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Nissan has developed the battery it will use for electric Leaf, but the automaker is already working on its next-generation battery design - and it may be sold to other automakers.
Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn told Automotive News that he expects the next-generation battery pack to be smaller and lighter than the current design. He also expects the new battery to be less expensive to manufacture.
"If you want to be in control of the cost, you'd better be involved [with the development]," Ghosn said. "We want to make sure we can drive the battery where we want to go."
Ghosn revealed little else about the next-gen battery, but Nissan is working with the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory to develop batteries. Oak Ridge has said a battery capable of delivering 400 miles on a single charge is feasible.
Nissan also believes it can make money simply by developing and manufacturing batteries, largely by selling them to other automakers. A plant in Smyrna, Tennessee, will reportedly be able to build 200,000 batteries each year, and Ghosn says Nissan will "sell the battery to whoever is interested."
Source: Automotive News