Nissan – Page 2

April 8, 2015

Nissan Launch X-Trail Hybrid in Japan

Nissan has introduced the X-Trail Hybrid in Japan, equipped with a 2-liter MR20DD four-cylinder engine and an electric motor.

Nissan says the hybrid powertrain “delivers a comfortable driving experience with its powerful acceleration and remarkable quietness, which eclipse those of typical 2.5-liter gasoline engines.”

The 2.0-liter gasoline engine delivers 147PS (145hp) at 6,000 rpm and 207Nm (153lb-ft) of torque from 4,400 rpm, while the RM31 electric motor has a maximum power output of 30 kW (40hp) and a maximum torque of 160Nm (118lb-ft). The hybrid system also includes a high-output lithium-ion battery which is able to charge/discharge quickly.

In combination with an XTronic CVT, the hybrid powertrain achieves a fuel economy of 20.6 km/l (4.8 l/100 km or 48.5 mpg US) in the JC08 mode and meets Japan’s 2020 fuel economy standards, which means all grades are eligible for tax exemptions.

Furthermore, the X-Trail Hybrid achieves a 75 percent reduction of NOx (nitrogen oxide) and NMHC (non-methane hydrocarbons) in exhaust emissions over 2005 standards and SU-LEV certification.

The Nissan X-Trail Hybrid features Intelligent Dual Clutch Control, which is a two-clutch parallel hybrid system that delivers engine and motor energy mechanically to the transmission without having a motor assist or a torque converter, thus favoring responsive starts and acceleration.

In terms of equipment, the Nissan X-Trail Hybrid gets Forward Emergency Braking as a standard feature, as well as the NissanConnect Navigation System, the latest generation in-car navigation, information and entertainment system with smartphone link application. Nissan is planning to also introduce Forward Emergency Braking as standard on major models in Japan, by the end of autumn 2015. The X-Trail Hybrid is priced from 2,804,760 yen ($23,415).

March 28, 2015

Electric vehicles account for over 20% of Norway’s new-car sales

Plug-in electric car sales in Norway continue at just above 20% (21.03%) with 2,235 registrations in February 2015. Battery only electric vehicles now account for 18% of national car sales.

The over-all #1 selling car in Norway for the second month running is the VW e-Golf with 839 units. Sales of the Volkswagen e-Golf in Feb were almost double the top selling fossil fuelled car, the Toyota RAV4 with 450 sales.

The e-Golf accounts for almost 40% of all EV sales in Norway YTD (1,718) selling 3x more than second place Nissan Leaf (556) and 4x more cars sold than the third placed Tesla Model S (392).

The e-Golf and GTE Plug-in variants now account for 70% of all Volkswagen sales in Norway.

Pl	Norway	Feb.	YTD '15	%	'14Pl
1	Volkswagen e-Golf	839	1.718	39	5
2	Nissan Leaf	247	556	12	1
3	Tesla Model S	321	392	9	2
4	Mitsu Outlander PHEV e)	150	384	9	6
5	Volkswagen e-Up! e)	160	331	7	3
6	BMW i3	126	227	5	4
7	Audi A3 e-Tron	134	188	4	21
8	Kia Soul EV	45	137	3	7
9	Renault Zoe	54	133	3	8
10 11	Mitsubishi I-Miev Peugeot iOn	32 54	130 114	3 3	9 11
12	Volvo V60 Plug-In	27	57	1	14
13 14 15 16 17	Nissan e-NV200 / Evalia e) Mercedes B-Class ED e) BMW i8 Toyota Prius Plug-In Opel Ampera	20 20 4 2	53 22 10 5 2	1 0 0 0 0	15 N/A 20 17 21
	TOTAL	2.235	4.459	100

Source: EV Sales Bestsellingcarblog

March 24, 2015

Nissan LEAF Battery Reliability Outperforms Cynics [VIDEO]

Robert Llewellyn, from Red Dwarf & Fully Charged fame, debunks motoring journalists who when the Nissan Leaf was launched questioned it's battery reliability.

Of the 30,000 sold across Europe just 0.01% of batteries have been replaced since 2010. That makes the Nissan Leaf more reliable than a petrol or diesel engined car, according to industry averages.

February 13, 2015

Japan Has More EV Chargers Than Petrol Stations

There are more electric-car charging points in Japan than there are petrol stations.

That surprising discovery comes from Nissan Motor Co., which reported that the number of power points in Japan, including fast-chargers and those in homes, has surged to 40,000, surpassing the nation’s 34,000 gas stations.

The figure shows that in the relatively brief time since electric vehicles were introduced, the infrastructure to support them has become bigger than what the oil industry built over decades in the world’s third-biggest economy -- at least by this one measure.

