| 23 May 2007 | Nissan Releases All-New Dualis Midsize Crossover SUV
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. today launched sales of the all-new Dualis mid-size crossover sport utility vehicle (SUV) at Nissan dealers across Japan. The Dualis features an unprecedented vehicle body size and packaging combination with a definite European flavor. The car's dimensions approach those of a compact hatchback, while incorporating the spaciousness required of an SUV. As a result, the Dualis blends the outstanding dynamics and stability of an SUV with the agility and sportiness expected of a hatchback.
Development of the Dualis was led by Nissan's European design and engineering centers and targeted at the demanding driving conditions of the European market. Along with its powerful exterior design, the Dualis has been engineered with driving performance in mind. |
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| 26 Apr 2007 | Mazda announces its joint venture operation in China has commenced mass production
Mazda Motor Corporation has announced that the joint venture operation, Changan Ford Mazda Engine Co., Ltd. (CFME) in Nanjing has started mass production of the first BZ series engines to be built in China.
Smooth completion of the project, funded and managed by the joint venture established by Changan Automotive Group, Ford Motor Company and Mazda Motor Corporation, symbolizes the three partners’ mutual commitment and close cooperation. With the beginning of this mass production, CFME will continue to grow at a steady pace, with a production capacity of 350,000 units per year.
With a project investment of over RMB 2.5 billion, CFME began construction in September 2005, and has now completed three major production lines for casting, machining, and assembly. Five key components of the engine: the cylinder block, cylinder head, crankshaft, camshaft, and connecting rod, will be all manufactured on-site. As one of the largest engine manufacturing plants in China, CFME will supply engine products to each party's vehicle manufacturing operations in China.
“Mazda is committed to succeed in the China market and become a prominent contributor in the auto industry”, says Director and Senior Managing Executive Officer of Mazda Corporation, Mr. Kiyoshi Ozaki. “The Changan Ford Mazda Engine Company is significant in regard to three aspects. First of all, we will produce engines which are actually the “heart” of the vehicle. Second, it is a joint venture company with Changan, Ford and Mazda, through which we can further strengthen our strategic partnership in China. Third, with its operation in Nanjing, we can contribute to the development of the local economy and society. By exploring the full utilization of this plant, we will provide the best products to satisfy our customers here in China.”
CFME’s BZ series engine is one of the world’s finest engines, embodying the latest engine designs, manufacturing and engineering technologies from Mazda. The BZ series engine adopts a modern aluminum cylinder head and block, intake V V T (variable valve timing), plastic intake manifold, TSCV (tumble swirl control valve), and multi-point electronic fuel injection.
All of these features have significantly improved engine performance, adding more power and better fuel economy, reducing exhaust and noise as well as exceeding Chinese government standards. In addition to this, another engine series, the “I4”, will be introduced later this year.
Creating the world’s leading engine production facility is a top priority at CFME, which has introduced high-quality, efficient, and flexible production lines, while remaining committed to environmental protection and harmonious development. Combining Mazda’s revolutionary casting technology with a high-pressure casting technique, the casting plant is highly efficient and environmentally friendly. The machining lines are capable of switching conveniently between new and different models, meeting diverse production requirements. The assembly plant is fitted with innovative and highly effective integrated production lines, making it possible to assemble quality parts and whole engines of various types on the same assembly line. Flexible manufacturing technologies help increase capacity utilization and make it possible to add new models at minimum costs, satisfying the constantly changing demands of the auto market. |
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| 19 Apr 2007 | NISSAN COMMITS TO CLEAN DIESEL ENGINE IN MAXIMA IN 2010
Nissan announced its plans to launch its first clean diesel engine in the United States for use in the Nissan Maxima in 2010. The passenger car will be powered by an all-new Alliance engine co-developed with its partner, Renault, and will clear stringent U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Tier II Bin 5 emissions requirements. Further details about the car, including its launch date, will be announced later.
“Nissan is fully engaged in reducing emissions and improving fuel economy and efficiency. Launching a clean diesel engine in the U.S. will offer customers the benefits of fuel economy, CO2 reduction and a satisfying, fun-to-drive performance that is a hallmark of the Nissan brand,” said Carlos Ghosn, President and CEO of Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., in a speech at the Council on Foreign Relations. “You can expect to see more diesel engines in our product lineup in Europe, Japan, North America and China by fiscal year 2010.”
Nissan already has clean diesel engines in Europe offering significant fuel efficiency and the ability to run on bio-diesel fuel blends. Together, this combination reduces CO2 emissions and dependence on pure petroleum-based fuels. During the first half of fiscal year 2007, Nissan will introduce the new Euro 4-compliant, two-liter-class diesel engine in Europe. By fiscal year 2010, Nissan will launch vehicles with clean diesel engines in Japan, the United States and China.
This initiative is part of Nissan’s plan to reduce CO2 emissions for the future as outlined in Nissan Green Program 2010, the company’s mid-term environmental strategy. Nissan will be investing in a variety of technologies including fuel cell cars, hybrid cars, biofuel-based cars, electric vehicles, improvement in gasoline engines and clean diesels. The company is committed to bringing the right technology to the right market at the right time with the right value to the customer. |
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| 18 Apr 2007 | Nissan And Mitsubishi Expand OEM Business
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., and Mitsubishi Motors Corp. today announced that they have agreed to expand their current business collaboration by enhancing the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturing) contract scope.
