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Nissan Launche New Leaf Ownership Scheme in the UK

Nissan is introducing a comprehensive customer commitment to dramatically improve the ownership experience of a Nissan LEAF.

Unrivalled in the pure EV market, the innovative Nissan CARE-EV LEAF customer commitment scheme makes five cast iron pledges designed to provide the ultimate in reassurance and peace of mind and answer many of the questions that customers face when considering EV ownership for the first time.

Available at all 205 Nissan retailers in the UK, the scheme makes the following promises:

Rapid charge your LEAF for free at any Nissan dealership and on the Electric Highway
LEAF customers may rapid charge their vehicle for free at 60 Nissan dealerships across the country. LEAF owners can also charge at the 50 and growing locations equipped with rapid charging units installed by Nissan as part of Ecotricity’s Electric Highway. Powered by sustainably sourced electricity from wind and solar power and located at key service stations up and down the UK’s motorway network, these rapid chargers can charge the new Nissan LEAF from empty to 80% in just 30 minutes.

Borrow a petrol or diesel Nissan free for up to 14 days
LEAF owners who need an extra car for a special occasion can borrow a petrol or diesel Nissan model free of charge for up to two weeks. Simply give your dealer seven days’ notice and cover the fuel and insurance.

Get to know the Nissan LEAF
Guaranteed 24-hour test drives will allow potential LEAF customers to experience the vehicle and learn just how well it fits their lifestyle.

Free pan-European EV roadside assistance
In the unlikely event a LEAF customer should run out of power on the road, help will soon be at hand with free towing from Nissan roadside assistance.

Free battery state of health guarantee
The Nissan LEAF battery state of health guarantee covers against lithium-ion battery capacity loss below nine bars (out of 12) within the first five years or 60,000 miles.

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Nissan Test Autonomous Leaf on Expressways in Japan [VIDEO]

Nissan has carried out the first public road test of Autonomous Drive on a Japanese highway. A Nissan LEAF electric vehicle equipped with the revolutionary technology took to the Sagami Expressway in Kanagawa prefecture, southwest of Tokyo, with the prefecture's Governor, Yuji Kuroiwa, and Nissan Vice Chairman Toshiyuki Shiga, on board. The vehicle operated fully automatically on the highway. Journalists witnessed the tests and later had the opportunity to experience the car on the highway themselves.

"Nissan seeks a safer, more comfortable and environmentally friendly mobile future," said Shiga, vice chairman of Nissan. "Through these tests on an expressway, we hope to further advance our technological development, with the goal of soon implementing Autonomous Drive vehicles. When starting a new project, serious effort is required to gain an understanding of all the variables involved. We were able to conduct this important testing on the Sagami Expressway thanks to the strong support from Kanagawa Prefecture."

The milestone event in the development of next-generation mobility was carried out with the cooperation of Kanagawa Prefecture. It took place near the "Sagami Robot Industry Special Zone," an area that is being revitalized with the help of the local government. Projects include the development of life-assist robots, which are equipped with sensors, artificial intelligence, and control systems. The public road test conducted in the special zone will help Nissan to develop Autonomous Drive towards its goal of being ready with commercially viable vehicles by 2020.

The Nissan LEAF used on the public road testing was the first vehicle with Autonomous Drive capability to be granted a license plate in Japan last September. Nissan's prototypes are equipped with Autonomous Drive technology that detects road conditions and automatically operates the car's main controls, including steering, braking and acceleration. The vehicles can operate in full automatic mode on the expressway, merge into traffic, change lanes and maintain a safe distance from other vehicles.

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BMW says has 10,000 i3 orders – i8 already sold out

BMW has orders for nearly 10,000 of its i3 electric cars, the first of which were delivered in Germany last week, the company's global sales chief, Ian Robertson, said at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

Robertson also said the BMW i8 plug-in hybrid sports car due to be introduced in mid-2014 has sold out for its first year of availability. He did not say how many the company will sell in that first year.

The BMW i3 will go on sale in the U.S. market in the second quarter of 2014.

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e-volo VC200 18 rotor 2 person electric helicopter – first flight [VIDEO]

E-volo’s Volocopter is a revolution in aviation Made in Germany. Safer, simpler, and cleaner than normal helicopters, it has a unique way of moving – a groundbreaking innovation. The Volocopter is an environmentally friendly and emission-free private helicopter. Instead of one combustion engine, eighteen electrically driven rotors propel it.

The maiden flight and first test flights were conducted in the dm-arena in Karlsruhe with the prototype of the 2-person VC200 on Sunday, November 17, 2013. Based on this model, it will be prepared for series production in the coming years. “There are already numerous requests for the Volocopter from around the world,“ said Alexander Zosel, managing director of e-volo.

With multiple flights lasting several minutes reaching the nearly 22 m high ceiling of the dm-arena, including a number of smooth takeoffs and landings, the Volocopter concept exceeded all expectations. “Rich and incredibly quiet sound, absolutely no noticeable vibrations in the flight, convincing structure with a great, new spring strut landing gear, and an extremely calm rotor plane,“ concluded the e-volo managing director, thanking the KMK. “New innovations that have the possibility to change our world are continually presented at the Messe Karlsruhe. Therefore it was natural to work in partnership with the e-volo team to enable the test flights in the dm-arena,“ announced KMK managing director Britta Wirtz. “The fair is not just a display of strengths in the technology field, but concretely supports pioneers of aviation as well.“

The developing team of e-volo knew from the onset that the Volocopter was very easy to fly. Due to elaborate simulations at the Stuttgart University, they already knew that it was much more quiet than a helicopter. However, the pleasant low, rich sound and the lower-than-expected noise level caused great cheering among the e-volo team during the first flights.

