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: New York Auto Show, Aston Martin, Audi, BMW, Chevrolet, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Porsche, Alfa Romeo
On Thursday the 21st of April, the seventh annual World Car Awards were given out in a ceremony at the New York International Auto Show that was duly covered by Autoblog.
Full disclosure: I, Matt Davis, European Editor of this online obsession Autoblog, am both a co-founder and co-chair of the World Car Awards, and I intend to shamelessly soapbox herein about the WCAs, at least until the bosses toss me out on the sidewalk.
The WCAs comprise four awards: World Green Car, World Car Design, World Performance Car, and overall World Car of the Year – known as the WCotY. There is no other widely known award even remotely like this, as all four take into account truly global cars from every region of the world. The overall WCotY, in particular, pits cars of every type from every make on the globe, some of which may not be available in the English-speaking world, against one another and, in the end, we 66 international jurors shake out a winner, two runners-up, and the rest.
Continue Reading 2011 World Car Awards: How close it was…
Continue reading 2011 World Car Awards: How close it was
2011 World Car Awards: How close it was originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 27 Apr 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: New York Auto Show, Aston Martin, Chevrolet, Nissan, Design/Style, Electric
Big congratulations go to the 2011 Nissan Leaf this morning, as it has just been named the 2011 World Car of the Year. The Leaf garnered more votes than the 2011 Audi A8 and 2011 BMW 5 Series, the other two finalists for the World Car title. In 2010, the Volkswagen Polo took home this award.
The Leaf was not the only super-efficient car to be awarded today, as the 2011 Chevrolet Volt was named Green Car of the Year. Oddly, the Volt was named 2011 North American Car of the Year, while the Leaf was merely a runner-up.
In the less-efficient realm of the industry, the 2011 Ferrari 458 Italia was named World Performance Car of the Year, and the sleek 2011 Aston Martin Rapide was given the World Design of the Year crown.
Gallery: 2011 World Car of the Year Winners
Photos copyright (C)2011 AOL
2011 Nissan Leaf named World Car of the Year originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 21 Apr 2011 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, Hatchback, Chevrolet, GM, Nissan, Electric
So, how are the first two mainstream plug-in vehicles in the U.S. selling? Both the Chevrolet Volt and the Nissan Leaf had their first deliveries in December, which means January of 2011 was the first full month of sales for each. Without further ado, the numbers are:
- Volt: 321 (plus 326 in December, for a total of 647)
- Leaf: 87 (plus 19 in December, 106 total)
Thing is, these numbers are very supply related and shouldn’t be seen as an accurate gauge of demand for either of these vehicles. We won’t really be able to declare a “winner” in this fight until both General Motors and Nissan get their plug-in vehicle production lines up to full speed, but for now, looks like GM’s doing it up a little bit better than Nissan.
[Source: Green Car Reports]
First full month sales show Chevy Volt leads with 321, Nissan Leaf at 87 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Feb 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: LA Auto Show, Hybrid, Chevrolet, Ford, Hyundai, Lincoln, Nissan, Electric
Green Car Journal has chosen its five candidates for the 2011 Green Car of the Year Award. Competition is fierce this time around with both the Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt nabbing nods. While those two have been busy snapping up headlines over the past year, the rest of the vehicles on the list are no less impressive. The Lincoln MKZ Hybrid made the cut thanks to its incredibly efficient drivetrain borrowed from the Ford Fusion Hybrid. Meanwhile, the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid is bound to make an impressive showing thanks to its competent highway mileage and high-tech lithium-polymer battery pack.
Of all of the eligible vehicles, the only one without a battery pack is the lovable 2011 Ford Fiesta. While the subcompact is likely to be eclipsed by the rest of the electron-powered pack, the vehicle’s 40 mpg highway is no less impressive than all of the high-tech wizardry on board the hybrids and EVs. The winner of this year’s award will be announced at the 2010 LA Auto Show on November 18. Check out our gallery of the nominees below and then hit the jump for the press release.
Gallery: 2011 Green Car of the Year Finalists
Photos copyright (C)2010 AOL
[Source: Green Car Journal]
Continue reading 2010 Green Car of the Year finalists announced
2010 Green Car of the Year finalists announced originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 22 Oct 2010 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, Hatchback, Chevrolet, Nissan, Electric
It looks like Popular Mechanics had room for two vehicles this year on its annual “Top Products” awards list. Both the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf were named Breakthrough Products for 2010. PM praised the ride quality and technology of the Volt, stating that it’s “more than the sum of its cutting-edge parts.” In addition, the publication prominently touted the Volt’s range-extending abilities, possibly as a jab at the other winner.
The magazine still had some love left for the Leaf, though, calling it, “a pure EV with space for five, a moderate price and enough range for most tasks – plus, an operating cost that’s irresistibly low.” The Leaf does not do any one thing that hasn’t been done before, but Nissan has combined a lot of features together in a mass-market-ready package that has already resulted in 20,000 pre-orders in the U.S. alone.
