The new electric car from Nissan will be available in the United States in 2010 and will use a rear wheel powertrain that will deliver twice the power as conventional nickel-metal batteries. Nissan said in a statement that, “Under the NISSAN GT 2012 business plan, the company has committed to zero-emission vehicle leadership, and has announced plans to introduce an all-electric vehicle in 2010 and mass market globally in 2012. The advanced laminated compact lithium-ion batteries are installed under the floor, without sacrificing either cabin or cargo space. The production vehicle to be introduced in 2010 will have a unique body-style and is not based on any existing Nissan model. “The parallel-power train system comprises an energy-optimizing system with two clutches, where one motor is directly connected to an engine and transmission via two separate clutches. Under changing driving conditions, the motor switches between the two clutches to optimize and conserve energy utilization as well as improve fuel-efficiency.” The battery will automatically turn on if the car is idle and then shut off the motor in an effort to save fuel.