2011 Nissan Leaf Sl Hatchback 4-door -- El on 2040-cars
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Nissan of Newport News Newport News, VA 757-369-6600
Forget about answering the question "Who killed the electric car?" That's because Nissan is bringing the electric car back from the dead. Sure, the Tesla Roadster has made the electric car cool again, but the 2011 Nissan Leaf is the first, full-electric mainstream vehicle to be put on sale for the American consumer. Unlike past electric cars (including the GM EV1), the Leaf can be purchased outright instead of leased, so there's no being forced to give it back to the manufacturer after two years to be studied and then destroyed. The Leaf stores its power in a lithium-ion battery pack, making it one of the first vehicles to use this advanced battery technology. Lithium-ion batteries promise better acceleration and range than comparably sized nickel-metal hydride ones. Nissan says recharging at home with a special 220-volt charger will take 4-8 hours. A commercial quick-charge station can do it in about 30 minutes. Fully charged, the Leaf is estimated to have an effective range of about 100 miles. Of course, 100 miles is about a third of the cruising range available in a conventional car, so the Leaf's primary drawback is readily apparent. Unlike a plug-in hybrid like the Chevy Volt, there's no backup gasoline engine to keep you moving once the Leaf's batteries are depleted. Instead, you'll be stuck with a rather lengthy recharging engagement, and that's if you manage to reach an available electricity source in time. Our take is that the Leaf is best suited for drivers doing a lot of routine commuting or making shorter trips, as well as owners with a two-car household and a garage. For all that, the 2011 Nissan Leaf promises to be a very useful vehicle. A Leaf will hit the register with a price tag of about $25,000 after a $7,500 federal tax credit (residents of certain states are eligible for additional credits as well). Buyers are advised to purchase the $2,200 home-charging station, but even this piece of hardware has its own tax rebate of 50 percent. The Leaf's running costs should also be appealing, since the cost of recharging should be a fraction of what you'd pay for a tank of gasoline. An electric car is definitely not for everyone. Long-distance commuters, one-car households and apartment dwellers interested in a fuel-efficient or green-oriented car should instead consider a Chevrolet Volt, Ford Fusion Hybrid, Toyota Prius (be it the regular version or new plug-in hybrid), or even a Volkswagen Golf TDI diesel. But for those who have been waiting to buy a real electric car, the arrival of the 2011 Nissan Leaf is a revolutionary event. Body Styles, Trim Levels, and OptionsThe 2011 Nissan Leaf is an all-electric four-door hatchback available in SV and SL trim levels. Standard equipment on the SV includes 16-inch alloy wheels, LED headlamps, keyless ignition/entry, full power accessories, cruise control, automatic climate control, height-adjustable driver seat, tilt-only steering wheel and 60/40-split-folding rear seats. Also included are cloth upholstery made from recycled materials, auto-dimming rearview mirror, Bluetooth, an advanced trip computer, a navigation system and a six-speaker sound system with a CD player, satellite radio, an auxiliary audio jack and an iPod/USB audio interface. The Leaf SL adds a spoiler-mounted solar panel, automatic headlamps, foglamps, a rearview camera and a cargo cover. Additionally, every Leaf comes standard with Nissan Connection, a remote vehicle access system that reports battery recharging data and can activate the climate control via a cell phone. Optional are a home charging station and a quick-charge port, which allows for charging to 80 percent capacity in 30 minutes at a public charging station. Powertrains and PerformanceThe 2011 Nissan Leaf is powered by an 80-kilowatt synchronous electric motor fed by a 24 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. Output is 107 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque. At the same time, the power delivery of an electric vehicle is vastly different from that of gasoline, diesel or even hybrid vehicles, so take the Leaf's power ratings with a grain of salt. Nissan estimates a range of 100 miles, but this depends on driving style, traffic conditions, cruising speed and battery age. In fact, even ambient temperature plays a role in determining cruising range, because extreme temperatures are detrimental for battery performance. The EPA has given the Leaf an energy efficiency equivalent rating (MPG-e) of 106 mpg city/92 mpg highway and 99 mpg combined and an estimated driving range of 73 miles. SafetyThe 2011 Nissan Leaf comes standard with antilock disc brakes, stability and traction control, front side airbags and side curtain airbags. A rearview camera is optional on the SL. Interior Design and Special FeaturesBecause the Leaf's battery pack resides under the floor beneath the seats, the rear seat is quite comfortable for adults. The front seat provides no shortage of space for even tall drivers and the seats themselves are quite supportive and comfortable, though the vehicle's short range makes sure they'll never be enjoyed during a long-haul road trip. The cargo area is on the small side for a hatchback, however, and even when you fold the rear seats, the cargo floor is not flat. The Leaf's cabin is dominated by a split-level instrument cluster similar to that of the Honda Civic. The center control panel features a touchscreen, which controls the standard navigation system as well as special features like cruising range. You can even program the start time for the recharging system to take advantage of lower rates for electricity. Interior quality is about the same as other economy hatchbacks, but overall fit and finish is noticeably a cut above. Driving ImpressionsAnyone who has driven or at least stood next to a hybrid will know how quiet it is when operating in electric-only mode. It can be eerie or cool, depending on your point of view. With the 2011 Nissan Leaf, its serenity never ceases, and you can detect only a high-pitched whine under heavy throttle. This quiet creates the adverse side effect of making wind and road noise more noticeable at highway speeds, but overall the Leaf is impressively quiet. As an electric car, the Leaf benefits from an abundance of torque available from the first touch of the accelerator pedal. The Leaf feels sprightly and gets up to speed with no drama -- as an urban runabout, it certainly excels. Press on the brakes and the pedal is firm and sure, without the sort of strange, vague feel indicative of most regenerative braking systems. With its battery pack mounted low in the body and a well-tuned electric power steering system, we've been pleasantly surprised by how well the Leaf takes turns. Its responsiveness is typical of that seen in other well-engineered compact family cars, and in most ways the Leaf feels pretty normal to drive.
