California to Get These Cars First

The nation’s first gasoline-powered super-ultra-low-emissions vehicles--from Nissan North America Inc. and American Honda Motor Co.--will go on sale in California early next year, the state Air Resources Board said Tuesday.

Both cars will be powered by four-cylinder engines that use super-efficient catalytic converters to reduce tailpipe emissions to one-eighth the level of the cleanest gasoline engines now sold in California. The prices for these cars are expected to be the same or only slightly higher than for comparable models with traditional engines.

Nissan’s SULEV system is the only one certified by the state to achieve zero evaporative emissions and the first to be eligible to receive credits toward meeting the state’s goal of having 10% of new cars meet zero-emissions standards by 2003.

Nissan North America, the Carson-based unit of the Japanese auto maker, will use the engine as an option in new Sentra compact sedans that will go on sale in February. Previously, the company said it expected to produce about 500 engines the first year.

Honda’s Torrance-based North American unit will introduce its mid-size SULEV Accord EX models in January. The company said it expects to sell about 500 of the California-only vehicles a month.