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Court rejects Carlos Ghosn's request to attend Nissan board meeting

TOKYO — A Japanese court has rejected a request by former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn, released on bail last week, to attend the Japanese automaker's board meeting on Tuesday. Nissan dismissed Ghosn as chairman after his Nov. 19 arrest, but he remains on the board. The Tokyo District Court said it rejected Ghosn's request on Monday but did not elaborate on the reasons. It had been unclear whether Ghosn could attend the board meeting. The court's approval was needed based on restrictions imposed for his release on bail. The restrictions say he cannot tamper with evidence, and attending the board meeting could be seen as putting pressure on Nissan employees. Prosecutors had been expected to argue against his attendance. They were not available for immediate comment. Ghosn has been charged with falsifying financial reports in underreporting his compensation and breach of trust in making payments to a Saudi businessman and having Nissan shoulder investment losses. He insists he is innocent, saying the compensation was never decided or paid, the payments were for legitimate services and Nissan never suffered the losses. Since his release on March 6 from Tokyo Detention Center on 1 billion yen ($9 million) bail, he has been spotted taking walks in Tokyo with his family, but he has not made any comments. His attempt to exercise what his lawyer, Junichiro Hironaka, called his "duty" by attending the board meeting signals one way he may be fighting back. Hironaka has said Ghosn will speak to reporters soon. A date for a news conference has not been announced. Nissan said Monday that Renault Chairman Jean-Dominique Senard, Renault Chief Executive Thierry Bollore, Nissan Motor Co. CEO Hiroto Saikawa, and Osamu Masuko, the chairman and CEO of Mitsubishi Motors Corp., will hold a joint news conference Tuesday after the board meeting. Nissan appears determined to highlight new leadership without Ghosn. It is part of an alliance with Renault SA of France, and more recently with Japan's Mitsubishi Motors, that was largely cobbled together by Ghosn, who led Nissan for two decades. Nissan, which makes the March subcompact, Leaf electric car and Infiniti luxury models, has denounced Ghosn for alleged misconduct. A decision at a shareholders' meeting is needed to remove Ghosn from the board. A shareholders' meeting is scheduled for next month.

Nissan e-NV200 electric taxi comes to Amsterdam

Amsterdam's Taxi Electric liked its two-plus years with an all-Nissan Leaf electric vehicle fleet so much that it just got bigger, or at least with its vehicle choice. The company, which says it's the first private-taxi outfit to boast an all-electric fleet, is going to start adding Nissan e-NV200 electric compact vans to its stable of vehicles. The company started out with its Leaf fleet in late 2011 and has since put about a million miles on the 25 EVs. Nissan said in January that the new electric van will start being tested by FedEx here in the state and it has already been put through the wringer by FedEx in Singapore, Japan and Germany. Last September, Nissan said it was in the "final development phase" of the electric compact van and would start selling it to the public this year, though it wasn't real specific with details. That month, it was also announced that the vehicle, which uses the same drivetrain as the Leaf, would go into taxi service in Barcelona sometime this year. Nissan representatives didn't immediately respond to a request for more details on when the model would start public sales, how much it would cost and what it's single charge range is. Until we hear back, you can check out the official press release below. This summer Taxi Electric becomes the first taxi company in Amsterdam to adopt the zero-emission Nissan e-NV200 Taxi Electric first 100% Nissan LEAF fleet since November 2011 Pioneering Amsterdam-based company have covered 1.5 million km demonstrating Nissan EVs' quality and reliability AMSTERDAM, Netherlands – Taxi Electric will be the first private taxi company to add the new 100-percent electric Nissan e-NV200 taxi to its green-energy zero-emission fleet. The combination of Nissan's innovative zero-emission technology, in the form of the 100-percent electric Nissan LEAF, and Taxi Electric's ground-breaking city transportation model have been a recipe for success since the start of operation in 2011. Now the two companies have teamed up again to build on this success and take the next step forward by introducing the game-changing all-electric Nissan e-NV200 taxi this summer. Amsterdam-based Taxi Electric operates a fleet of 25 Nissan LEAF vehicles. It was the first private taxi service to switch to a fleet of 100% electric taxis in 2011. The Dutch company's fleet of Nissan LEAFs has now amassed a trouble-free 1.5 million km in taxi operations – proof of the electric vehicle's high quality and reliability.

MotorWeek checks out two sides of the '90s Japanese car scene

MotorWeek's Retro Reviews let you feel nostalgic about a huge range of classic cars, and the latest two releases offer a look at two very different sides of the Japanese car market in the 1990s. The video above shows off tuned examples of the Mazda RX-7 and Nissan 300ZX. Check out the clip below to remember the 1997 Honda CR-V, if you want to reminisce about something a little more utilitarian. The RX-7 and 300ZX were among the era's best Japanese sports cars, and these examples' suspension and engine overhauls gave them an extra boost. Peter Farrel Supercars tunes the Mazda, and the vibrant yellow paint and body kit make it look ready for an episode of Initial D. The updated powertrain stands up to the mean styling and gets the RX-7 to 60 miles per hour in 4.5 seconds. The Stillen 300ZX GTZ sports a giant wing, and new turbos take the output to 465 hp. It sprints to 60 in 4.9 seconds. The CR-V sits on the opposite end of the automotive spectrum as the tuned RX-7 and 300ZX, but it's even more important in a historical sense. The Honda (along with the Toyota RAV4 and others) was among the progenitors of today's mega-popular compact crossovers. These early examples set the foundation for offering buyers a utilitarian vehicle in a comfortable package with good fuel economy at an affordable price. The CR-V had some quirky charm, too, like the removable picnic table hidden in the cargo floor. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.