Electric vehicle technology to power new Nissan office in Europe
- Nissan’s new office in France to house largest grid-integrated energy hub, powered by Nissan electric vehicle technology
- 100 vehicle-to-grid chargers to form largest ever grid-integrated EV system
- 64 Nissan LEAF batteries to power stationary energy storage system
- Nissan explores rolling out technologies at other European sites
GENEVA (Switzerland) 1st March 2016: Nissan today announced that its new regional office in France will house the largest grid-integrated electric vehicle (EV) system and second life battery storage unit ever installed in a building, anywhere in the world.
As the pioneers of the Nissan LEAF, the world’s best-selling 100% electric car, today’s announcement is representative of Nissan’s commitment to pushing its expertise in EV and battery production to the next level. The company is developing an ecosystem of technologies that work seamlessly together to create sustainable and efficient solutions for the future.
It also marks an important step in the company’s plans to make its Intelligent Mobility vision a reality in Europe. The integration of this technology is a clear demonstration of how cars in the future can be connected to social infrastructure such as road, information and electric power networks, and brings to life the vision’s third pillar – Intelligent Integration.
The new building will feature 100 vehicle-to-grid chargers, from Nissan’s partner ENEL, allowing Nissan’s range of EVs to plug in and draw down energy from the grid at off-peak periods with the ability to “sell back” the stored energy to the grid. It will also feature a 1 MWh energy storage system, from Nissan’s partner EATON, the battery storage experts, powered by 64 Nissan LEAF second life EV batteries combined with solar energy generation.
The company hopes to extend this innovative battery technology to other major Nissan sites and facilities around the world over the next few years. The systems which will be installed at Nissan’s new French office will serve as a live test case of what can be achieved when electric cars are used to their full potential.
Making the announcement at the Geneva Motor Show, Paul Willcox, Chairman, Nissan Europe, said: “At Nissan, we’re going beyond product. Innovation is about more than creating something new. It’s about making something better and finding solutions for the future.
“Nissan’s electric vehicle batteries extend our expertise beyond production to finding new and innovative ways to store and transfer energy.
“By demonstrating that electric vehicles can play an integral part in the energy management systems of the future, this project is a watershed moment on our journey towards a fully electric future.”
By reducing grid dependency and using excess energy stored in EV batteries in a smart way, Nissan believes today’s announcement will be a game-changer in the way people and businesses utilise electric vehicle fleets.
The new technology is expected to slash energy costs at the new France office by reducing drawdown of energy during peak periods in favour of off-peak tariffs. The new energy management system will also decrease the amount of contracted power consumed from the local electricity supplier.
“Nissan has always been at the frontier of electric vehicle technology and we’re excited to be using our expertise to adopt a more sustainable approach to powering our business,” added Willcox.
Nissan announced plans to create a viable long-term solution to environmental protection in relation to energy use and storage at the COP21 climate conference in Paris last year. This included a partnership between Nissan and EATON on giving electric vehicle batteries a second life as stationary energy storage units and a partnership with ENEL on vehicle-to-grid integration. Grid integration trials have already begun in Denmark.
ENDS
About Nissan in Europe
Nissan has one of the most comprehensive European presences of any overseas manufacturer, employing more than 17,600 staff across locally-based design, research & development, manufacturing, logistics and sales & marketing operations. In 2014 Nissan plants in the UK, Spain and Russia produced more than 675,000 vehicles including award-winning crossovers, small cars, SUVs, commercial vehicles and electric vehicles, including the Nissan LEAF, the world's most popular electric vehicle with 96% of customers willing to recommend the car to friends. Nissan now offers a strong line-up of 23 diverse and innovative models in Europe under the Nissan and Datsun brands.
About Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
Nissan is a global full-line vehicle manufacturer that sells more than 60 models under the Nissan, Infiniti and Datsun brands. In fiscal year 2014, the company sold more than 5.3 million vehicles globally, generating revenue of 11.3 trillion yen. Nissan engineers, manufactures and markets the world's best-selling all-electric vehicle in history, the Nissan LEAF. Nissan’s global headquarters in Yokohama, Japan manages operations in six regions: ASEAN & Oceana; Africa, Middle East & India; China; Europe; Latin America and North America. Nissan has a global workforce of 247,500, and has been partnered with French manufacturer Renault under the Renault-Nissan Alliance since March 1999.
Media Contacts:
Katherine Zachary, Nissan Europe
KZachary@nissan-europe.com
Tel: +33 172 672 922
Kayleigh Edwards, Nissan Europe
Kayleigh.edwards@ntc-europe.co.uk
Tel: +44 1234 755860
Mob: +44 7866 030666
