Nissan Opens Technology Research Center

At Nissan's new complex for technology, experimental car batteries were sitting in freezing temperatures, getting cooked in giant metal boxes and being rattled to simulate driving _ part of the automaker's efforts to catch up in the race to develop green vehicles.

The lithium-ion batteries, seen as advantageous because of their smaller size compared to existing systems, were being tested to withstand extreme temperatures at the center that opened Tuesday in Atsugi, just west of Tokyo.

The new facility underlines Nissan Motor Co.'s determination to develop environmental and safety technologies that are increasingly critical for riding out the tough competition in the auto industry.

"Whether products with technology that appeals to consumers can be offered in a timely manner will determine the winners and the losers," Nissan Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn said in Japanese at the opening of the Advanced Technology Center.



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