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Nissan EV design is diverging in three directions

As the movie awards season kicks into high gear, Nissan design chief Shiro Nakamura appears to be implying that his company's electric-vehicle design prospects are about to go from Philomena into The Wolf of Wall Street territory. Nakamura, speaking with Motor Authority at the Detroit Auto Show last week, allowed that the design of the five-seat Nissan Leaf is fairly conservative and will remain so given that the model continues to be the most practically-minded EV from the company. In the near future, though, Nissan is planning to head in different directions. Specifically, an all-electric sports car and a two-seat commuter vehicle that could come with in-wheel electric motors that will allow the designs to get more radical. How radical? Well, we've heard Nissan may bring the BladeGlider concept (pictured) it unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show late last year to production. It has a narrow front and wider rear and a 1+2 seating arrangement. Beyond that, Nissan has the two-seat Esflow concept vehicle it showed off in 2011 that could provide some hints, since it's expected that some of the design components from that car will be worked into the upcoming production models.

Nissan to take over for Renault in Formula E

Formula E has generated a lot of news lately, even in the off-season, as major automakers continue to either join the series or express interest in participating. The inclusion of a number of European rivals makes the series particularly interesting. One thing missing from the lineup is a Japanese automaker. That will change, though, as Motorsport reports that Nissan will be taking over its Alliance partner Renault's spot on the starting grid. It's not confirmed when the switch will happen, but with the Renault e.dams Z.E. 17 (seen in testing above) already having been unveiled for next season, it's likely the switch will come in for the 2018/19 season when the series moves away from the practice of swapping cars mid-race. Renault has been a successful part of Formula E from the very beginning, providing (with partner Spark) the cars each team used in the first season, and scoring the series' first Team Championship in 2015, and then again in 2016 and 2017. Nissan, though, has the globally popular Leaf EV, and has been eyeing an entry into Formula E for some time now. Joining the series will not only boost the visibility of Nissan's electrification strategy, it will do the same for its Nismo arm as well (and, as we've already learned, there could be a Leaf Nismo offered in the future). The change would also free up resources for Renault to focus on its F1 efforts. As Motorsport also reports, Formula E CEO Alejandro Agag has said of the Japanese brands Nissan, Honda and Toyota, that "one of those three, maybe two, will end up" in the electric racing series, without elaborating further. Nissan isn't expected to confirm its Formula E entry soon, but it could happen at the Geneva Motor Show next year. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. News Source: MotorsportImage Credit: Formula E Green Motorsports Nissan Renault Green Culture Electric Racing Vehicles Formula E nismo fia formula e championship

Honda, Nissan, and Toyota expand Takata recall by millions worldwide

Honda, Nissan, and Toyota are expanding their global Takata airbag inflator recalls to cover millions of additional vehicles. Toyota alone is adding about 5 million vehicles to its campaign globally, and over 600,000 of those are in the US, according to Automotive News. Nissan's expansion includes an estimated 1.56 million cars worldwide, including about 326,000 in North America, but the exact models from the company are not yet known. According to Automotive News, Honda has also announced plans to increase the scope of its campaign but hasn't yet disclosed specific models, total numbers, or their location. Company spokesperson Chris Martin tells Autoblog that none of these vehicles are in the US, though. In the US, Toyota is replacing the driver's side front inflators on 160,000 examples of the 2004 and 2005 RAV4 nationwide. It's also swapping out the front passenger side parts for 177,000 units of the 2003 and 2004 Tundra (pictured above) and 2004 Sequoia. The automaker is also expanding its regional recalls in high-humidity areas to include the passenger-side inflators of 300,000 more vehicles. In total, the affected models are 2005-2007 model-year Corolla, Matrix, Sequoia, and Lexus SC; plus the 2005-2006 Tundra is included, as well. All of the states that are covered by this campaign are listed in Toyota's announcement, below. In a statement to Autoblog, Nissan said that it's currently working with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on this campaign. "We expect to have a more formal statement and additional information by Friday, May 15," the company said. TOYOTA EXPANDS TAKATA AIRBAG SAFETY RECALLS TORRANCE, Calif., May 12, 2015 – Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. today announced that it is expanding its recalls involving Takata air bag inflators. First, Toyota will conduct a recall to replace Takata-supplied driver front airbag inflators on approximately 160,000 model year 2004 and 2005 RAV4 sport utility vehicles. The inflators could potentially be susceptible to rupture when deployed in a crash, increasing the risk of injury to vehicle occupants. For similar reasons, Toyota will expand two existing recalls for Takata-supplied front passenger airbag inflators, namely: Toyota's nationwide recall launched in April 2013 will expand to include approximately an additional 177,000 model year 2003-2004 Tundra and model year 2004 Sequoia vehicles.