantage of the lower wind-resistance formed when lines of vehicles travel in tandem.  In this arrangement, a lead vehicle will be followed down the highway by a line of vehicles organized in a tightly-grouped, aerodynamic caravan. (We NASCAR fans know this aerodynamic property as drafting!) The kicker is that the caravan of vehicles will be controlled by the lead vehicle, leaving the occupants free to read, eat, sleep, but presumably not talk on the phone or text anyone, since that will still be against the law.  It will also, we imagine, either spell the end of road rage or increase it to a new level, featuring massive road train vs. road train donnybrooks.  Look for at least a ten year turn-around time on this one.

Buy the Sizzle, Lease the Steak?

I thought I had my hands full with reading, 'riting and 'rithmetic.  How am I going to do with "Reuse, Resell, Refabricate and Recycle"?  Nissan Motors and Sumitomo Corporation aim to find out.  In this article, they announce a joint venture to recycle the lithium ion batteries slated to power the new Nissan Leaf electric vehicle due out in 2010.

The business model recognizes that after the end of normal vehicle life, the high-performance lithium-ion batteries to be used by Nissan will retain 70 to 80 percent of residual capacity and can be reused and resold to various industries as a solution to energy-storage.  Nissan and Sumitomo's intent is to create a market for these so-called "second life" batteries.  According to the Sumitomo website, "Second-life batteries present an ideal solution to the renewable-energy sector, allowing energy to be stored for later use. Such ecological application of second-life batteries would contribute to a net reduction of CO2 beyond what is achieved by the all-electric, zero-emission car".  This will also serve as a carbon-footprint offset to the generation of the electricity used by electric vehicles.

But wait, you say, these batteries are quite expensive, are they not?  How will the average driver afford them?  "This direct management of the battery's entire value chain is important to ensure that our EV customers do not bear the cost of the battery," said Hideaki Watanabe, head of Nissan's Zero Emission Business Unit. "Nissan is exploring several options including battery lease or credit model based on a monthly payment scheme. With this proposition, the total running cost, which equals the monthly battery payment plus the cost to charge the battery, is comparable to the cost to refuel a similar gasoline-powered car. Ultimately, this is a compelling economic proposition for a zero-emission car that meets all your driving needs."

So, under this proposed arrangement, I may someday buy an electric car, but lease the battery?  And the cost (including charging) should be about what we pay for gasoline?  We'll continue to keep you posted as this fascinating new technology emerges.

New Nissan Rogue Krom Due December 2009!

Here's the latest in the Nissan Krom specialty vehcicles lineup - the 2010 Nissan Rogue Krom.  According to Nissan, "The new Rogue Krom edition is designed to offer a unique dimension to traditional compact sport utility vehicles with its aggressive sport styling, exclusive 17-inch wheels and a center-exit sport-tuned exhaust.  Nissan also offers a Krōm edition of the popular Nissan cube."  Click here to visit the official Nissan Krom Website!

More From the Electric Avenue - Nissan

According to Nissan Motor Company President Carlos Ghosn, Nissan will expand its line of electric vehicles to the luxury Infiniti brand in as little as two years, and also will create an electric commercial van to sell to governments and fleet customers.  Speaking at the Tokyo Auto Show, Mr. Ghosn's comments indicate that the auto industry expects electric vehicles to penetrate multiple market segments and become a fixture in the world of transportation.

For example, click here to meet the Nissan Leaf - Nissan's initial entry in the consumer electric vehicle market.  The electric commercial van could have potential for delivery, taxi service, postal service and more.  And how's this for a unique concept car - the Nissan Land Glider, an electric motorcycle-shaped vehicle with a single front and single rear seat.  While it is unlikely that we will ever see the Land Glider in our Williams Nissan showroom, the groundwork laid by concept cars like the Land Glider will guide the design and engineering of the cars of the future - and the future may be closer than you think!