Nissan hits million CVT goal

NISSAN sold more than one million vehicles (1,088,000) fitted with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) in its fiscal year ending March 31, 2008, achieving an interim target set under its self-imposed Nissan Green Program 2010.

The target was part of a core goal to reduce CO2 emissions of its vehicles by 40 per cent over 10 years and to meet and exceed fuel economy regulations in key regions, including Japan, Europe, North America and China.

Nissan claims CVTs emit up to 10 per cent less CO2 than conventional automatic transmissions. In Australia, Nissan offers a CVT as standard on the Murano mid-size SUV and Maxima sedan, and as an option on the Dualis and X-Trail compact SUVs.

In the first quarter of this year (the final quarter of Nissan’s FY2007), CVT-equipped models accounted for 17.6 per cent of Nissan Australia’s sales.

Left: Nissan Dualis.

Globally, CVT represented 28.6 per cent of Nissan sales for the full fiscal year. The Japanese manufacturer has vowed to introduce a range of other technologies that reduce CO2 emissions.

These include: four-cylinder petrol engines that combine direct injection with next-generation turbocharger systems (from FY2010) V6 and V8 engines which combine direct injection with Nissan’s Variable Valve Event & Lift System, or VEL (from FY2010) a small petrol engine that will enable a global compact car to consume a hybrid-matching 3.0L/100km (from 2010, starting in Japan) continual development of bio-ethanol-capable vehicles and development of clean diesel engines, one of which includes the Renault-developed Euro IV-compliant 2.0-litre diesel to be offered in the X-Trail in Australia from July.

It also plans to launch a hybrid car in Japan and the US in FY2010 and a fully electric vehicle in Japan “during the early part of the next decade”.

To that end, Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn said last week the company was intent on becoming a “global leader” in the production of electric vehicles and was developing a range of electric-only cars that would be affordable even in emerging markets.

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