Why that matters is obvious. Nissan’s battery-powered Leaf can travel 84 miles (135 kilometers) on a charge, and the anxiety of being stuck away from home without power has restrained consumer demand. As the charging network expands and batteries become more powerful, that concern will wane.

“An important element of the continued market growth is the development of the charging infrastructure,” Joseph G. Peter, Nissan chief financial officer, told analysts on a conference call.

As charging stations become more common, electric-car support services are also emerging. Open Charge Map, for example, operates an online listing of public charging points worldwide. A mobile app combines the data with GPS technology to guide drivers to the nearest site.

Of course, gas stations typically have multiple pumps and can serve more vehicles in a day than an electric-car charging point.

Private Chargers

Also, one criticism of Nissan’s number is that many of those charging sites are in private garages. Considering the emerging so-called sharing economy, such as the online home-sharing service operated by Airbnb Inc., homeowners may soon be willing to make their chargers available to other drivers.

And more charging locations are being built all the time. Automakers have recognized that oil companies are unlikely to install plugs next to gasoline pumps, and are building their own networks.

Tesla Motors Inc. has its own network of charging stations, and Bayerische Motoren Werke AG and Volkswagen AG announced in January that they are joining the network operated by ChargePoint Inc., and plan to build as many as 100 fast chargers along the busiest corridors of the U.S. coasts, from Portland to San Diego in the west and from Boston to Washington, in the east.

Free Charging

Utilities are joining in. Great Plains Energy Inc., the Kansas City, Missouri-based utility holding company, announced in January plans to build a network of more than 1,000 charging stations in the region by mid-2015. Charging will even be free to everyone for the first two years.

Given that there are only about 9,000 public charging stations in the entire U.S., the initiative gives Kansas City, the nation’s 29th largest metropolitan area, a chance to become the nation’s electric car capital with as much as 10 percent of the nation’s chargers.

Kansas City may not be able to retain that position. PG&E Corp., owner of California’s biggest utility, asked regulators Feb. 9 for permission to build a network of about 25,000 chargers in public areas over a five-year period.

February 2, 2015

Nissan GT-R LMP1 NISMO unveiled [VIDEO]

This is the Nissan NISMO entry to the 2015 Le Mans 24 Hour race, the GT-R LM NISMO.

The GT-R LM NISMO is a front-engined, front wheel drive car that is powered by a V6 3-litre twin turbo petrol engine and a kinetic energy recovery system- It is the ultimate GT-R.

Some info on the Nissan LMP1:

3.0ltr Twin Turbo charged V6 based on GTR engine.

Front wheel drive which is driven by GTR engine.

8 megajoule energy storage.

Narrower rear tires than the front.

Front torque vectoring system which controls the front wheel drive system controlling how much power can go to each wheel.

Nissan has yet to announce how retrieved energy is stored, but it is understood that it is a flywheel system.

January 26, 2015

Supercharger Wars are Go: Nissan to have 1700 CHAdeMO chargers in US by 2016

Following closely on the heals of BMW and Volkswagen announcing a 100 station CCS fast charger network last week, Nissan have plans to install up to 1,700 CHAdeMO fast chargers in the US by 2016.

Since the launch of the Nissan LEAF in late 2010, Nissan has reinforced its commitment to zero emission mobility with investments in EV charging infrastructure to serve the needs of LEAF drivers in markets across the U.S.

Nissan has a multi-pronged strategy to invest with charging partners to install quick charging for owners in the communities where they live and work, as well as at corporate workplaces and Nissan dealerships.

Timeline of (CHAdeMO) quick charging rollout:

January 2013: Approximately 160 CHAdeMO chargers chargers installed nationwide.

January 2015: More than 800 total U.S. quick chargers installed and active.

April 1, 2015: 1,100 quick chargers expected nationwide.

April 1, 2016: 1,700 quick chargers projected.

"Access to quick chargers that can provide about 80 percent charge to a Nissan LEAF battery in less than 30 minutes has proved to increase our owner satisfaction and get more buyers to consider the benefits of an all-electric car," said Brendan Jones, Nissan's director of Electric Vehicle Sales and Infrastructure Deployment. "Nissan continues to invest heavily with our charging partners to ensure that LEAF owners have easy access to convenient public charging as they seek to maximize the benefits of their cars."

For reference there are currently 140 Tesla Supercharger locations in the USA.

November 26, 2014

Renault-Nissan sell 200,000th Electric Vehicle [VIDEO]

The Renault-Nissan Alliance has sold its 200,000th electric vehicle and has a leading 58% market share for zero-emission cars.

Together, Renault and Nissan EVs have driven approximately 4 billion zero-emission kilometers – enough to circle the earth 100,000 times. Renault-Nissan’s EVs represent 200 million liters of fuel saved – enough to fill about 80 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Alliance EVs also represent 450 million kg of CO2 that has not been emitted while driving.

