NISSAN TO PARTICIPATE IN THIRD UN WORLD CONFERENCE ON DISASTER RISK REDUCTION

March 12, 2015 by Nissan

◾Exhibits will explore the potential of zero emission vehicles to help realize sustainable mobility

◾Nissan to advocate new possibilities of using electric vehicles during disasters in cooperation with Tohoku University's International Research Institute of Disaster Science (IRIDeS)

YOKOHAMA, Japan – Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. will participate in the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (UNWCDRR), a United Nations-hosted* conference being held to discuss international strategies for disaster risk reduction. The company will display its 100-percent electric-powered vehicles, the e-NV200 and Nissan LEAF. During the conference Nissan will also introduce new uses for electric vehicles — which can be a vitally important aid to people's lives and contribute to society as means for transportation and a highly mobile source of power generation — from the time a disaster happens through to the stages of recovery.

Vice Chairman Toshiyuki Shiga, who served as chief of Nissan's Global Disaster Control Headquarters and oversaw the company's recovery activities following the Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2011, will join working sessions at the conference. The UNWCDRR will be held in Sendai, northeastern Japan, from Saturday, March 14 to Wednesday, March 18, at the Sendai International Center.

Nissan's electric vehicles can be used as mobile electric power sources in the event of a disaster. The large capacity lithium-ion battery of the e-NV200 and Nissan LEAF can store 24kWh of electric power. Combining the Nissan LEAF with a 'Vehicle to Home' power supply system makes it possible to use the vehicle as a backup power source during a disaster. The e-NV200 is also compatible with a 'Vehicle to Home' system and is equipped with two onboard 100V power outlets. With these features it is possible to supply up to 1,500W of electric power and employ EVs as a power source during a disaster. Furthermore, people can obtain emergency disaster information from the vehicle's radio and onboard navigation system or by using the onboard electric outlets to power a television.

March 11, 2015, marked the four-year anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake. Over the last few years disaster-related thinking and measures related to disaster risk reduction have become increasingly future-oriented though the use of cutting-edge technologies. During disasters, vehicles — and electric vehicles in particular — not only serve as a means of transportation but also provide functions such as electricity storage, electric power supply and communications. Accordingly, 100-percent electric-powered vehicles will likely play a key role in developing new possibilities for disaster risk reduction in the future. Expectations are high for the role that EVs can play in recovery efforts because, in prior disasters, electrical power has been restored faster than natural gas and water supply.

Up to now, Nissan has provided support in the wake of disasters through humanitarian aid in cooperation with various organizations. The company's display at the UN conference venue in Sendai will demonstrate the possibilities of using electric vehicles in the event of a disaster under the supervision of the Tohoku University International Research Institute of Disaster Science (IRIDeS located in Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture headed by Fumihiko Imamura), which promotes cutting-edge research related to natural disaster science and the results of practical disaster prevention research. Based on a concept of 'EV for resilience,' Nissan will propose new possibilities for electric vehicle use in disaster relief under three thematic approaches: Assistance for Individuals, Assistance for Communities, and Assistance for Government Agencies — toward collaboration with IRIDeS in this field.

Nissan also will participate in the 'Exhibition of Disaster Risk Reduction Industry in Sendai' (Sunday, March 15 to Tuesday, March 17 at the Yume Messe Miyagi) and introduce new uses for electric vehicles during disasters. The company will be displaying its 100-percent electric vehicles e-NV200, Nissan LEAF and the Nissan New Mobility Concept.

*Based on a decision by the UN General Assembly, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), a UN organization, serves as the secretariat for the UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction.

posted on conceptcarz.com