2021 Nissan Titan Sv on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Recharge Wrap-up: Nissan 'No Charge' in Denver, A123 doubles

Nissan has introduced its "No Charge To Charge" program in Denver, Colorado. As of June 2, customers who buy their new Nissan Leaf from certified dealers in the metro Denver area will get two years of free charging. Denver is the 16th market to offer "No Charge To Charge," with a total of at least 25 US markets scheduled to offer the program by the end of the year. "EV charging infrastructure continues to grow in Denver," says Nissan EV Sales and Marketing Director Andrew Speaker, "and access to free public charging for new Leaf buyers helps make owning an all-electric vehicle even more cost-effective and convenient." Read more in the press release below. Wanxiang is investing $200 million in A123 Systems in order to double its lithium-ion battery production. The combined capacity of its three production facilities in Michigan, Hangzhou, China and Changzhou, China will increase from 750 megawatt-hours to 1.5 gigawatt-hours in the next three years. The increased capacity will help support customers building hybrids, passenger EVs, and commercial vehicles. Included in the expansion is the capacity to build 12-volt starter batteries and 48-volt microhybrid systems. "It's been a tremendous turnaround," says A123 CEO Jason Forcier, referring to the company's 2012 bankruptcy. Forcier also says the company is already planning another expansion when this one is complete. Read more at Automotive News, and in the press release from A123. The Royal Hashemite Court of Jordan is ordering 150 Zoe EVs from Renault. King Abdullah II of Jordan signed an agreement with Renault, who will deliver the cars by the end of the year. The cars will be powered completely by solar energy generated on royal property. The order of the 150 Zoes is the largest since 2013, and makes Renault the largest provider for Jordan's royal EV fleet. Renault says that further EV orders are already being discussed. Read more in the press release from Renault-Nissan. Beijing, China will exempt electric vehicles from its limits to vehicles on roads during rush hour. Current policy, designed to help alleviate traffic and air pollution, restricts cars with even and odd license plates from rush hour traffic on alternating days. The exemption for EVs runs from June 1, 2015 until April 10, 2016. It is the newest in the list of perks meant to encourage EV adoption, despite the troublesome lack of charging infrastructure. Read more at Green Car Reports.

Infiniti QX60 Monograph previews a handsome next-gen three-row crossover

Infiniti has pulled the sheet off its QX60 Monograph — a styling exercise meant to preview the forthcoming production replacement for its three-row crossover. Infiniti insists that while this is not the production QX60 replacement, it is close enough to not merely be labeled a "concept." Whatever Infiniti wants to call it, it's impressive. This slick design blends elements of the original Infiniti FX line with some of the luxury brand's more recent artistic direction (see: the big, fat grille) and perhaps a little dose of European flavor; we'd be lying if we said there wasn't some Jaguar F-Pace evident in that profile.  "More than a design study or concept, a 'Monograph' provides a tangible insight into how Infiniti plans to transform a future model. The QX60 Monograph previews some of the proportions and design elements that will adorn the brandÂ’s future three-row SUV, " Infiniti said in the QX60's official announcement. "We commenced the design of the Monograph knowing this was an opportune time to start a discussion about where we are planning to take the QX60 in the future," said Alfonso Albaisa, senior vice president, Global Design, Nissan Motor Co. Ltd.  "In crafting this Monograph, we wanted to change the tonality of the QX60 and transform the nameplate from a sculptural and architectural point of view. We raised the visual center of gravity, giving it a strong, straight shoulder line that carries through to the hood, with a higher, more prominent grille, and longer-looking cabin to deliver a sense of muscularity and a commanding presence," Albaisa said. Every element of the QX60 Monograph's exterior was designed deliberately to convey that image, from the heat-sink-inspired shape of the headlamps to the slick, well-integrated segments of the rear lighting signature, which blends into a single wrap-around element when not illuminated.  As close to production-ready as this QX60 Monograph might be, there are some obvious signs that there's still work yet to be done. As you'll note, there's not a single shot of this crossover's interior, and that's because it doesn't have one yet. Infiniti knows it can't afford to fumble a new launch, especially of a crossover, so we have fairly high expectations for its cabin, especially since Infiniti has been known to produce some top-notch interiors when it tries. Look for the real-deal next-generation QX60 to be shown sometime in 2021. 

2013 Nissan Pathfinder: May 2013

Despite the snow-capped photos you see here, our long-term Pathfinder has been the subject of some proper pre-summer lovin' here in metro Detroit (we're working on a new gallery). Now that the warm weather has hit Michigan, many of our staffers have eagerly grabbed the keys to our big, brown Nissan for road trips all over the place. And the Pathfinder has indeed proven itself to be quite the worthy long-distance hauler, as editors John Neff and Seyth Miersma have already experienced.
This time around, a couple of our colleagues from AOL Autos put hundreds of miles on our trusty Nissan. And while everyone agrees that the Pathfinder is a solid vehicle for the task of road tripping, there are a couple of specific pros and cons that have been mentioned on several occasions.