Nissan and partners have now sold 540,000 plug-in electric vehicles

2018 Nissan LeafOf the 90 million or so new vehicles sold globally last year, plug-in electric cars made up only a tiny proportion, roughly 1 percent. But the auto industry works on long product cycles and buyers tend to be conservative, only changing the types of cars they buy if life circumstances change or there's a compelling financial reason to do so...

300,000th Nissan Leaf electric car delivered as new version kicks off

First 2018 Nissan Leaf produced at assembly plant in Smyrna, Tennessee, Dec 2017Nissan, the first automaker in the world to launch a mass-priced electric car, has a reason to celebrate this week. The automaker said on Monday it delivered the 300,000th example of its electric hatchback, the Nissan Leaf—though it did not detail whether it was one of the new second-generation cars or a remaining first-generation model. The...

Who will sell the first affordable AWD electric SUV? Poll results

Nissan IMx concept, 2017 Tokyo Motor ShowOf our eight Green Car Reports Best Car To Buy award winners since 2011, five have been compact five-door hatchbacks. It's a good, sensible format, by far the most popular segment in Europe and stronger even in Canada than in the U.S. Sadly, U.S. car buyers are not only ignoring small hatchbacks but passenger sedans as well—and moving...

Nissan, Mitsubishi, Renault to launch 12 new electric cars by 2022

2018 Nissan LeafSome car companies release their business plans and goals publicly, others don't. This morning, the Renault Nissan Alliance (now including Mitsubishi as well) released a new six-year plan laying out its business goal through 2022. Among the most significant: The group said it will launch 12 separate battery-electric vehicles globally by 2022...

Nissan Leaf electric car platform to spawn more models, SUV included: report

Teaser for 2018 Nissan Leaf debuting on September 6, 2017The 2018 Nissan Leaf apparently won't be the brand's lone electric car for much longer, if a new report with details on plans to expand the electric car's underpinnings to additional models proves accurate. Following the introduction of the second-generation 2018 Nissan Leaf, the electric car's platform will spawn multiple models, and an electric...

Renault Kangoo ZE small electric van now on sale with longer range

2017 Renault Kangoo ZE           [photo: Yannick Brossard for Renault]French automaker Renault has given its small light commercial electric vehicle a handful of upgrades, including a significantly longer battery range. The Renault Kangoo ZE is now officially on sale with a longer rated range, a more powerful charging system, and a heat pump to keep the little van efficient in the coldest temperatures. Renault...

Nissan to sell electric-car battery unit AESC to Chinese company: report

2017 Nissan Leaf  With the second-generation Nissan Leaf electric car due to break cover sometime in the next few months, one open question concerns the source of its battery cells. To date, Automotive Electric Supply Corporation—a joint venture between Nissan and Japanese electronics giant NEC—has supplied lithium-ion cells for every Nissan Leaf built...

Nissan’s plans: reignite electric-car sales, boost lagging Mitsubishi

2017 Nissan Leaf  The Nissan Leaf has been a fading light in the electric car market, but after a few years in the dark, it will soon get a chance to shine once more. Despite a battery capacity increase in 2016 and a quarter of a million in sales since its 2010 launch, the Leaf has been in dire need of a proper trip back to the drawing board. Especially in recent...

More details emerge on low-cost electric car from Renault-Nissan for 2020

2017 Nissan Leaf  The Renault-Nissan Alliance's plans for future electric cars are beginning to come into focus. The two automakers have dominated global battery-electric car sales with the Nissan Leaf and Renault Zoe, as well as lower-volume models like the Nissan e-NV200 and Renault Kangoo ZE electric vans. But many of the automakers' electric models are due for...

Nissan e-NV200 beats Renault Kangoo ZE in electric van sales in Europe

Nissan e-NV200The Renault-Nissan Alliance continues to lead all other automakers globally in sales of battery-electric cars. The Nissan Leaf is the best-selling electric car in history, while the Renault Zoe now leads the European market for cars with plugs. But Renault-Nissan's electric-vehicle dominance isn't limited to passenger cars. DON'T MISS: Fuel-cell...

Renault adds new Master ZE larger electric delivery van

2017 Renault Master ZE and Kangoo ZE (background) electric delivery vansFrench carmaker Renault sells no passenger cars in North America, and hasn't for almost 30 years now. But in Europe, its all-electric Zoe subcompact hatchback has been the best-selling plug-in electric car for months on end. The Zoe is one of three "ZE" (zero emission) vehicles sold by Renault, and now the ZE lineup is adding another member. DON'T...

Mitsubishi electric cars to use Nissan-Renault platforms: report

2017 Mitsubishi i-MiEVNow that it has officially taken control of Mitsubishi Motors, the Renault-Nissan Alliance is integrating the smaller automaker's green-car projects with its own. Renault-Nissan announced plans to acquire a 34-percent stake in Mitsubishi in May, shortly after the company admitted to cheating on fuel-economy tests for many years in its home country...

Nissan and Renault to share common electric-car platform in future

2017 Nissan Leaf  The Renault-Nissan Alliance currently leads all other makers in total global sales of electric cars. The Nissan Leaf remains the best-selling electric car in history, while the Renault Zoe is the best-selling electric car in Europe at the moment. These two cars account for the vast majority of the alliance's electric-car sales, with the Leaf...

Smart Electric Drive has a little Renault-Nissan underneath

2017 Smart ForTwo Electric DriveOne of several new electric cars and concepts at last week's Paris Motor Show was the electric version of the second-generation Smart minicar. As Smart pointed out, it's the only maker that offers the option of gasoline or electric powertrains in every model it makes. Those are the ForTwo two-seat coupe, the ForTwo cabriolet with its roll-back...

Nissan electric subcompact below Leaf in future electric-car lineup?

2016 Renault Zoe electric carThe 2011 Nissan Leaf was the first mass-priced modern electric car when it launched in December 2010. Nissan has since sold close to a quarter of a million Leafs, and together with its alliance partner Renault it has now sold more than 350,000 all-electric vehicles. But the Leaf is still with us, albeit with a slightly longer range, whereas the...