Under the expanded OEM agreement, Mitsubishi will supply Nissan with the "TOWNBOX" minicar at a volume of 4,000 units per year. Nissan will supply Mitsubishi with the "AD and AD Expert" light commercial vehicles (LCV), at a volume of 3,000 units per year.
Mitsubishi has supplied Nissan with the "Clipper" (the Mitsubishi "Minicab") LCV and the "Otti" (Mitsubishi "eK Wagon") minicar, but this is the first time for Nissan to supply vehicles to Mitsubishi.
The agreement will allow both companies to improve productivity through expanded economies of scale, and offer their respective customers a wider range of products.
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| 13 Mar 2007 | NISSAN ADVANCES TESTING OF INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM
- Innovative vehicle-to-infrastructure communication system to help reduce traffic accidents and improve pedestrian safety -
Nissan Motors Co., Ltd. announced today that it will begin the next test-phase of its intelligent transportation system (ITS) project, employing vehicle-to-infrastructure communication that allows synchronized communication between vehicles and traffic light signals. Nissan will invest in the installation of an advanced traffic signal infrastructure within the site of the Nissan Technical Center, located in the Kanagawa Prefecture*1, to collect real-world vehicle data from several hundred employee cars participating in the project.
The new advanced traffic system will help reduce accidents as well as ease traffic congestion - specifically at traffic light intersections - leading to improved on-the-road fuel consumption. Since October 2006, Nissan has been conducting various experiments under its ITS Project in Kanagawa to help reduce accidents and ease traffic congestion.
The test-phase conducted within Nissan’s premises is representative of real-world traffic conditions, where relevant data from vehicles can be collected and analyzed under a closely-monitored environment. The vehicle-data input and corresponding traffic-signal output from the intersections is computed by an advanced traffic light system specifically installed for the test program.
Two intersecting main roads, one running east-west for two kilometers and the other running north-south for one kilometer, each with multiple intersections and crosswalks, provide the basic parameters for the ITS experiment. Nissan has installed standard traffic lights and roadside optical beacons along these test-roads. Traffic data can be collected from the employee cars and shuttle buses without any on-board vehicle-modification. However, for specific data to support the development of the navigation program under testing, several hundreds employee cars will be equipped with the Vehicle Information and Communications System units.
1. Help reduce pedestrian accidents: Traffic signals place priority on crossing pedestrians
Based on the traffic-volume conditions, the system will calculate to optimize the timing lapse between crossing pedestrians and the change in traffic-signal. At times, pedestrians tend to ignore prohibitive red traffic signals at road-crossings when they do not observe any vehicles within sight, which is a common cause of accidents. The current test program will contribute to Nissan’s research findings on ways to avoid such accidents.
In principle, when traffic conditions are lighter in the daytime, the pedestrian signal remains on green while the driver signal is maintained on red. When a vehicle approaches and stops at the light, the vehicle-system communicates with the traffic light beacon, which then allows the signal to switch to green. This system emphasizes the safety of the pedestrians by ensuring the pedestrian has the right-of-way each time.
When a driver slows down accordingly on approaching an intersection, the system again synchronizes the timing of the green signal with the approaching vehicle to minimize the need for repeated stops and acceleration, thus improving on-the-road fuel consumption under city-driving conditions. The test program will also include a virtual school zone*2, which will appear as a warning alert to speeding vehicles on its on-board navigation display.
2) Help reduce collisions due to traffic-signal oversights: Have traffic-signal alerts on-board vehicles
The traffic-signal alert system automatically appears on the navigation display as a vehicle enters within a specified distance to an approaching traffic light. This alert system is already being tested on public roads under the ITS project in Kanagawa. The advanced test-phase at the Nissan Technical Center will further study the effectiveness of the alert system related to specific factors such as Human-Machine Interface (HMI). To help minimize accidents due to traffic-signal oversights, Nissan is testing the possibility of providing higher levels of alert, control, and even intervention when a driver fails to respond to the traffic-signal alert.
3) Reduce congestion caused by red traffic signals and right-turn queues
Traffic congestion is often caused by red traffic signals and vehicles queuing to take a right turn from one lane streets. Nissan is developing its ITS system to optimize the timing intervals between changing traffic signals to correspond with real-time traffic volume and flow in order to ease traffic congestion. The advanced system is able to detect and respond to right-turning vehicles, thus reducing the queuing time and improve traffic flow at intersections. Current research is moving forward on methods to synchronize groups of traffic signals to facilitate smooth traffic flow over a wider scope of traffic conditions.
This next phase of Nissan’s ITS research aims to optimize communication between vehicles and traffic signals to create an advanced traffic system where traffic signals operate in tandem with the vehicle-data input according to varying traffic conditions. Nissan hopes to help reduce traffic accidents and road congestion. Looking ahead, the company will continue working closely with the relevant government agencies in bringing the current experiment onto public roads under the existing ITS project in Kanagawa.
Under the Nissan Green Program 2010, announced in December 2006, Nissan is working to develop new technologies to reduce carbon-dioxide emissions from its vehicle line-up and global operating facilities. The ITS project in Kanagawa contributes to the NGP 2010 objectives by reducing traffic congestion and vehicle CO2 emissions through improved on-the-road fuel consumption. |
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