Nissan Motor to supply Chinese partner with EV technology

Nissan Motor Co. is intensifying efforts to catch up with and move ahead of its rivals in the market for next-generation environmentally friendly cars. Nissan President Carlos Ghosn told Dong Feng Automobile Co. executives in early September that the Japanese automaker would provide the Chinese joint venture partner with its EV-related technology “unlimitedly,” according to people present at the meeting in the central Chinese province of Hubei. Ghosn’s stance distinguishes Nissan from other automakers, who are concerned about the possibility of technological leakage due to China’s demand that foreign carmakers offer EV technology to Chinese manufacturers in return for local production. (October 13, 2010)