NASHVILLE, TN – Nissan is moving full speed ahead with plans to introduce a pure electric car in 2010 for fleet customers in Japan and the United States, according to www.autoweek.com. After testing its vehicle with fleet customers, Nissan will market the electric car worldwide in 2012 to retail customers. The car will be powered by lithium ion batteries developed in Nissan’s joint venture with NEC Corp. 

According to Nissan executives, the first production vehicles will be for regional areas like California. Nissan is testing its lithium batteries in the Cube, a tall, boxy car sold in Japan. The vehicle’s styling is reminiscent of the squared-off Scion xB. Nissan will sell the next-generation Cube in the United States, but it is unclear as to whether the electric vehicle will actually be called the Cube. 

In New York, Nissan will unveil a battery-powered concept car that hints at the vehicle’s future styling and technology. The production vehicle will have a daily range of 100 miles, with an estimated top speed of 75 mph. A complete recharge will take about eight hours. The lithium ion battery pack will have 24 cells, each with four batteries.