From Reuters: Nissan Motor expects to start producing electric vehicle batteries at its new plant in Portugal by the end of next year, and aims for annual output of 50,000 by 2015.
"It's a big step in Nissan's global zero emission strategy," Chief Operating Officer Toshiyuki Shiga said on Friday after the company broke ground on a plant in northern Portugal.
Nissan and its French partner Renault are the most aggressive proponents of battery-powered cars, aiming to become the first in the world to sell them in large numbers with a global rollout of eight models in 2012.
"We are investing 156 million euros to start production in December 2012 and produce 50,000 batteries per year by 2015," Shiga said of the Portugal plant.
The plant, set to employ 200 people, will be one of the main battery supply bases for both Nissan and Renault's EVs, starting with the Leaf model Nissan launched in December.
Nissan started building a plant in Sunderland in the United Kingdom last April with a projected production of 60,000 batteries per year, while Renault's factory in France's Flins targets a total capacity of 100,000 a year.
The company does not rule out selling batteries to other EV manufacturers.
"This plant will produce, for now, for the Renault-Nissan alliance, but given our business stance and environmental values, if other clients are interested, then we are open to selling the batteries," Nissan executive vice-president Carlos Tavares told reporters.
The plant is another step in Nissan's alliance with Portugal, following a deal that will see the Iberian country roll out the world's first nationwide EV charging network, with 1,300 charging points due to be installed by June.
"This is what the country needs -- new factories, new investments, more production and more jobs," Prime Minister Jose Socrates said at the ground-breaking ceremony.
VIDEO: Nissan EV battery plant in Portugal
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