Nissan to produce Lithium-ion batteries in Portugal

Fuel cells especially lithium ion batteries are high on demand as a result of growing popularity of hybrids and EVs. If the rumours are to be believed Nissan has commenced the construction of a lithium-ion battery manufacturing plant, where the company already builds transmission for Renault vehicles.

Already in news, Nissan's electric car Nissan Leaf has created a hysteria in the western market. The car will be equipped with lithium-ion batteries running the engine. Cars like GM’s Chevrolet Volt, Mitsubishi’s iMiEV and hybrid’s such as Toyota Prius and Honda Civic will be competing with the company's new venture Nissan Leaf.

The report suggests that Nissan's new plant is likely to be built adjacent to the Renault transmission plant.Nissan is spending a whooping 156 million euro($210.2 million) on this plant which will be spread on a 30,450-sq-meter plot. However, the plant is expected to go operational by December 2012, with a capacity to manufacture 50,000 battery modules a year. As per the report, Toshiyuki Shiga, Nissan’s chief operating officer said that the Cacia plant will be among one of the three facilities in Europe supplying batteries to electric vehicles produced by the Alliance, starting with the 100 per cent electric Nissan Leaf.

According to the report, Nissan's two other lithium-ion battery facilities are in pipeline which are expected to come on stream in early 2012. Out the two facilities one is being built near Nissan's assembly plant at Sunderland, UK and the other one is being built at Flins in France. These facilities are expected to produce 60,000 and 100,000 batteries respectively.

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