Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, Nissan

The next-generation Nissan Altima mid-size sedan will be the first Nissan vehicle equipped with the automaker’s first-ever, in-house developed, front-wheel-drive hybrid system. The hybrid setup, due in 2013, will be replace the Toyota-based system, which Nissan used in the now-axed Altima Hybrid, according to Masayuki Yasuoka, a senior exec in Nissan’s next-generation powertrain group.

Nissan’s upcoming gas-electric setup will be loosely based on the hybrid system found in the rear-wheel-drive 2012 Infiniti M35h, meaning it will feature a two-clutch, single-motor, lithium-ion battery setup. But instead of the 3.5-liter V6 engine that powers the M35h, the Altima Hybrid will likely pack a surpercharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder powerplant, mated to a new, advanced Xtronic continously variable transmission.

All this intel was reportedly revealed during a recent test drive at Nissan’s Oppama proving grounds in Japan. Yasuoka declined to comment on which Nissan model would get the in-house developed hybrid system, but the Altima seems the most likely candidate.

Next-gen Nissan Altima Hybrid to feature supercharged 2.5L engine, advanced CVT, li-ion battery originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 13 Oct 2011 13:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Car Buying, Hybrid, Sedan, Hatchback, Chevrolet, GM, Nissan, Electric

In the battle for plug-in vehicle sales supremacy, the electric-only Nissan Leaf has emerged victorious for the month of July, beating out the Chevrolet Volt for the fourth consecutive month (April, May, June and July).

Nissan says Leaf sales dropped to 931 units in the U.S. in July, a significant decrease compared to the 1,708 electric hatchbacks the Japanese automaker sold in June.

On the flip side, General Motors announced that U.S. sales of the Volt came in at 125 units in July. The decline, as compared to the 561 plug-in hybrid sedans The General sold in June, is mostly due to extensive retooling at GM’s Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant. The General told our sibling AutoblogGreen that:

We are virtually sold out. Only about 100 2011 Volts [are] left in stock. On average, each Volt spent about 13 days at the dealership. This includes prepping it for delivery.

Year-to-date sales of the Leaf total 4,806 units in the U.S., compared to 2,870 Chevy Volts.

Will the Leaf retain its top spot for the month of August? Or will it be the Volt – with its production reportedly cranked up to triple the pre-shutdown rate – that rises up to take the lead?

Continue reading Nissan Leaf still holding sales edge over Chevy Volt

Nissan Leaf still holding sales edge over Chevy Volt originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 03 Aug 2011 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Etc., Hatchback, Nissan, Electric

We’re not into spoiling the on-screen antics that make Top Gear one of the greatest automotive shows ever, but we’re not gonna let slide the fact that the BBC aired last Sunday the much-anticipated Top Gear episode in which Jeremy Clarkson and James May embark on a journey in the Nissan Leaf and Peugeot iOn.

Yes, the Top Gear duo ragged on the Leaf and iOn after the vehicles were intentionally discharged in order to highlight the difficulties of charging electric vehicles in a municipality with no public charging stations (read Nissan’s official response to the show’s battery-depleting antics), but both Clarkson and May did have some positive words to say for the Leaf and iOn. Take, for example, Clarkson admitting the Leaf drove much like a conventional vehicle and May comparing the iOn to a Porsche 911.

Top Gear has taken heat, mainly from UK-based news outlet The Times, for its portrayal of electric vehicles on the show. Tesla even sued the BBC after its Roadster made its appearance on Top Gear in 2008. Andy Wilman, executive producer of the show, responded to critics today, saying that at no point did the Top Gear hosts test the claimed range of the Nissan Leaf, nor did they suggest that “the vehicles wouldn’t achieve their claimed range.” Wilman had more to say, which you can read here, but need we really remind anyone that Top Gear is pure entertainment with just a dash of factuality.

Top Gear airs controversial Nissan Leaf segment, responds to critics originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 02 Aug 2011 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Hatchback, Nissan, Electric

Because “saying hello to a Leaf owner isn’t just an act of kindness, it’s a sign of camaraderie,” Nissan is asking, “How do you say hello?”