The Alliance sold its 200,000th EV in early November, about four years after the launch of the Nissan LEAF, the world’s first mass-market electric vehicle. Nissan LEAF remains the best-selling electric vehicle in history.

From January through the first week of November of this year, the Alliance has sold about 66,500 units—an increase of about 20% from the same period last year. The Alliance sells about two out of three electric vehicles worldwide, including Twizy, Renault’s two-seater urban commuter vehicle and the Nissan e-NV200 van on sale in Europe and Japan.

“Renault and Nissan’s electric vehicles are the zero-emission volume leaders – and, most important, they enjoy high satisfaction rates from customers around the world,” said Carlos Ghosn, Chairman & CEO of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. “Based on positive owner feedback and the increasing demand for cars that run on renewable energy, it’s no surprise that EV sales are accelerating – particularly in regions where charging infrastructure is well developed.”

To capture what the first 200,000 consumers love about their electric vehicles, the Renault-Nissan Alliance is launching a series of videos featuring EV owners on three continents. “I Made the Switch” tells why people bought their electric vehicles and how switching to a zero-emission vehicle has changed their lives. The first video features Chris Beers, a software engineer from Holliston, Massachusetts, USA, one of many Americans who powers his Nissan LEAF with clean solar energy.

USA and Japan lead the world in EV ownership

In the United States, the Alliance’s biggest electric vehicle market, there are more than 750 quick chargers in operation. Nissan is working with its dealers and charging partners to increase that number to 1,100 by mid-2015. The quick chargers are able to charge a LEAF from zero to 80% capacity in about 30 minutes.

This year, Nissan also launched its “No Charge to Charge” program, which provides free access to selected charging stations for two years with the purchase or lease of a new Nissan LEAF. “No Charge to Charge” is currently active in 12 U.S. markets, and Nissan plans to expand to additional markets by mid-2015.

In Japan, the Alliance’s second-biggest EV market, there are more than 2,900 quick chargers in operation. Nissan and Japan’s three other top automakers have pledged to work together to raise that number to 6,000 by March 2015.

In Europe, the UK is the most advanced market in terms of electric vehicle infrastructure. Today, the quick charging network already covers 87% of the UK’s motorways.

Nissan LEAF is the world’s best-selling electric vehicle; Renault led in Europe in October

With six electric vehicle models on the road, the Renault-Nissan Alliance is the only global car group with a full range of 100% electric vehicles – and they can be fully charged with purely renewable energy.

Yokohama, Japan-based Nissan has sold a cumulative 148,700 units worldwide since December 2010, when Nissan LEAF went on sale. Nissan LEAF has collected industry honors including the 2011 World Car of the Year, European Car of the Year 2011 and Car of the Year Japan 2011-2012.The electric vehicle has the highest global customer satisfaction rate for any Nissan vehicle ever.

The top markets for Nissan LEAF are the United States with about 67,000 sales since its launch, Japan with about 46,500 units and Europe with about 31,000 units.

In the United States, LEAF is on track to be the top electric vehicle in 2014, outselling all other electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. Sales so far this year are up 35%, and Nissan LEAF has enjoyed 21 consecutive record sales months and has already shattered its own yearly U.S. sales record with two months to go. In addition to LEAF, Nissan also sells the e-NV200 van, which went on sale in Europe in June and in Japan in October.

Meanwhile, Boulogne-Billancourt, France-based Renault has sold a cumulative 51,500 electric vehicles worldwide since its first model the Kangoo Z.E. went on sale in October 2011. Kangoo Z.E. was voted International Van of the Year 2012. Renault recently delivered its 5,000th Kangoo Z.E. to La Poste, France’s national postal service and operator of the country’s largest corporate fleet. An additional 5,000 units will be delivered in the coming years.

In addition to Kangoo Z.E. and Twizy, Renault’s zero-emission range also includes the ZOE subcompact and the Fluence Z.E. sedan. In South Korea, the Fluence Z.E. is sold as the SM3 Z.E. under the Renault Samsung Motor badge. Like Nissan LEAF, ZOE enjoys the highest satisfaction rate of Renault’s global product lineup.

Renault’s top markets in Europe - its main electric vehicle market - are France, Germany and the United Kingdom. In October, Renault regained the number one EV position in Europe with a market share of 31%. ZOE was the most popular vehicle with a 23% market share.

October 31, 2014

Nissan LEAF Sets Annual U.S. Electric Vehicle Sales Record – Again

With more than two months remaining, Nissan LEAF has shattered the record for the most U.S. electric vehicle sales in a single calendar year, surpassing the previous record of 22,610 that it set in 2013.

