As its Japanese rivals Toyota and Honda tout the potential benefits of hydrogen-powered vehicles, Nissan is sticking with electrons, and plans to introduce fuel-cell cars only “in the long-term future.”

“We need to promote the electric vehicle first rather than hydrogen,” Vice Chairman Toshiyuki Shiga told the Japan Times in a recent interview. “At the moment we are showing quite good results for the electric vehicle sales…we have a quite optimistic view for the future of EV expansion. Nissan is still the leader of the electric vehicle [and] wants to keep the lead in the world.”

“At the moment, especially in the case of Japan, the cost or investment for a hydrogen station is still quite expensive, even though the government is now ready to provide some subsidy. The electric vehicle is (currently) more economically feasible for the customers,” said Shiga.

Whereas other automakers are rushing to launch fuel-cell cars in order to meet US regulations on zero-emission vehicles, Nissan is already able to comply with those requirements, Shiga said.

Shiga is particularly optimistic about the market for EVs in China. “The Chinese government is now strongly pushing to increase EV [sales], especially to reduce air pollution in the country. Maybe there are a lot of opportunities for us to expand,” he said. “We are looking for new Chinese customers and to launch new products which are more focused on the younger generation, the post-80s generation.”

Source: Japan Times