Fans of Tokyo-based Nissan Motor Co. and French partner Renault SA will only have to wait a little bit longer with the company bringing electric cars to the U.S. and Japan in 2010 in time to compete with the production Chevy Volt.  Nissan also announced that it would enter the worldwide electric car fray in full with a global release in 2012.

Now there's new word from the company that those living in Portugal will get to enjoy an electric car a bit earlier.  Nissan and Renault announced a new special partnership with Portugal's government to bring its electric cars to the nation a year early in 2011.  Carlos Ghosn, chief executive of the French and Japanese pair of auto manufacturers, and Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates announced the partnership Wednesday, with PM Socrates saying that the government would take an active role in promoting the vehicles and making them easier to fuel.

Fortunately for other auto fans outside the U.S. and Japan, Portugal is not alone in receiving the cars early -- Israel and Denmark will get them as well in 2011.  Project Better Place, based in Palo Alto, Calif., is promoting their mass marketing.

While other companies are splitting their energy between hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and electric cars, Nissan is forsaking fuel cells to focus purely on electric cars.  Nissan Senior Vice President Minoru Shinohara states, "We are feeling more strongly than ever that we must speed up our development of electric vehicles."

Nissan is in talks with parking lot and railway companies to build charging stations across Portugal as a part of an improved infrastructure, which it hopes to also deploy in the U.S. and Japan to support the vehicles.  While it’s easy to plug-in at home, the new charge stations would quickly charge the vehicle's batteries when taking longer trips, helping it continue gas-free operation and saving the driver valuable dollars (or euros).

Proponents of electric cars, including manufacturers like Nissan, are also pushing for electric car perks like tax breaks, preferential highways lanes and other incentives from the government in U.S., Portugal, and abroad.  Nissan worries that the higher price will leave many customers viewing the cars as an expensive experiment, but it feels given the proper support, they will be well received.

Yasuaki Iwamoto, auto analyst with Okasan Securities Co. says the electric car market is a tough sell.  He states, "It's still a very new technology and so much remains to be seen.  It's unlikely people are suddenly going to switch in big numbers from gas-engine vehicles."

Portugal, like its neighbor Spain, may be an ideal place for the vehicles as it has embraced green technology, especially wind and solar.  Says Mr. Socrates, "This agreement with Renault-Nissan will place Portugal also on the front line in terms of sustainable mobility with zero-emission vehicles.  Promoting electric cars in Portugal will reduce our dependence on imported oil and will contribute to a cleaner environment."

Mr. Shinohara says prospects are looking good in Japan as well, with the average driver only commuting just 12 miles thanks to the high population density.

Nissan has conspicuously not announced deals of how its electric cars will operate.  Whereas GM and others have extensively detailed their upcoming models, Nissan is an enigma.  Will their cars support gas tank fueled generators?  What will the range be?  No one knows outside Nissan, and the company is remaining quiet.

However, whatever the car it delivers, it can expect fierce competition from other national brands in its homeland.  Fuji Heavy Industries, which makes Subaru cars and Mitsubishi Motors Corp. will both launch electric vehicles in Japan in 2009.  Mitsubishi's vehicle goes 99 miles on a charge, while Subaru's goes 50 miles.  These ranges may be too light for rural U.S. drivers, but they work well for packed Japan.

Mitsubishi will be also selling models in the U.S. in 2009, hoping urban buyers in particular snatch up the gas-free auto.  It plans to deploy in Europe in 2010, beating Nissan to the market by a year in Portugal/Denmark and two years in the rest of Europe.

One thing is known about the Nissan vehicles -- they will sport lithium ion batteries.  The batteries will be produced by Automotive Energy Supply Corp., a joint venture between Nissan and Japanese electronics maker NEC Corp. to produce batteries for electric vehicles, headed by President Masahiko Otsuka. 

Nissan/Renault's singular focus on electric and its interesting focus on infrastructure may end up carrying it to success.