Click the Denki Cube for a high res gallery
By mid-2009, Nissan plans to cover the entire gamut of the automotive spectrum, ranging from the compact Cube to the supercar-fighting GT-R. That's the word from Nissan this morning as they announced that the new Cube will come to the US market next year to fill the void left behind by the dearly departed first gen Scion xB. For now, Nissan is only showing off the current gen Cube that's available in Japan along with the Denki Cube. The Denki is the lithium ion battery-powered version that Nissan is testing and hopes to bring to market early in the next decade. The batteries are a new laminated lithium type that are stashed under the floor and rear seats. Nissan has a joint venture with NEC to supply batteries for the new energy storage system.
[Source: Nissan]
Nissan's "Denki Cube" Electric Vehicle Concept Brings Distinctive Spirit Into Play in New York Auto Show Debut
New York City is about to get a lesson in what happens when geography meets geometry – specifically, when the world, which is round, meets the Nissan Cube, which is essentially square. The occasion is the world debut of the Nissan Denki (Japanese for "electric") Cube Concept at the 2008 New York International Auto Show.
The lithium-ion battery-powered Denki Cube electric vehicle concept, which will be on public display at the Nissan exhibit at Jacob Javits Convention Center from March 21 through March 30, was created to draw attention to Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.'s (NML) global environmental efforts. It also serves as a preview of Nissan's future small car strategy for the North American market, which includes plans to sell a redesigned gasoline-powered, next-generation Cube at Nissan dealers in the United States and Canada beginning in 2009.
"The Denki Cube Concept is a fun way to expose American buyers to one of Nissan's most popular home market cars at a time when fuel economy and packaging efficiency are on a lot of people's minds," said Al Castignetti, senior vice president, sales and marketing, Nissan North America, Inc. "Like the production Cube on which it is based, the Denki Cube Concept is boxy yet charming, fashionable and functional, and completely tuned in to today's needs for enjoyable efficiency."
About the Denki Cube Concept
In creating the Denki Cube Concept, the designers started with a well-defined canvas, the current-generation Nissan Cube. The iconic Cube has always been the antithesis of traditional automotive style – square, minimalist, asymmetrical and humble – yet also warm, relaxing, practical and undeniably charming. To this solid foundation, the Denki Cube adds a new EV powertrain and unique exterior and interior treatments.
The Denki Cube Concept's exterior features fresh front and rear styling treatments, including a new "electric themed" front grille design with an AC power charging port, a radical "lightning" headlight design and new bumpers and turn signal lamps. In the rear, the signature Cube asymmetrical rear quarter area (with wraparound glass on one side) has been enhanced by a new bumper with hidden taillights. The roof sheet metal has been replaced with a full fixed glass panel that enhances the interior's sense of wide-open space. The Denki Cube Concept exterior also features new door mirrors and unique 16-inch wheel covers. The finishing touch is provided by a special white pearl paint and graphics.
Inside, the Denki Cube Concept reflects the designers' intention of creating a relaxing, moving social hub, like a favorite room in an owner's house. Though the production Cube offers three rows of seating, the Denki Cube Concept offers only two rows and the wheelbase has been stretched 9.4 inches in order to better accommodate the lithium-ion battery cells. The newly designed front and second row seats are joined by a revised instrument panel with an IP-mounted shift button, a special steering wheel design and new door panel and cargo area trim.
The biggest transformation from production Cube to Denki Cube Concept is one that isn't visible – the replacement of the standard 1.3-liter inline 4-cylinder gasoline engine with an electric motor and laminated lithium-ion batteries located under the floor and seats. The laminated structure and unique material technology offer more power, energy and battery stability, as well as compact size and packaging flexibility, versus conventional cylindrical batteries.
Nissan's compact lithium-ion battery technology, one of the company's traditional strengths, provides batteries with twice as much energy compared with a conventional cylindrical battery of the same type and safer operation due to the use of chemically stable spine-structured manganese for the electrode material. In order to better leverage Nissan's lithium-ion battery capabilities, a new company, Automotive Energy Supply Corp. (AESC), was jointly established with NEC Corp. and NEC Tokin Corp. – with the goal of dramatically enhancing future battery performance and reducing battery costs.
