2017 Nissan Rogue S on 2040-cars

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Renault-Nissan debuts new Common Module Family for future vehicles

Platform sharing is nothing new for the 14-year-old Renault-Nissan Alliance, but this partnership is set to introduce new modular platform components that will eventually underpin 11 Renault models and three Nissan vehicles by 2020. Rather than being a typical platform, the Common Module Family (CMF) actually represents five segments of a platform that can be used in various applications, and one of the first vehicles to use this architecture will be the 2014 Nissan Rogue (spy shots of which are shown below) when it arrives "in late 2013."
As pictured in the image above (click to expand), CMF is composed of four chassis component, principally the front underbody, rear underbody, engine bay and cockpit as well as a common electrical system. Besides the next-gen Rogue, future Nissan models to share CMF will include the Qashqai and X-Trail, while Renault models will start using the platform next year on vehicles including the Scénic and Laguna. The CMF architecture is expected to help the Alliance reduce the parts cost of a vehicle by up to 30 percent and reduce the entry cost by up to 40 percent. The official press release with more details about CMF, and what it means for Renault-Nissan, is posted below.

Renault-Nissan promises 10 autonomous models through 2020

Renault-Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn promised back in 2013 to have autonomous technology on the road by 2020, and now the automaker has pledged to have more than 10 models ready in that time with varying levels of autonomous capabilities. The company claims it will offer these systems to customers around the world at affordable prices in major markets like the US, Europe, Japan, and China. Renault-Nissan will introduce driverless tech in multiple phases over the next four years. The first step will come later this year with the introduction of a single-lane autonomous system that will be able to go down the highway and manage stop-and-go traffic automatically. The next innovation in 2018 will offer multi-lane capability, and the ability to automatically pass other vehicles on the road. Another big jump will come in 2020 with the ability for models to navigate intersections and urban areas without a driver's control. Renault and Nissan engineers will develop all of this together, and the results will be available in both of the company's brands. Ghosn explained this roadmap towards an autonomous future last year but cautioned that Renault-Nissan didn't plan to take complete control away from owners. Instead, the company sees these systems as a way to make people even safer behind the wheel by reducing the chance for driver error. The automaker's deliberate introduction strategy is prudent because it can potentially adapt to proposed regulations that could mandate rules on how piloted vehicles operate. RENAULT-NISSAN TO LAUNCH MORE THAN 10 VEHICLES WITH AUTONOMOUS DRIVE TECHNOLOGY OVER THE NEXT FOUR YEARS World's fourth largest car group confirms autonomous drive and connectivity timeline through 2020 Fatal and serious injuries have been significantly reduced; new technologies will help make cars even safer Car group hires new executive to oversee connectivity and connected car services globally SUNNYVALE, Calif. – The Renault-Nissan Alliance will launch more than 10 vehicles with autonomous drive technology in the next four years. The global car group confirmed today that it will launch a range of vehicles with autonomous capabilities in the United States, Europe, Japan and China through 2020. The technology will be installed on mainstream, mass-market cars at affordable prices. In addition, Renault-Nissan will launch a suite of new connectivity applications that will make it easier for people to stay connected to work, entertainment and social networks.

Nissan Leaf sets new November sales record, Chevy Volt drops again

When you talk to people in the plug-in vehicle industry, one theme you hear repeatedly is that the more plug-in cars that are out there, the better things are for everyone. One reason is that more EVs build a need for more public chargers, and more chargers mean more people see that plugging in is feasible. But there's still something to be said for old-fashioned competition, and in the sales race between the two long-running plug-in vehicles in the US, the Nissan Leaf is resoundingly beating the Chevy Volt for 2014. In fact, it won't be long before the EV's cumulative sales top the PHEV's. But that's a topic for another month. For now, we have the sales results from November. Unsurprisingly, Nissan set another monthly record (that is, the best Leaf sales in any November, the 22nd time in a row we've seen a monthly record) with 2,687 sales last month. That's up 34 percent over last November and up 35 percent year-to-date. Toby Perry, Nissan's director of electric vehicle marketing, said in a statement that, "Our 'Kick Gas' ad campaign and 'No Charge to Charge' launch in Chicago and Atlanta drove an increase in November Leaf sales. Even with gas prices falling across the country, consumers appreciate that the cost of driving a Nissan Leaf is still a fraction of that of a gas-powered car." Over on the Chevy side of the ledger, there were 1,336 Volt sales last month, down 30.4 percent from the 1,920 sold in November 2013. So far this year, Volt sales are down 16.4 percent and Chevy has sold 17,315 Volts in 2014. As we said last month, the Volt slump might be due to people waiting on the new version to make an appearance at the Detroit Auto Show next month before going on sale in the second half of 2015. So far in 2014, Nissan has sold 27,098 Leafs. Look for our detailed post of US green car sales in the near future. Until then, please discuss last month's Leaf and Volt sale in the comments, below. News Source: Nissan, General Motors Green Chevrolet Nissan Electric Hybrid PHEV ev sales hybrid sales