Contrary to PM’s 2008 Breakthrough car (Click to see what it is. Hint: it’s a three-wheeled electric vehicle), you will actually be able to buy both of these 2010 cars the same year they’ve been acclaimed, a nice change of pace in this uncertain world. To see the rest of Popular Mechanics‘ Top Products of 2010, click here.
[Source: Popular Mechanics]
Chevrolet Volt, Nissan Leaf named ‘Breakthrough Products’ by Popular Mechanics originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 07 Oct 2010 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Ford, GM, Nissan, Electric
Remember the documentary “Who killed the Electric Car?” Director Chris Paine created the film in 2005 and 2006 to bemoan the decision of some automakers to kill off their electric car programs. It’s now five years later and Paine and company are back with a vengeance videotaping “Revenge of the Electric Car.”
In the original film, General Motors was reviled for its decision to deep-six the innovative EV1 all-electric two-seat car. But thanks to the impending production of the Chevrolet Volt, GM is now considered one of the reasons that the EV is on the comeback trail. Paine and his crew were allowed access to The General’s Detroit Hamtramck plant to witness – with cameras rolling – the assembly production of pre-production Volt number 100. And to think that five years ago Rick Wagner and his crew would have been more likely to lend a size 14 boot to Paine’s rear end than allow him to film inside one of the company’s most important plants. My how times have changed.
There is no solid timetable for the release of “Revenge of the Electric Car” right now, but the documentary will likely align very well with the release of the Volt and Nissan Leaf, which are followed by an electric Focus not long after.
[Source: Revenge of the Electric Car]
Revenge of the Electric Car coming to a theater near you… sometime originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Sedan, Hatchback, Chevrolet, GM, Nissan, Electric
Proving once again the old adage that there’s more than one way to skin a cat battery, Chevrolet and Nissan have each designed new eco-friendly vehicles that are set to go head-to-head for sales supremacy starting at the end of this year. Though both automakers arrive at the same basic anti-gasoline (at least to a large extent) result, the Volt and the Leaf differ in more ways than they are alike.
We’ll start with the drivetrain. While the Volt and Leaf are both technically electric cars, Chevrolet’s solution to the range problem includes the addition of a small gasoline-fueled engine capable of recharging the Volt’s onboard battery pack. There’s enough battery capacity to travel at least 40 miles before the generator kicks in, but there’s no limit to the range after the engine takes over.
Nissan’s Leaf, on the other hand, has a somewhat larger battery that the automaker claims will allow for 100 miles of range per charge. After that, there is simply no more forward progress to be had until the Leaf is plugged into an outlet for a few hours – at least. But if going 100-percent gasoline free is your goal, this is your ride.
And then we have the body styles and shapes. Both cars spent plenty of time in the wind tunnel, with extremely different results. The Volt sports a more traditional sedan-like shape and offers seating for four. The Leaf, on the other hand, has a bit of an out-there look to its basic hatchback design and boasts seating for five.
Pricing too is a bit divergent. Nissan has affixed a $32,780 sticker to its electric car, before federal or state incentives. That price will drop to the mid-$20s when a $7,500 tax credit is applied. The General is making its Volt a bit more dear with a $41,000 asking price that drops to $33,500 after the credit. Interestingly, both automakers will offer leases for $350 per month for 36 months.
So, the big question is: Which electric car do you think is the better buy? Make yourself heard in our (totally unscientific) poll below.
Poll: Chevrolet Volt takes on Nissan Leaf originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Jul 2010 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, Hatchback, Chevrolet, GM, Nissan, Diesel
Will Nissan’s upcoming Leaf electric car compete directly with the 2011 Chevrolet Volt? Well, that depends on who you ask. Apparently, Nissan head Carlos Ghosn doesn’t believe the two eco-friendly automobiles will be competing on a large scale. Says Ghosn:
“Frankly, I mean so far there is no competition. Let’s be serious. It’s not because someone is coming with a prototype and one car that this is competition. The question is how much capacity are you building… What I am sure is that in 2011, I am going to be the only one on the market.”
Ghosn wasn’t necessarily referring directly to the Chevy Volt when he made those comments at the Geneva Motor Show, but the sentiment would surely include General Motors‘ extended-range electric vehicle by proxy. We’d imagine that a good deal of Leaf or Volt buyers would consider the other car a competitor for their hard-earned dollars.
If the issue between the two electric cars is production numbers, Nissan certainly takes the (currently theoretical) win as it plans to build 500,000 Leaf EVs by 2012. By way of contrast, GM has been mum on actual production goals for its Volt program, but we know the initial launch at the end of 2010 will be a comparatively small one.
Gallery: 2010 Nissan Leaf EV
[Source: BusinessWeek]
Carlos Ghosn on the Leaf and EVs: “There is no competition.” originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Mar 2010 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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