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Renault-Nissan has sold more EVs than its next two competitors combined

Nissan may not be doing so hot with sales of its Leaf electric vehicle in the US this year, but the Japanese automaker and its France-based partner Renault still remain the gold standard of electric-vehicle sellers. Thanks to numbers crunched by the good people over at EV Sales, we learn that the Renault-Nissan Alliance has moved more than 265,000 electric vehicles around the world. That accounts for more than a quarter of all the EVs sold worldwide and is more than Mitsubishi's 11 percent share and General Motors' 10 percent share combined. Nissan and Renault surpassed the quarter-million electric-vehicle mark in June. There are shifts afoot, though. Renault-Nissan's global EV market share is only 18 percent this year, and the Alliance is losing share to companies like Volkswagen, BYD, and, to a lesser extent, BMW. That shift can be seen in this year's US sales numbers, where the Nissan Leaf has pretty much plunged down. In fact, with VW and BMW broadening their inventory of plug-in models, Germany can claim the third-place spot in the list of countries with the most "electric" automakers, after China and Japan. The US is trailing, even if many people associate electric cars with California's Tesla. On that note, both Ford and General Motors have lost electric-vehicle market share this year, while Mitsubishi has essentially tread water. GM's numbers (and Nissan's, for that matter) need some context because Americans have been holding off on purchasing a first-gen Chevrolet Volt extended-range plug-in while the automaker readies a new and improved version. All told, Japanese companies have produced the most plug-in vehicles, accounting for 39 percent of the world's market so far, while the US is responsible for about one in four electric vehicles ever made. Sales '15 % Total Sales % Renault-Nissan 44,003 18 265,205 27 VW (VAG) 28,480 12 42,743 4 BYD 25,592 11 51,338 5 Tesla 24,867 10 83,587 9 Mitsubishi 24.117 10 108,883 11 BMW 15,469 6 31,822 3 Ford 11,548 5 65,696 7 GM 11,617 4 100,818 10 Featured Gallery 2015 Nissan Leaf View 12 Photos News Source: EV Sales Green Nissan Renault Electric ev sales renault-nissan

Altima Coupe dead as Nissan charts the changes for 2014

The 2014 model year brings plenty of new designs and updates from Nissan - including the next-generation Rogue - but the Altima Coupe has been discontinued. The current generation of the Coupe won buyers over with sharp styling and, at one point, a 270-horsepower naturally aspirated V6 - the heart of the more upscale Infinity G37. It's unlikely that Nissan plans to make another one, but keep in mind the current Coupe was released to the public about a year after the sedan hit dealerships.
The vehicles joining Nissan's lineup for 2014 include the Versa Note hatchback, the NV200 Compact Cargo van and the next-generation Rogue compact SUV. Also new for 2014 is the Pathfinder Hybrid, but that will be added to the lineup in the fall.
Other models that are receiving enhancements are the sedan version of the Altima, which now comes standard with the CVT transmission and gets revised option packs; the Frontier, which gets updated option packs, enhanced navigation system functionality and a sliding middle rear window; the GT-R, which receives a bunch of small performance enhancements and, more importantly, initially will be offered in three versions (Premium, Black Edition and Track Edition), with another, limited special-edition model coming late in the year; the Versa sedan, all versions of which get 60/40-split fold-down rear seats and revised steering and suspension tuning; and last, but not least, the 370Z NISMO will have exterior accent color updates and a new steering wheel and tachometer.

GM, Ford, Honda winners in 'Car Wars' study as industry growth continues

General Motors' plans to aggressively refresh its product lineup will pay off in the next four years with strong market share and sales, according to an influential report released Tuesday. Ford, Honda, and FCA are all poised to show similar gains as the auto industry is expected to remain healthy through the rest of the decade. The Bank of America Merrill Lynch study, called Car Wars, analyzes automakers' future product plans for the next four model years. By 2020, 88 percent of GM's sales will come from newly launched products, which puts it slightly ahead of Ford's 86-percent estimate. Honda (85 percent) and FCA (84 percent) follow. The industry average is 81 percent. Toyota checks in just below the industry average at 79 percent, with Nissan trailing at 76 percent. Car Wars' premise is: automakers that continually launch new products are in a better position to grow sales and market share, while companies that roll out lightly updated models are vulnerable to shifting consumer tastes. Though Detroit and Honda grade out well in the study, many major automakers are clumped together, which means large market-share swings are less likely in the coming years. Bank of America Merrill Lynch predicts the industry will top out with 20 million sales in 2018 and then taper off, perhaps as much as 30 percent by 2026. Not surprisingly, trucks, sport utility vehicles and crossovers will be the key battlefield in the next few years, Car Wars says. FCA will launch a critical salvo in 2018 with a new Ram 1500, followed by new generations of the Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra in 2019, and then Ford's F-150 for 2020, according to the study. Bank of America Merrill Lynch analyst John Murphy said the GM trucks could be pulled ahead even earlier to 2018, prompting Ford to respond. "This focus on crossovers and trucks is a great thing for the industry," Murphy said. Cars Wars looks at Korean (76 percent replacement rate) and European companies more vaguely (70 percent), but argues their slower product cadence and lineups with fewer trucks puts them in weaker positions than their competitors through 2020. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Featured Gallery 2016 Chevrolet Silverado View 11 Photos Image Credit: Chevrolet Earnings/Financials Chrysler Fiat Ford GM Honda Nissan Toyota study FCA