Continuously variable tranmission mated to Nissan’s HR15DE four-cylinder engine. Click image to enlarge

Tokyo, Japan – Nissan Motor Company Limited has announced that global sales of its vehicles equipped with continuously variable transmissions (CVT) topped one million in fiscal year 2007. This accomplishes the target set under the Nissan Green Program 2010 mid-term environmental plan. The company sold a total of 1,088,000 CVT vehicles.

Sales of CVT-equipped vehicles quadrupled from 250,000 units in 2004 to one million units in 2007. Currently, CVT represents approximately 28.6 per cent of global sales, compared to only seven per cent in 2004. The highest sales rates were in North America, at 47.4 per cent, and Japan, with 43.8 per cent.

Nissan was one of the first automakers to offer a CVT, which was introduced in March 1992. Under the Nissan Green Program 2010, the company will continue to introduce new technologies, products and services that can lead to real-world reductions in CO2 emissions and recycling of resources.