2008 Nissan Altima Base Sedan 4-door 2.5sl on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Nissan wants French State out of its alliance with Renault

While it's called the Renault-Nissan Alliance, the French side actually throws around a lot of weight in the relationship, and the government there is the largest shareholder. Meanwhile, the Japanese company generates about two-thirds of the sales. As leader of both automakers, Carlos Ghosn is reportedly now working to put more control into the Nissan side, according to insiders speaking to Reuters. The French State is expected to fight hard against losing sway. The government in France prompted Ghosn's distrust after buying up 19.7 percent of Renault's stock, from a previous 15 percent. Officials snubbed the CEO by giving him just a few hours notice, according to Reuters. Now, the boss is looking for ways to mitigate state control, but to make this plan happen Ghosn needs formal approval from the Renault board. If successful, the proposed plan would overhaul the close partnership between the automakers. Whereas the French side currently has the final say in decisions, this move would grant both of them equal power. In addition, Nissan would become the largest owner of Renault, but the French wouldn't have the same control over its Japanese ally. The French government isn't ready to just hand over power to Ghosn, though, because it reportedly wants to protect jobs in the country. The Alliance "must not be destabilized by governance changes or adjustments that could also lead to conflicts of interest," Economy Minister Emmanuel Macron said to Reuters. Clearly, this fight is just beginning. Related Video:

2013 Nissan e-NV200 taxi will carry Catalunians quietly beginning next year

The Nissan e-NV200, currently in the final phases of testing with FedEx fleets in various countries, will be getting more demanding cargo next year in Barcelona when it goes into service as a taxi. Unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show by Carlos Ghosn and with the mayor of Barcelona, Xavier Trias, in attendance, the e-NV200 is the van slightly reworked into a unique design and resting on a Leaf electric powertrain.
The NV200 van is built in Barcelona, and when the electric version goes into production there next year it will begin its public beta will as part of a set of initiatives the Spanish city has for zero-emissions transportation. Nissan will be helping with the build-out of infrastructure such as charging stations, while the city elders get to work on allocating privileges and special spaces for the e-NV200 taxi drivers.
After the Catalonian debut Nissan says the electric hauler will make its way to other parts of the world. Nothing's been said yet about whether it will join our combustion-engined NV200 taxis in New York. You can take a look at the fare-driven future in the high-res gallery above, and read more about it in the press release below.

Recharge Wrap-up: Gogoro Smartscooter debuts, Nissan Leaf drivers drive more

The West Coast Electric Highway in Oregon and Washington makes up about nine percent of the country's EV charging stations. Located along I-5, Highway 101 and other highways, Oregon offers 43 DC quick chargers, while Washington has 14. Chargers are located every 20 to 25 miles along the network, with plans to extend the Electric Highway from Canada all the way to Mexico. Between March 2012 and April 2014, drivers used public chargers 17,917 times in Washington and 18,522 times in Oregon, according to the US Energy Information Agency. Read more at Green Car Reports and at The Register-Guard. Nissan says Leaf drivers in Europe clock about 40 percent more miles on average than gasoline and diesel cars. Using the Leaf's CarWings telemetry, Nissan has found that Leaf drivers average 198 miles per week, or about 10,307 miles per year. Drivers using traditional fossil fuels only drive an average of 138 miles per week, or 7,170 miles a year. Nissan has sold more than 31,000 units of the Leaf in Europe, with more than 150,000 sold worldwide. "Our customers frequently tell us that they buy the Nissan Leaf as a second car, but end up using it far more than their other vehicle," says Jean-Pierre Diernaz, Nissan's European EV director, "and the information we receive from CarWings reinforces that message." Read more in the press release below. Gogoro's electric Smartscooter, which uses a battery swap system, debuted at the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The Smartscooter features a racing suspension, a connected mobile app, a suite of sensors and a host of customization options. What makes the Smartscooter really interesting, though, is its battery swapping network. The 20-pound batteries are traded at small stations - essentially vending machines - in a matter of seconds, so worries about charging times are nonexistent. The battery stations could also be used by utilities for energy storage to help balance grid loads when they're not being used to power electric travel. See the Smartscooter in the video below and read more at Wired. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.