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Infiniti installs Taisuke Nakamura as new design chief

The cubicles and corner offices at Infiniti HQ in Japan continue to change hands. Infiniti Global Design Chief Karim Habib, only in that position for about two years since leaving BMW in 2017, has left the Japanese luxury brand "to pursue other opportunities." In his place, Nissan has elevated Taisuke Nakamura, a 26-year company veteran who is currently Nissan's program design director responsible for global design strategy, and concept car and production vehicle design. Nakamura has a stout design resume in service to both Nissan and Infiniti, having worked on the Qs Inspiration sedan concept (above) shown at the Shanghai Motor Show in April, the QX Inspiration crossover concept shown at the Detroit Auto Show this year (below), and the Prototype 10 speedster concept revealed at Pebble Beach last year (bottom). All of those were electric concepts, making Nakamura the point man for Infiniti's push into electric vehicles and hybrids, and the carmaker's introduction of a new design language. Last year, Infiniti said it would have a new EV on the market in 2021, as well as "e-Power" series hybrids with small battery packs charged by gas-powered generators.   Those EVs should fully embody the brand's new design DNA, seen initially in the recent concepts. The automaker said around the Qs reveal that the new "aesthetics are underpinned by Infiniti's desire to challenge convention and design cars which are engaging, enriching, enabling and enchanting – what the company calls its ‘4ENÂ’ approach to design." At the QX reveal in January, Habib said that as engineers made a "shift towards smarter, more compact and less intrusive powertrains, we were able to create an alternative form with flowing gestures, more engaging in character and more enriching in experience. With its long cabin, balanced proportions and muscular stance, the concept heralds in a new era for Infiniti models.” Infiniti said Nakamura takes up his post next week, Sept. 1, and will report to the same boss he has now, Alfonso Albaisa, Nissan's global design head. Aside from Habib, other top non-Japanese Nissan executives such as Daniele Schillaci, Jose Munoz and Trevor Mann have left the Japanese automaker in the recent past, since the arrest of Carlos Ghosn. The former chairman, who faces charges of fraud and misconduct, is awaiting trial in Japan over charges including enriching himself at a cost of $5 million to Nissan, Japan's No. 2 automaker.

Recharge Wrap-up: Zero to debut 2015 lineup, Nissan extends New Mobility carsharing in Japan

Nissan is extending its carsharing service in Yokohama, Japan for another year. The service, called "Choimobi Yokohama," will use data gathered during its first year to make improvements going forward, including new payment options. The one-way service provides users zero-emission driving with Nissan's New Mobility Concept EVs. Nissan will scale back the number of vehicles from 70 to 50 for the second year. As of September 15, membership was at 10,651 users. Read more in the press release, below. In other Nissan news, the company has a new ad showcasing the benefit of the Leaf's available torque. The video depicts one of the fun parts of driving an EV, which is having 100 percent of the torque available from zero rpm, and shows a Leaf driver pulls away quickly from a stoplight in an impromptu drag race. The ad finishes by reminding Leaf drivers to "use your torque wisely." Watch it below. Analysts predict a booming EV charging infrastructure in South Korea. Government subsidies will encourage this rapid expansion, as the Ministry of Environment South Korea has a plan to fully fund level 2 chargers, plus the installation fee for DC chargers. The availability and shorter charging time of these stations are likely to help convince people to adopt EVs, as well. Analysts at Frost & Sullivan predict 90,000 charging stations around the country by 2020, as you can see in the press release below. Zero Motorcycles is set to debut its 2015 line of electric motorcycles. They will first be unveiled at Intermot in Cologne, Germany beginning September 30. The new all-electric models will then see their US launch at AIMExpo in Orlando, Florida beginning October 16. Zero Motorcycles VP of Global Marketing Scot Harden says, "We are confident that the new line will exceed expectations and look forward to seeing how the motorcycle world responds." Read more in the press release, below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Nissan Extends its Groundbreaking 'Choimobi Yokohama' Car Sharing Service for Another Year YOKOHAMA, Japan (September 19, 2014) - Nissan Motor Co., Ltd and the City of Yokohama revealed today that they will extend the one-year trial run of the first large-scale One-way Car Sharing Service in Japan, called "Choimobi Yokohama," for another year. The service, which kicked off on October 11, 2013, features Nissan's New Mobility Concept electric vehicles.

Nissan NV200 Chicago Taxi looking for a #HailYes

Nissan may be loaning out its small van to General Motors for its Chicago Auto Show debut, but that doesn't mean that Chevrolet is the only one with new NV200-based wares to share. On the heels of launching its Taxi Of Tomorrow for New York City, the Japanese automaker is giving America's Second City a livery of its own.
Shown here in a green and white paint scheme that "expresses a modern take on a historically popular Chicago taxi color," this NV200 Chicago Taxi is the company's less-than-subtle bid to capture some of the city's cab business, which is estimated to have about 7,000 units in service. Nissan is urging the public to generate discussion on social media and hopefully capture local taxi fleet operators' attention with a #HailYes campaign.
Beyond its unique appearance, this NV200 appears untouched, which means it's still powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine backed by a version of Nissan's ubiquitous XTronic continuously variable transmission.