All transaction will be handled by dealer. All questions should be made through 757-369-6600. Dealer fees and taxes may apply
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Nissan Leaf for Sale
2012 nissan leaf sv hatchback 4-door -- el
Pre-owned 2013 leaf sl, electric, still qualifies for tax credit, only 12 miles
Pre-owned 2013 leaf sl, electric, still qualifies for tax credit, only 12 miles
Pre-owned 2013 leaf sl, electric, still qualifies for tax credit, only 26 miles
2011 leaf sl hb, electric, still qualifies for tax credit, only 1201 miles
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Carlos Ghosn projects Renault-Nissan for #3 position by 2018
Tue, Mar 3 2015As the chief executive of both Renault and Nissan, Carlos Ghosn is one of the most powerful executives in the automotive industry. But at 60, he'll have to retire sooner than later: he's got three and a half years left on his contract at Renault, which mandates retirement by 65. But before his time is up, he intends to leave the Renault-Nissan Alliance among the top three automakers in the world. Currently the combined sales of Nissan, Renault and its various brands (including Dacia, Datsun and Infiniti) make the alliance the fourth largest carmaker globally, trailing behind Toyota, Volkswagen and General Motors, but ahead of Hyundai, Ford, Fiat Chrysler and Honda. But Ghosn sees the alliance's sales (and global market share) increasing in the next three years. Speaking with Automotive News Europe, Ghosn projected confidently that the alliance will hit the number three spot by 2018 – just three years from now. To get there, Ghosn knows that Nissan and Infiniti will need to increase their combined market share to 10 percent in the United States, growing around 2 to 3 percent each year between now and 2018. The challenge is that much more evident in North America where only half of the alliance participates. But it's not all about America. Ghosn also the Chinese market as equally vital to the alliance's success and that of its constituent automakers, projecting continued growth in China for the foreseeable future. He's also banked heavily on the Russian market, which may have dipped now, but in Ghosn's view is bound to recover. News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Renault-Nissan Alliance Nissan Renault renault-nissan alliance
Altima Coupe dead as Nissan charts the changes for 2014
Wed, 17 Jul 2013The 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.
Nissan Juke-R pitted against Bugatti Veyron in brilliantly odd drag race
Mon, 10 Jun 2013The Nissan Juke-R must've been a tough car to build a business case for, yet the madcap little crossover with the heart of a GT-R is now a production reality. Admittedly, we should probably assign some quotes around "production," since the vehicle is being built on a one-by-one on-demand basis at extraordinary cost - at an estimated price of well over $600,000, it has little in common with the already bonkers everyday Juke. We're just happy it exists at all.
With 545 horsepower, we also didn't figure it needed more power. But that apparently hasn't stopped the tuning community, which probably only had to adapt performance adders designed for the GT-R to the mechanically similar CUV. Thus, we end up with this mile-long drag race, which pits a Bugatti Veyron against a Juke-R prepared by an outfit called Shpilli Villi Engineering with a claimed 700 horsepower. That's still well down on horsepower versus the legendary quad-turbo supercar, but the much smaller Nissan also figures to be a lot lighter while boasting similar all-wheel-drive traction. We don't have much more information to go on other than this video, and it doesn't appear that both drivers necessarily got their best runs in, but it certainly makes for jaw-dropping watching. Check it out by scrolling below.