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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

Ex-Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn indicted, may remain in jail for months

TOKYO — Nissan's ex-chairman Carlos Ghosn was charged Friday with breach of trust, according to the Tokyo District Court, making the star executive's release unlikely for months. Ghosn, arrested Nov. 19, was earlier charged with falsifying financial reports in underreporting his income by about 5 billion yen ($44 million) over five years through 2015. Ghosn; Greg Kelly, another Nissan executive; and Nissan as a legal entity also were charged Friday with additional underreporting of income, from 2015 through mid-2018. Ghosn's lawyer Motonari Ohtsuru said he would request that Ghosn be granted release on bail. His detention period for the breach of trust allegations was due to expire Friday. Kelly and Nissan were not charged with breach of trust. Those allegations center on Ghosn's handling of investment losses and payments made to a Saudi businessman. Ghosn, 64, says he's innocent. Suspects in Japan are routinely held for months until trials start, and Tokyo prosecutors maintain that Ghosn, a Brazilian-born Frenchman of Lebanese ancestry, is a flight risk. Earlier this week Ghosn told a Tokyo court he was innocent, in his first public appearance since his arrest, and appealed for his detention to end. But the court rejected that request. "I have a genuine love and appreciation for Nissan," Ghosn told the court. "In all of my efforts on behalf of the company, I have acted honorably, legally and with the knowledge and approval of the appropriate executives inside the company." He said the compensation was never decided on, the investment deal never resulted in any losses to Nissan, and the payments to the Saudi businessman were for legitimate services related to dealers and investments in the Gulf. Ghosn, who appeared much thinner than before his arrest, came down with a fever the day after his court appearance, but has since recovered, Ohtsuru, the lawyer, said. His wife Carole Ghosn issued a statement overnight out of Paris, expressing concern over his sickness. "I am pleading with the Japanese authorities to provide us with any information at all about my husband's health. We are fearful and very worried his recovery will be complicated while he continues to endure such harsh conditions and unfair treatment," she said. Apart from prosecutors, only embassy officials and Ghosn's lawyers are allowed to visit him. Such visits were canceled Thursday but resumed Friday.

Nissan teases New York-bound 2015 Murano

It was over a month ago when we received reports that Nissan would be unveiling the new Murano at the New York Auto Show next month. Now the Japanese automaker has confirmed its imminent arrival, offering up the brief teaser clip below to give us a very faint idea of what to expect.
In announcing the Murano's upcoming debut in Manhattan, the company described the Murano as "the halo vehicle for Nissan's expanding range of bold crossovers and SUVs," previewing the design that will distinguish a whole range of Nissans to follow.
Short of that, we've got little to go on, but we're expecting to see some traits from the Resonance concept of 2013 Detroit vintage finding their way onto the production version of a vehicle that has always been rather stylized from the start. Something (sales figures, perhaps?) tells us that the oddball CrossCabriolet will get lost along the way, not that we'll mind.