Nissan is planning to introduce an all-electric plug-in EV by late next year which will use the Cube platform. Expect to see the as yet unnamed 5-door hatchback as fleet vehicles and driven by a few private owners. Nissan has been working on the concept of an all-electric vehicle, refining power plants and maximizing battery packs for the last twenty years; with that experience Nissan plans to shake up the automobile industry next year.

GM, which will introduce the 40 mile range Chevrolet Volt and Cadillac Converj using its Voltec power train, asserts that 40 miles is about the average distance most people drive in the daily commute. With its lithium ion battery, Nissan boasts that the new EV will have a range of approximately 100 miles according to Motor Trend. Nissan hopes that the 100 mile range will satisfy the needs of roughly 98 percent of commuter's daily needs in the U.S.

Through the incorporation of ingenious laminate lithium-ion/manganese sectional batteries, Nissan plans to offer the ability to plug in and obtain a "Fast Charge," which would charge the battery 80 percent and take only 25 minutes. This feature would come in addition to the standard charge from your home 120 volt or 220 volt outlets. Nissan will have to address the logistical issues of drivers recharging away from home however. Work has already begun to establish partnerships with local governments and supporting industry to create charging stations at malls and other destinations, as well as those needed along major highways.