PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, Nissan announced that LEAF owners worldwide have achieved a staggering milestone, having collectively driven an astonishing three billion kilometres. The automaker celebrated the announcement by launching new digital platform, Electrify The World, and opening a pay with energy pop-up café in Paris.
The pay with energy café is open to the general public in Paris for a limited time only, from the 16th – 18th December this year. The Nissan Electric Café offers customers the opportunity to use cutting-edge technology to produce their own energy. They can then use this energy as a currency to pay for goods and services, allowing them to experience the electric lifestyle for themselves.
The pop-up features a range of new technologies, which embody Nissan Intelligent Mobility, including an xStorage Home unit, developed by global power management company, Eaton, in partnership with Nissan. Powered by second-life Nissan EV batteries or new EV batteries, xStorage Home is an energy storage system designed to give consumers greater control over how and when they use energy in their own homes enabling them to avoid expensive tariff periods. The system now comes in six different configurations giving consumers greater choice to meet their energy needs. Consumers in the UK, Germany, Norway and also now in France can pre-order xStorage Home.
Gareth Dunsmore, Director of Electric Vehicles, Nissan Europe, said: “When we introduced the world’s first mass-market electric vehicle, the Nissan LEAF, it triggered a new wave of interest in zero emission technology and was the first step on our path to achieving Intelligent Mobility. Since then, our electric vehicles have grown in popularity and today, our LEAF customers have reached a landmark moment, having collectively driven over three billion kilometres, saving almost 500 million kilograms of CO2 emissions.”
“But electric vehicles are just one element of Nissan’s vision. Our pay with energy café is the perfect way of showcasing how we can potentially revolutionise the way in which we generate and utilise energy. We want to allow people to experience for themselves how new technologies such as xStorage Home can benefit their lives today, as well as help improve the lives of future generations.”
Nissan has partnered with a number of technology and energy companies to create this pop-up. Visitors can walk along a corridor of Pavegen electro-magnetic induction tiles to generate power and can try out the Pavegen photo-pod, where customers are challenged to jump on the tiles to produce enough energy to take a photograph. The café also features WeWatt’s innovative bar seating system, which encourages people to cycle whilst sitting down until they generate a target wattage and are rewarded with a beverage of their choice.
The opening of the Nissan Electric Café launches Electrify The World, a new digital community platform. Through the brand’s network of social media sites and websites, Nissan will be using its expertise from almost a decade in electric vehicles to inspire new conversations about sustainability and cleaner living. The platform also gives users a forum to engage in discussion, interact with the brand and offer opinions. It aims to engage audiences across Europe and inspire them to join Nissan’s electric revolution, living smarter and more sustainable lifestyles.
Nissan is a pioneer of the electric vehicle movement, having introduced the world’s first mass-market electric car, the Nissan LEAF, in 2010. Today, there are more than 275,000 Nissan EVs on the road globally with 76,000 of these vehicles in Europe.
To learn more about Nissan’s Electrify the World campaign and its commitment to Intelligent Mobility, visit https://www.nissan.co.uk/experience-nissan/electric-vehicle-leadership.html
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NOTES TO EDITOR
* Totals based on estimates from Nissan’s Global Data Center (GDC) as of November 2016. The total distance travelled and the amount of CO2 emissions saved by Nissan LEAFs globally is an assumption based on data gathered from Nissan LEAFs registered with NissanConnect EV, approximately 50% of total sales globally.
Nissan Electric Café technology explained:
EATON NISSAN xStorage Home
The Nissan Electric Café is showcasing an xStorage Home unit. Designed and developed by power management company, Eaton in collaboration with Nissan, the xStorage Home system utilises Nissan’s electric vehicle expertise and is designed to be a reliable and affordable home energy storage system for customers in Europe. Nissan and Eaton recently announced the full line-up of xStorage Home products, giving customers greater choice to meet their energy needs. Customers in Norway, UK, Germany and France can pre-order xStorage Home today with other European markets to follow in the coming months. To discover the full product line-up, visit: www.eaton.eu/energystorage
PAVEGEN FLOORING
A custom flooring system that generates electricity from footsteps and captures data. As people step on the tiles their weight causes electric-magnetic induction generators to vertically displace which results in a rotary motion that generates off-grid electricity. Each tile is equipped with a wireless API that transmits real-time movement data analytics. Pavegen’s vision is to redefine sustainability in the built environment. Cities are growing at a rate of 1.5 million people every week - Pavegen’s technology encourages data-driven smart cities to be more renewable.
Pavegen technology serves as an immediate introduction to the world of energy production within the Nissan Electric Café by harnessing the power of visitors’ steps. The electro-magnetic tiles generate energy with each step that is taken.
WeWatt HUMAN POWERED BIKES
Pedalling generates energy. WeWatt converts energy from kinetic to mechanical to electrical as a person pedals. WeWatt encourages more activity throughout the day, E.g. on average it takes 30mins of cycling to charge a phone – the same amount of daily recommended exercise. But unlike WeWatt’s other bikes, specifically for the café the focus isn’t on fitness - the bikes demonstrate the value of electricity.
The stationary bike ‘bar seating’ will engage users to pedal and achieve a certain pre-defined goal. Using the overhead counter and iPad digital interface users will be encouraged to achieve their goal upon cycling a certain distance and generating a certain amount of wattage. When the blue symbol lights up, it indicates the user has accomplished their goal and they are rewarded with a free beverage.
ABOUT NISSAN IN EUROPE
Nissan has one of the most comprehensive European presences of any overseas manufacturer, employing more than 17,000 staff across locally-based design, research & development, manufacturing, logistics and sales & marketing operations. Last year Nissan plants in the UK, Spain and Russia produced more than 635,000 vehicles including award-winning crossovers, commercial vehicles and the Nissan LEAF, the world’s most popular electric vehicle. Pursuing a goal of zero emissions and zero fatalities on the road, Nissan recently announced its Intelligent Mobility vision. Designed to guide Nissan’s product and technology pipeline, this 360 degree approach to the future of mobility will anchor critical company decisions around how cars are powered, how cars are driven, and how cars integrate into society. Nissan is positioned to become the most desirable Asian brand in Europe.
http://www.newsroom.nissan-europe.com