Nissan open to China green car alliance

Nissan Motor Co. is open to a green car alliance with Chinese motor vehicle makers, a senior executive said, as it moves to tap the fledgling industry in the worlds largest car market.  Nissan, which is 44% held by Renault SA, is joining General Motors Corp. and others in the race for green vehicles in China. Its impossible to develop electric vehicles alone. Joint effort is a more feasible solution, Yasuaki Hashimoto, president of Nissan China Investment Co., said. When asked whether Nissan was interested in being part of a green vehicle alliance, made up of 16 Chinese state auto groups, Hashimoto said: We are open to all options. In September, the Dongfeng Nissan Passenger Vehicle Company (Dongfeng Nissan), Nissan’s local partner in China, launched the new March (Micra) model, which will compete with Honda’s Fit, Hyundai’s Accent, and the Toyota Yaris in the Chinese market. The new model, priced between 69,900-92,900 yuan (US$10,296US$13,684), sports a 1.5-liter gasoline engine, with a five-speed manual gearbox. The model would also be available with a four-speed automatic gearbox. (September 4, 2010)