Japanese car giant Nissan displayed its new system for powering electric vehicles yesterday, a technology that while not revolutionary, certainly provides the market with a much needed upgrade. The company describes the new battery system as a “platform…comprised of a highly rigid body, high-performance motor, compact lithium-ion battery with high power output and energy capacity, delivering outstanding driving performance and safety while offering a quiet and peaceful driving experience – a unique feature of a fully-electric drivetrain.”

While the market awaits the next big advance in electric car technology, Nissan’s timely launch solidifies its position within the Asian market. The EV platform, as Nissan is calling it, will be “incorporated into a new vehicle body that will be unveiled at the beginning of August” according to the website Technology Review. This model will apparently be more durable and safer than other electric cars currently available.

Nissan intends to have a vehicle ready for production and limited distribution in 2010, most likely modeled on the Cube, a boxy looking car which Autoweek.com noted as being similar in design to the Scion. Masahiko Tabe, Nissan’s manager of advanced vehicle engineering, said in a statement to the website that “The first production vehicles will be for regional areas like California. We will later expand the EV all over the world.”

One concern with the EV system, as with many other battery-operated electric engines, will of course be range. Nissan claims that the EV will be able to cover 100 miles on a single charge, but as a recognition of the inherent limitations, has added features to help offset the per-charge distance. Those features, according to Nissan’s press release, will be the following:

Maximum range display

• With a simple touch of a button, the navigation map shows the driving radius within range under the current state of charge.
• The system can calculate if the vehicle is within range of a pre-set destination.

Update on charging stations

• The navigation system points out the latest information on available charging stations within the current driving range.
• Detailed information for each charging station will also be displayed.

Timer function

• The timer function enables the air-conditioner or battery charging to begin at a specified time. The air-conditioner can be pre-set while the vehicle is plugged-in to cool the cabin to a desirable temperature before driving begins, without taxing the vehicle’s battery. Meanwhile, the battery charging can be set to start at a specified time at night to benefit from more favorable electricity rates.

EV remote control and monitoring function

• The driver can monitor the state-of-charge of the EV via an online website and a cellular phone. For example, when the battery is fully charged, a message alert is sent to the cellular phone. Additional remote control functions range from switching the charging system ON/OFF or setting the air-conditioner timer.

It will be interesting to see if this is enough to sway the consumer market to make the switch away from traditional fueled automobiles towards electric-powered models. Given the limited distance it can travel on a single charge, despite the added features, this entrant still seems geared to metropolitan areas, which certainly present a large opportunity if the marketing message and price point are right.