Nissan is tying up with electronics maker NEC to produce batteries for ecologically friendly vehicles, the companies said Friday, signaling efforts by the automaker to catch up with rivals that have a head start in green technology.
Nissan Motor Co., Japan's No. 3 automaker, and NEC Corp. are investing 490 million yen to set up a joint venture by month's end to produce lithium-ion batteries for environmentally friendly vehicles, including electric cars and hybrids, by 2009, they said in a statement.
Nissan has fallen behind Japanese rivals Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. in developing hybrids and other ecological technologies that reduce gas emissions blamed for global warming.