People were eager to know whether there would be disturbing or even dangerous vibrations in the mechanic structure of the rotor plane. “Such vibrations are a large problem for normal helicopters,“ stated e-volo managing director Stephan Wolf, adding that “there, the vibrations together with the deafening noise have lead to much discomfort on passenger flights in helicopters.“ Due to the complex structure of the Volocopter in carbon lightweight design, it was not possible to simulate the expected vibrations in the laboratory. “The result of the first flight created a euphoria among the entire project team.“ Wolf and Zosel further stated that “not even the HD video cameras secured to the exterior carbon ring of the rotor plane captured the least vibrations.“

Nearly all problems of normal helicopters are thereby solved.

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Yamaha Unveil Motive.e City Car @ Tokyo [VIDEO]

In the current era of urban traffic and environmental problems there is increasing demand for downsizing and fuel efficient cars. MOTIV.e satisfies these demands by utilising ground breaking manufacturing and materials technology while delivering a new level of driver experience which emanates from the Yamaha Motor Company DNA.

The MOTIV.e is created from Yamaha Motor's multi-wheel history and experience (2 wheel - 3 wheel and 4 wheel technology). Yamaha Motor Company has always been dedicated to craftsmanship with a focus on 'quality mobility'. The MOTIV.e builds on this philosophy and incorporates Formula One heritage, inspiration from motorcycle design and the latest technology to deliver an exciting and high quality driving experience. The MOTIV.e delivers a new level of personal mobility.

Yamaha Motor Company chose Gordon Murray Design to cooperate in the design and development of the MOTIV.e which utilises Gordon Murray Design's revolutionary iStream® manufacturing technology. Yamaha Motor Company and Gordon Murray Design are a perfect fit as a partnership with both company's Formula One and technology backgrounds.

The iStream® manufacturing system which incorporates Formula One composite technology delivers new levels of lightweight, safety, vehicle dynamics and manufacturing flexibility alongside low environmental impact.

The MOTIV.e design reflects Yamaha's rich heritage in high quality lifestyle products while introducing a technical and dynamic shape which is inspired by Yamaha Motor's Motorcycle products. The iStream® design is centred on a steel frame incorporating bonded composite monocoque panels to produce a lightweight, rigid safety cell. All independent suspension and low unsprung weight delivers new levels of ride and handling. The all-new electric powertrain has been designed using 'state of the art' materials and technology.

The MOTIV.e represents a new starting point for urban mobility vehicles and sets new standards in the ultra compact 4 wheeler segment.

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Formula E electric single seater racing car – Track Debut [VIDEO]

The fully-electric Spark Renault SRT_01E made its successful track debut at a circuit near La Ferté Gaucher, 80km east of Paris, France.

In the hands of Lucas di Grassi, it completed 40 laps during the two-day run, the objective of which was to perform an overall systems check. For the purpose of this initial test, the Spark-Renault was equipped with smaller battery, limiting the maximum power to 50 kW instead of the 200kW (270hp) peak power the car will produce in its final trim.

“It is a great feeling to be driving the Formula E car for the first time,” said Di Grassi. “I can assure all the drivers they will have a lot of fun with this car – even with just a quarter of the power, it has quite a lot of grip and the electric motor produces huge torque."

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Fisker files Chapter 11 as investor group buys company

Fisker Automotive filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Friday after lengthy efforts by investors to salvage the company.

The filing comes after the Anaheim, California-based company agreed to sell itself to an investor group, Hybrid Technology LLC. The group bought a loan extended by the U.S. Department of Energy, originally worth $168 million, for $25 million.

In all, the DOE has recouped about $53 million on its $192 million investment in Fisker.

In a statement, Hybrid Technology said the purchase of the government loan was the first step toward eventually restarting production and sale of the Karma, which Fisker has not built in about 18 months, and the development of other hybrid-electric vehicles.

"As we continue to examine Fisker's opportunities, we will be making decisions about the structure and footprint of the new business," a spokeswoman for Hybrid Technology, Caroline Langdale, said in a statement.

Although the design of the Karma drew rave reviews, it had many quality problems that hurt the company's image and drained its cash. In April, Fisker fired most of its staff to save cash following an unsuccessful search for a buyer.

Its financial woes left Fisker unable to repay millions in outstanding bills to suppliers. The DOE put the loan up for auction in mid-October.

A subsidiary of Hybrid Technology, Hybrid Tech Holdings LLC, is purchasing Fisker's assets and will provide $8 million in debtor-in-possession financing.

Fisker won a $529 million loan in 2009 as part of the Obama administration's effort to boost advanced vehicle development in the United States. But the DOE froze Fisker's credit line in mid-2011 after the company missed certain performance targets. Fisker's struggles also fueled Republican criticism of the DOE's role in promoting green cars.