Nissan Motor Co., playing catch-up in fuel-efficient motoring, said Monday that it and NEC Corp. will invest 115 million dollars to mass produce new batteries for electric, hybrid and fuel-cell vehicles. The push into advanced lithium-ion batteries comes as Japanese automakers invest in an array of new environmentally friendly car technologies amid soaring prices at the pump. Nissan has been slower than rivals Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. to embrace petrol-electric hybrids, but it aims to become the industry leader in electric vehicles. ‘Our vision for a more sustainable future is clear,’ said Nissan’s executive vice president Carlos Tavares. ‘Nissan firmly believes the ultimate solution for sustainable mobility lies in zero emission.’ ‘Electric vehicles will be a key product breakthrough our industry can deliver,’ he told reporters, adding that Nissan was ready to supply the batteries to any company interested in the technology. The venture, Automotive Energy Supply Corp. (AESC), which was set up last year, plans to build its first battery production line at a Nissan facility in Kanagawa Prefecture southwest of Tokyo. Owned 51 percent by Nissan and 49 percent by the NEC group, it will invest 12 billion yen […]