Nissan has confirmed that it plans to sell electric vehicles in the US by 2010. According to CEO Carlos Ghosn, the move is largely motivated by stringent emissions legislation in California, lending an added impetus to existing research efforts into alternative energy sources.

The same technology will also be available by partner Renault in Europe by 2012. However, although developed in tandem, it is unlikely that the cars will be identical. Instead, there will be different applications, depending on the brand image and target markets across the two regions.

At this stage it’s unclear how the new cars will look. Nissan’s most recent example of EV technology was the quirky looking Pivo-2 concept car, sporting a novel rotating cabin for all-round visibility. Powered by electric motors and Li-ion batteries, it boasted a 60 mile range and was capable of speeds up to 70mph.

However, it’s more likely that the forthcoming models will have more in common with the Smart car sized hyper-mini concept showcased in 2006, the Nissan Mixim concept (pictured) or the fuel cell and electric motor version of its X-trail SUV.

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