"Nissan first had an electric vehicle in the road in 1947 and has been field-testing lithium-ion batteries for more than ten years," said Castignetti. "Our ongoing goal is to dramatically enhance future battery performance while reducing battery costs."
About Nissan Green Program 2010
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.'s (NML) mid-term environmental action plan, Nissan Green Program 2010 (NGP 2010), is designed to fulfill Nissan's environmental philosophy of "symbiosis of people, vehicles and nature" and contribute to a sustainable mobile society. NGP 2010 is specifically focused on reducing CO2 emissions both from Nissan products as well as from day-to-day corporate activities.
Nissan is focused on three core areas related to the environment: reducing CO2 emissions; reducing exhaust emissions; and accelerating recycling efforts.
Highlights of Nissan Green Program 2010 include:
Incorporating CO2 reduction as one of the key management performance indicators.
Launch a "three-liter car" with a target of 2010; a gasoline-fueled car that runs 100 kilometers on three liters of fuel.
Expand availability of Flexible Fuel Vehicles (FFV) within the next three years.
Launch a Nissan electric vehicle early in the next decade.
Develop an original Nissan hybrid vehicle targeted for launch in FY2010.
Accelerate development of plug-in hybrid technology.
By 2010, reduce CO2 emissions from global manufacturing plants by 7% (per unit) compared to 2005.
"The Nissan Green Program 2010 provides a transparent view of Nissan's future commitments to all aspects of environmental management," said Toshiyuki Shiga, Chief Operating Officer, NML. "Nissan Green Program 2010 has been designed to address immediate challenges as well as creating the foundation towards a long-term sustainable business model."
[Source: Nissan]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
TriShield @ Mar 19th 2008 2:30PM
Extremely cool and hopefully it will show Toyota that redesigning a funky, JDM car for American tastes was a really stupid thing to do.
It's the small, distinctly Japanese flavor of Scion's imports and cars like this that make them hits. Toyota ruined that when they redesigned the xB.
zamafir @ Mar 19th 2008 2:36PM
x2, and how i wish nissan had released the original cube years before scion was even a brand :(.
What's the damn range already?
MajorGeek @ Mar 19th 2008 2:50PM
Lot of people seem to like it, I am not feeling it. The one posted the other day looked nicer, was it Hyundai or something?
Andrew @ Mar 19th 2008 3:11PM
Shouldnt the back window have the blacked out column on the passenger side since they would be left hand drive here in the US?
mehugtree @ Mar 19th 2008 3:27PM
I like it. Maybe by the time it comes out I'll be in the market for an electric companion to my gen1 xB.
Josh @ Mar 19th 2008 4:52PM
When's the last time we saw a front row bench? Awesome.
Carl Johnson @ Mar 27th 2008 11:38AM
If General Motors came out with a vehicle that looked identical to the "Denki Cube", everybody would be laughing and yelling about "how dirt ugly and butt ugly" it looked. But, since Denki is coming out with it...... people are calling it "heavyweight cool, rad, hip and so totally now!!"
Fawn @ Mar 30th 2008 7:57AM
These have already been seen and driven in Europe over a year now.
Jean C. Wright @ Mar 30th 2008 6:01PM
I drive a 1994 Camery Wagon and keep hoping Toyota will reinvent the wheel and put out a desel wagon with dual tanks for normal desel and biodesil as well as an engine block heater for cold climate use. Current hybreds are great for local driving, but a pain in the 'neck' on a trip, and the tiny conversion tanks available for volkswagon set ups are also a pain with which to deal. Frankly, Volkswagon people are idiots not to provide deisel engines with a block heater for winter use!
Fifty's had style @ Mar 31st 2008 10:30AM
Instead of making cars that look like boxes why don't they bring back tail fin's. Also devise something to look like chrome to give the cars some flare.
Fifty\\\'s had style @ Mar 31st 2008 10:31AM
Instead of making cars that look like boxes, why don't they bring back tail fin's. Maybe design a material to look like chrome. At least in the fifty's you could tell cars apart now they all look the same. The boxie Chevy looks just like the Caddy. We need new designers