That’s how a recent post on the official Facebook page for the Nissan Leaf is asking drivers to submit a photo of suggested hand signals so that Nissan can determine which Leaf gesture “waves supreme.” Submissions must be in by Thursday, July 28. We can’t imagine anyone sending in anything inappropriate here. Sheesh.

The Leaf’s social networking site suggests three possible gestures: an open-palm wave, a two-fingered V-is-for-victory motion or the forming of a circle, which presumably ties in with Nissan’s “The Value of Zero” ad campaign. We’re rooting for “zero,” but with some 4,400 Leafs on U.S. streets, it’s unlikely the gesture will be used too often.

TV personality Stephen Colbert, however, has his own ideas. On the Wednesday, July 27 episode of The Colbert Report, the host openly mocks Nissan’s campaign, saying that the eco-minded drivers who buy electric cars “love manufactured traditions created by the marketing wings of multi-national corporations.” Colbert even goes on to suggest his own elaborate hand gesture, which you can watch in the video after the jump.

Got a wavy suggestion for Nissan? Submit it to Nissan’s Leaf Facebook page by clicking here, and check out the full Colbert Report segment in the video after the break.

Continue reading Stephen Colbert mocks Nissan’s call for unique wave for Leaf drivers

Stephen Colbert mocks Nissan’s call for unique wave for Leaf drivers originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 28 Jul 2011 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Car Buying, Hatchback, Nissan, Electric

For 2012, the Nissan Leaf mid-size electric will receive some minor upgrades and a healthy bump in price.

Moving into its second model year, Nissan’s groundbreaking hatchback will not receive any significant modifications to its exterior or powertrain. However, the decision to make standard the cold weather package – consisting of a battery heater, heated outside mirrors, heated steering wheel, heated front and rear seats and an HVAC duct to the rear seating area – and the addition of a quick-charge port as standard equipment (previously offered as a $700 option) on the uplevel SL model, means that pricing for the 2012 Leaf has increased.

Nissan has set the MSRP of the base 2012 Leaf SV at $35,200 (plus an $820 destination charge) and the uplevel SL at $37,250. That’s a healthy step up from the $32,780 price tag on the 2011 Leaf SV and the $33,720 MSRP of the SL version. Of course, the $7,500 federal tax credit still applies for 2012 model year Leafs, meaning the base SV model’s after-credit cost is $27,700. Nissan says a three-year lease on a 2012 Leaf rings in at a “highly competitive” $379 a month, a modest $30 bump over the lease rate for a 2011 model.

Here’s an in-depth explanation of the complex rollout process for the 2012 Leaf: Beginning on July 25, Nissan will open up the 2012 Leaf ordering process to consumers with existing reservations in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Washington, D.C. Then, on August 4, Nissan will reopen the reservation process to the general public in Arizona, California, Hawaii, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and all of the aforementioned states listed above. Later this fall, Nissan will begin accepting orders for the 2012 Leaf from residents of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York. Sometime after that, Nissan will open up the process for buyers in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Indiana, Louisiana, Nevada and Ohio. Nissan says deliveries of the first batch of 2012 Leafs will begin this fall.

Continue reading 2012 Nissan Leaf gets higher price tag, more standard equipment

2012 Nissan Leaf gets higher price tag, more standard equipment originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 19 Jul 2011 15:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Hatchback, Nissan, Electric

Bill Krueger, head of Nissan’s manufacturing and supply chain management, tells Automotive News that the March 11 quake in Japan disrupted construction of the automaker’s Nissan Leaf production complex in Smyrna, TN, but says there’s no need to worry because his team is working ’round the clock to stick to the automaker’s open-by-late-2012 timetable.

Says Krueger:

We’re still targeting to launch on time. It’s too early to give up on meeting our original timing. We have just shy of a year and a half to make it up. We had people over there training when the lights went out. Production didn’t happen for a month. That drove the training curve back. We’re looking at work-arounds to try to accelerate the schedule now.

This means that, if Nissan can get back on track, the first U.S.-built Leafs will roll down the assembly line in Smyrna, TN in late 2012. Nissan says up to 150,000 Leafs will be built at Smyrna annually.

