Nissan announced last week that its presentation at the 2010
Geneva Motor Show will include a compact car with the V-Platform drive system.
This drive system is slated for implementation in two Nissan models over the
next three years in China, India and Thailand. The V-Platform by Nissan
features a three cylinder, 1.0-liter engine paired with a continuously variable
transmission (CVT). This compact car along with future V-Platform models will
reduce the automaker’s overall emissions level while increasing fuel mileage
dramatically.
The V-Platform was created by Nissan to remedy its lack of
compact car models, accommodate consumer needs and show potential uses for
its fuel-efficient drive system in future models. Nissan is focused on local production of
V-Platform vehicles along with increasing cost efficiencies to lower barriers to vehicle
adoptions among consumers in developing economies. Nissan models using the
V-Platform will be produced in China, India and Thailand with future production facilities possible in North America. The automaker indicates that up to 90% of
parts used in V-Platform vehicles will be built or purchased within local
markets. Nissan’s Global Production Engineering Center worked with designers
and plant managers in these three countries to ensure that the V-Platform is
built the same from market to market.
In addition to locally sourced production, Nissan’s
V-Platform features more efficient vehicle designs than the competition. Nissan
states that the V-Platform compact car uses 18% fewer parts than competing
models, which translates into lower overhead costs. The compact car presented
in Geneva next March will share 82% of its parts with future V-Platform models.
The hope for Nissan is that the dual forces of fewer parts and parts sharing
between models will lead to lower costs for consumers.
Nissan plans to produce 200,000 to 300,000 units per year
after initial implementation in Thailand in spring 2010. The automaker
anticipates production of V-Platform models in excess of one million units per year by
the time of full implementation. The compact car slated for the 2010 Geneva
Motor Show allows Nissan to succeed in growing regional markets while looking to the
future. Since compact cars represent 20% of new auto sales worldwide, Nissan is
looking to capitalize on its fuel-efficient V-Platform in the present. The
V-Platform’s focus on fewer parts, lighter bodies and efficient engines will
evolve as Nissan develops hybrid and all-electric drive systems in the future.
