No. 425: An eco-friendly and energy-saving car carrier for domestic transport (February 1, 2012)

Business trend

Every company on the earth is making strenuous efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and protect the environment. Nissan Motor is no exception. The company introduced a new energy-saving car carrier for domestic transportation. Equipped with an electronically controlled diesel engine and photovoltaic panels, the new car carrier emits 20% fewer carbon dioxide emissions than the existing ships of the same size. It is about 170 m long and 26 m wide, and the total tonnage is 11,400 tons. It can carry up to 1,380 vehicles. It plies between Kyusyu and the Tokyo Metropolitan area. With the introduction of the new car carrier, Nissan increased the frequency from two services per week to six services per week to strengthen the transportation capacity. 

The newcar carrier is the first inland vessel that has photovoltaic panels on its top. Because the panels have a generation capacity of 50 kW, they can supply all electricity required by the accommodation space for all crew members. LEDs are used for most lighting fixtures on the ship. The new electronically-controlled diesel engine is fuel efficient. It can save up to 1,400 tons of fuel a year as compared with the same ships of the same kind.