What do you think of when you hear the words car carrier? For most people, it is a phrase that they have never even heard of, or it may remind them of those giant trucks that are always transporting vehicles down the highway that no one likes to get behind, but there are other types of car carriers. Sometimes cars get shipped in planes, and when they move from one country to another they must cross the vast blue ocean on a ship. All of these different ways that cars get shipped really rely on one thing, fuel. Those big trucks that you see barreling down the interstate with all of the vehicles on their backs use diesel fuel. The big transport airplanes require their own unique fuel, and the ships will require fuel too.
Nissan, the auto import giant that is responsible for such great vehicles like the 300ZX, the Xterra, and very popular Altima has created the world’s first Eco-friendly car carrier. Can you guess which type of car carrier this is? If you guessed a truck then you are wrong. That leaves just two choices. It could be the plane or the ship. It is the ship.
Now Nissan can transport all of their zero emission cars on their very low emission ship. This is one auto manufacturer that is truly leading the way in creating lower emission vehicles.
This giant auto carrier is named the Nichiomaru. This Japanese words simply means, “King Of Japan.” How is this car carrier ship any different than all of the others that are currently being used? This is the very first ship of its kind to feature solar panels, but that is not all. This ship also uses an electrically controlled diesel engine. This Eco-friendly combination is a first for car carrier ships, and it can help reduce fuel consumption, but Nissan did not stop there. They wanted the entire ship to be as energy efficient as possible so they continued their ideas right down to all of the lighting and appliances on board the massive ship. All of the lights are energy efficient LED lights, and all of the appliances on board are the most energy efficient models that exist to this date.
How does this Eco-friendly ship help
By using this ship Nissan can save as much as 1400 tons of diesel fuel each and every year. You read that right. That says tons, not gallons. That is a huge improvement. The ship will also help by producing less carbon dioxide each year. How much less you ask? How does 4200 tons sound? There is that word again, tons. That is a ton of savings!
The shipping path that the Nichiomaru takes usually takes 4 circuits a week to complete, but this ship can make 6 circuits and it still uses far less energy to do it.
In an age when gas prices are soaring through the roof it is always nice to hear about a company that is doing everything that it can to lower their usage of fossil fuels.