Nissan to Buy Nickel-Hydrogen Battery from Toyota Venture

10/17/96

Nikkei English News reports that Nissan Motor Co. will use a nickel-hydrogen battery supplied by a joint venture to power its electric cars. Among the four parties in the joint venture are Toyota Motor Corporation and Matsushita Electric Industrial Company. Nissan will use the batteries for cars to be marketed in California beginning in 1998 or later.

The joint venture will soon be established and is tentatively named Panasonic EV Energy. Earlier, Honda Motor Co. announced that it will use the venture's battery in electric cars. Nissan's decision to use the battery marks the first time it will purchase a key auto component from a Toyota affiliate.

One industry analyst suggested that if leading automakers agree to use a single high-performance, long-life battery, it could become a domestic standard. Mass production of the cell could then help cut the cost of electric cars.

Paul Dever -- The Auto Channel