As the Nissan LEAF is shipped via the ocean to various ports, it’s fitting that some of those electric vehicles will reach their destination via a solar power assisted ship.
Nissan Motor has unveiled the Nichioh Maru, an energy efficient ship powered by an electronically controlled diesel engine and fitted with 281 solar panels to minimize diesel generator use - the first ship in Japan to implement solar power at this scale.
“This carrier is important in many ways. In my opinion, as a captain, I have no doubt that this ship will be a front runner in this industry,” says Tamotsu Sato, captain of the Nichioh Maru.
The ship has been nicknamed “Roro”, referring to the roll-on and roll-off method of loading and unloading the vehicles.
In addition to other energy efficiency measures such as LED lighting, Nichioh Maru also has a special coating on its hull to help reduce friction with the sea.
According to Nissan, the Nichioh Maru will achieve a fuel reduction of up to nearly 1,400 tons annually compared to other similar ships. This represents a reduction of 4,200 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually.
Able to hold up to 1,380 cars, Nichioh Maru will run a 1,800 km domestic roundtrip route from Oppama Wharf near Yokohama, to Kobe, and then to the southern island of Kyushu twice a week.
The Nichioh Maru is part of Nissan Green Program 2016, a program promoting green activities in development and manufacturing associated with the production of automobiles; in sales, service, and all other departments company-wide. Part of the program includes a target of selling 1.5 million electric vehicles by 2016. Last year, the company sold just under 10,000 Nissan Leaf vehicles globally.
Aside from being a mode of transportation, Nissan unveiled a system last year that enables electricity stored in the Nissan LEAF’s batteries to be used as a household backup power supply. The Nissan Leaf can store enough energy to run the average Australian household for over a day.
