With air pollution on the rise, automakers like Nissan feel the responsibility to create new vehicles in a more responsible, efficient way.
In 2011, Nissan announced the Nissan Green Program 2016. The goal was to reduce carbon emissions by 20 percent by this year.
Did they make it?
After implementing the program, Nissan's CO2 fell by 22.6 percent... by 2014. Two years ahead of schedule.
How did they make such sweeping changes in such a short time?
The company utilized NESCO teams, short for Nissan Energy Saving Collaboration, to inspect manufacturing plants in Japan and globally. NESCO teams would find areas where efficiency could be improved, and suggest solutions.
Hiroyuki Kawanaka, Environment and Energy Engineering Department, recognized that 87 percent of the manufacturing line's electricity at Nissan's Yokohama plant was being used to heat metal components in induction furnaces. The same sized induction coils were used to heat materials of different sizes. By using different sized furnaces based on the material's diameter, the plant saved 380 tons of CO2 annually.
At Lithia Nissan of Ames, we believe "waste not, want not." If you feel the same, be sure to visit our service center for regular maintenance to optimize efficiency, and reduce emissions.