Nissan Leaf production to start in Smyrna by late 2012 originally appeared on Autoblog 5.0 on Mon, 11 Jul 2011 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Etc., Hatchback, Nissan, UK, Electric

Unlike most vehicles in which speeds are limited in reverse, the Nissan Leaf, if slightly modified, can be driven backwards at speeds of up to 90 miles per hour. That’s why the Leaf, piloted by professional stunt driver Terry Grant, was the vehicle chosen to attempt a record-setting backwards hillclimb at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this past weekend.

Unfortunately, Goodwood officials halted Nissan’s attempt, saying that lack of testing prior to the event made it too risky. A Nissan spokesman commented on the situation:

We still want to break records with the Leaf. The fact it can travel at speeds up to 90 mph backwards is too good an opportunity not to exploit. The car does have to be modified for this to be possible, though, so there are safety issues we need to overcome first.

The record-setting attempt – right up the famed Goodwood Hill – was to take place this past weekend. Strangely, Goodwood officials didn’t see two-wheeling a Nissan Juke up the hill as excessively dangerous and allowed driver Terry Grant to do just that.

Photos copyright (C)2010 Damon Lavrinc / AOL

[Source: MSN]

Nissan Leaf not allowed to attempt record-setting backwards hill climb at Goodwood originally appeared on Autoblog 5.0 on Wed, 06 Jul 2011 10:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Motorsports, Nissan, Electric, Racing

Sit back, relax and enjoy the blissful whine emanating from this spinning electric motor.

What we have here is a sitcom-length video of the battery-powered Nissan Leaf Nismo RC lapping the famed Circuit de la Sarthe prior to the running of the 2011 24 Hours of Le Mans. Behind the wheel is none other than Nissan’s number two in command, Carlos Tavares.

Recorded on June 11th during the “Le Mans vers le futur” – a demonstration event designed to showcase some potential vehicles of the future – the onboard cam puts you in the middle of the on-track action. It’s 22-plus minutes of electrifying driving… literally. So, hit the jump to find out what it’s like to drive electrified.

FYI, the pace picks up about three minutes in, though we wish Tavares had taken an all-put lap instead of following the slower BMW ahead. Maybe next time…

Continue reading Nissan Leaf Nismo RC whines ’round the track at Le Mans

Nissan Leaf Nismo RC whines ’round the track at Le Mans originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 17 Jun 2011 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Nissan, Electric, Racing

In mid-May, the Nissan Leaf Nismo RC took to the track for a shakedown. Come late next week, the electric racer will return for more on-track action.

Nissan has just announced that the Leaf Nismo RC will hit the tarmac during the “Le Mans vers le futur,” a demonstration event that will take place prior to the 79th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The Nissan Leaf Nismo RC will hit the track for two demonstration runs; the first on Thursday, June 9 and the second on Saturday, June 11.

Continue reading Nissan Leaf Nismo RC to hit the track at Le Mans

Nissan Leaf Nismo RC to hit the track at Le Mans originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 03 Jun 2011 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Europe, Safety, Videos, Hatchback, Nissan, Electric

The five-door mid-size electric Nissan Leaf has become the first plug-in vehicle to receive five stars from the European New Car Assessment Program. Euro NCAP tests vehicles in frontal impact, side impact, side pole impact and the potential for whiplash.

The Leaf’s lithium-ion battery pack, which is positioned below the rear-seat compartment, suffered no damage during any of the tests. The five-seat Leaf received an 89 percent rating for adult occupant safety, 84 percent for its on-board safety-assist systems, 65 percent in pedestrian safety and 83 percent for child occupant safety.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety conducted its first mainstream plug-in vehicle crash tests in April of 2011, and both the 2011 Chevrolet Volt and the 2011 Nissan Leaf were named “Good” for their front, side, rear, and rollover crash protection and both received the IIHS’ Top Safety Pick title.

Hit the jump to watch video of the Nissan Leaf getting smashed, crashed and bashed by NCAP. Click here (pdf) for a detailed look at the Leaf’s NCAP test results.

Continue reading Nissan Leaf earns five-star rating in Euro NCAP crash tests [w/video]

Nissan Leaf earns five-star rating in Euro NCAP crash tests [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 02 Jun 2011 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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