Nissan says it will field a fuel-cell-powered electric vehicle sometime after 2010 as part of a new initiative dubbed Nissan Green Program 2010.

The initiative, Nissan COO Toshiyuki Shiga told reporters this morning inJapan, was to provide "a transparent view of Nissan's future commitments to all aspects of environmental management."



The plan includes several different means of cutting the environmental impact of Nissan vehicles worldwide. The highlights include:

The introduction of a fuel-cell car after 2010;

Development of a Nissan hybrid vehicle without assistance from other automakers (Nissan uses Toyota technology in the Altima Hybrid);

Accelerate development of a plug-in hybrid;

Incorporating CO2 reduction as one of the key management performance indicators;

The launch of a "three-liter car," which can run 100 km on three liters of gas, by 2010;

And the expansion of flexible-fuel vehicles over the next three years, including the addition of an Armada flex-fuel vehicle.



Nissan also says it is committing to cut the carbon dioxide produced by its worldwide manufacturing base by seven percent, over the 2005-10 time period.



While fuel cells will be among the targets the company sets for green vehicles of the future, Nissan still believes that gas is the fuel for most vehicles for the foreseeable future. "Nissan believes that the internal combustion engine will continue to serve as the primary power source for vehicles," a statement from the automaker indicated. The three-liter car and original hybrid technologies are the company's means of improving current gas-powered cars while fuel cells emerge.



In Japan , Nissan is also committing to the introduction of six vehicles that will surpass fuel-economy standards by 20 percent, will have emissions 75 percent below 2005 levels, and will come with cabin air-quality management systems. Direct injection and turbocharging will be used to reach these targets.



Lastly, Nissan plans to add variable valve timing to its North American vehicles over the next few years, and to develop a new range of clean diesels that will meet tough new U.S. diesel regs.

DETROIT (Reuters) - Nissan North America (7201.T: Quote, Profile, Research has a warning for customers: placing your electronic key too close to your cellphone could leave you stranded.

The automaker is asking customers driving new models of two of its flagship sedans to keep their car keys and cellphones at least an inch apart to avoid disabling the "intelligent keys."

Cellphones kept near Nissan's I-Keys -- wireless devices designed to allow drivers to enter and start their cars at the push of a button -- can erase the electronic code on the keys, rendering them unable to unlock or start the cars.

The problem has occurred on the 2007 Nissan Altima and Infiniti G35 sedans -- two of their top-selling models, the company said on Thursday.


"We discovered that if the I-Key touches a cellphone, outgoing or incoming calls have the potential to alter the electronic code inside the I-Key," Nissan spokesman Kyle Bazemore said.

"The car won't start and the I-Key cannot be reprogrammed," he added.

The problem has occurred in a "very small percentage" of cars sold, Bazemore said. He also said a new version of the I-Key would be available in the fall.

Bazemore said current owners have been notified of the potential glitch via mail and can get new keys from dealers if they encounter the problem.