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Ghosn: 'While I'm proud of our EV leadership, I know it's not enough.'

Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn has written something like a State of the Union on electric vehicles and the carbon economy. We'd sum it up as, 'we're working on it but we all need to work harder.' Ghosn believes all of the commitments made at the Paris COP21 climate change conference are a start, but "the support of the business community is imperative," in coordination with the public sector. He stresses that he's after an "orderly transition," one that uses what we have now in order to go where many believe we need to go. That means no threats or revolution, no "aggressive government intervention and centralized demand and control," but rather a "practical, affordable way to begin reducing dependence" on the fuel that turns the skies brown. Ghosn wraps up his manifesto this way: "The UN Secretary General recently said that we are the first generation to feel the effects of climate change and the last to be able to do anything to stop it. This is a call to action, and the auto industry is committed to doing its part." Based on the undeniable shift toward the electrification of the automobile, we know that the call is being answered. Given the limited market share EVs have today, it could still use some more people and companies picking up the phone. With vehicle numbers expected to grow from 800 million to more than two billion by 2050, "transition will occur one way or another," Ghosn writes. Head over to Forbes to read Ghosn's thoughts.

Semi-autonomous Nissan Leaf certified for road use in Japan [w/video]

In order to meet its goal of having an autonomous car in production by 2020, Nissan is going to have be able to test its technology in real-world driving conditions. For this, the automaker has just received a license plate to legally test its semi-autonomous driver assist systems in Japan, marking the first time such technologies have been tested on that country's roads. Not ironically, the license plate number is 2020.
Though not fully autonomous, this Leaf prototype will test various components of a self-driving car including exiting the highway, the ability to stay in its lane and change lanes when needed, stopping at red lights and overtaking stopped or slow traffic. Nissan is also in the process of building a proving ground in Oppama, Japan dedicated solely to autonomous cars, but the ability to test on public roads will obviously play a crucial role in the development of these cars. Scroll down for a short video and press release Nissan posted to mark the occasion.

Meet the man who took a year sabbatical to drive his 1967 Datsun Fairlady Roadster

A quiet drive in the country can be the most relaxing thing in the world. What if it didn't have to end, and you could keep driving for a week, a month or even a whole year? That's what Scott Fisher is doing by taking a one-year sabbatical from work and driving his 1967 Datsun Fairlady Roadster around North America.
"I had owned a manufacturing business in Las Vegas for 16 years. I knew I needed to kinda' get out, and unwind, and get my mojo back," said Fisher.
Fisher's trip has covered over 30,000 miles through 44 states and 7 Canadian Provinces, and it is not over yet. He left from his home in Las Vegas, NV, last spring and drove to the Pacific. From there, he drove up the coast to the Canadian border and aimed the car for the Atlantic. He just posted on his blog about visiting the Nissan headquarters and museum in Franklin, TN, and his next stops are Mississippi and New Orleans, LA.