“With nearly 20 electric cars or plug-in hybrid models on the road today, Nissan LEAF remains at the head of the class, outselling the nearest competitor by 50 percent through September,” said Brendan Jones, director, Nissan electric vehicle Sales and Infrastructure. “Since the initial launch in 2010 our primary goal is to bring electric vehicles to the mass market in a practical and fun-to-drive package, and we continue to deliver electric cars to more new buyers than anyone else.”

LEAF sales in 2014 through September are up more than 36 percent compared to the same period last year. With more than 142,000 LEAF sales globally since launch and more than 64,000 of those in the U.S., Nissan is the global leader in electric vehicles. (Nissan will announce October U.S. sales on Monday, Nov. 3.)

“Nissan LEAF owners are eager to share their enthusiasm with neighbours, friends and family, and that passion makes them some of our best salespeople,” said Jones. “We’ve seen a ‘cul-de-sac’ effect where the first LEAF owner in the neighbourhood becomes the community champion for electric cars, educating neighbours on the benefits of going electric, even sometimes handing the keys over for a test drive.”

With seating for up to five passengers, the all-electric Nissan LEAF boasts an EPA-estimated driving range of 84 miles on a fully-charged battery and MPGe ratings of 126 city, 101 highway and 114 combined.

The starting price of a Nissan LEAF is about $22,000 after the available maximum $7,500 federal tax credit, and LEAF offers the benefits of lower running costs and less scheduled maintenance. LEAF offers a wide range of standard equipment plus a variety of available premium features such as leather seats, 17-inch alloy wheels and 7-speaker BOSE® energy efficient audio system.

October 23, 2014

Electric Cars No Longer a Niche in Norway [VIDEO]

Norway, rich in petroleum, is also a global leader in renewable energy use, at 98%, and that cleaner, more inexpensive electricity is helping to drive the push of electric vehicles into the mainstream market.

Roughly one in six cars sold in Norway is an EV, a whopping 15% share.

Norway has the most EVs per capita of any country, although its love for zero-emission vehicles didn’t develop overnight.

For nearly three decades, nascent support for EVs by owners and local governments has grown into national incentive schemes and a robust charging infrastructure.

Norway’s Head of the Parliamentary Committee for Energy and Environment, Ola Elvestuen, says the incentives had created the nationwide EV market.

“They took away all the taxes on electric cars and we introduced the other incentives: You could park for free, charge for free, you can use the bus lanes and toll roads for free. And slowly in the beginning, but for the last few years, it has really taken off,” said Elvestuen.

Since sales began in 2011, Nissan LEAF has become the nation’s third best-selling car with over 15,000 on Norway’s roads.

September 19, 2014

Nissan Engineers create a LEAF Ute [VIDEO]

If necessity is the mother of invention, engineers fuel that fire at Nissan's Technical Center in Stanfield, Arizona. Here engineers are plentiful. They love to build things, test things and tinker with things. This team thinks a lot about "why not?" Recently they created a one-of-a-kind electric vehicle to haul supplies and people around on the tech center property.

"We tried to keep it a secret and be exciting for everybody. But we have visitors and they come and they see that truck and they go straight to 'what is it?' and they start looking at it, and it makes great conversation," said Roland Schellenberg, Nissan Durability & Reliability.

This is Sparky, as he's known around the campus. It is a Nissan LEAF crossed with a Nissan Frontier, brought to life by Nissan's Roland Schellenberg and Arnold Moulinet. Sparky is a one-of-a-kind creation with a specific mission in life. He supports operations at Nissan's proving grounds located on 3,050 acres in Stanfield, Arizona.

"I needed a project for a team building activity so we can bring the team together. We had a need for a truck. Something to drive around, a shop truck," said Schellenberg.

It was months in the making, and there were many considerations, but Arnold Moulinet, Schellenberg's colleague in the Durability & Reliability group, had the right tool-set to fabricate the vehicle into reality.

"After he (Schellenberg) told us it was going to be the LEAF that we would redo, I went home and stayed up till like four in the morning making all kinds of designs for what would work. We basically got the stock LEAF, and after reviewing a bunch of designs of pickup trucks that we have here at Nissan, we decided to go with a Frontier bed. My main job here is working on rough-road vehicles, rough-road testing. I'm pretty good at taking cars completely apart to the bare frame and putting them back together again to resume testing," said Moulinet.

The low-desert terrain at Nissan's technical center provides an ideal environment to test vehicles for hot weather, heat durability, engine cooling and air conditioner performance. There is also a 5.7-mile high-speed oval and four individual road courses designed to test vehicle durability, reliability and ride comfort. Sparky now is part of the support team to help operations run smoothly.

"Being a slick truck, and not so tough, I see it as a boy – but a boy with a heart. It's something that we all put together. We all share. So it has a little bit of everybody in there," said Schellenberg.