Best of 2012 – People

Dec. 28 – Yokohama - From Usain Bolt, the World’s Fastest Man, to Yuki Morimoto, our Chief Executive Officer’s translator, we have featured a host of amazing individuals in 2012.
We’re inspired by their enthusiasm and professionalism, and it’s easy to see why. Take a look at how they have left their mark in these stories from this year.

Usain Bolt, Nissan’s Director of Excitement

The World’s Fastest Man took on a new title for Nissan during his recent visit to the global headquarters in Yokohama: Director of Excitement.
The pairing of the gold-medallist Olympian and a specially customized gold Nissan GT-R supercar was a match made in heaven and a welcome boost for Bolt’s charity foundation.

Yuki Morimoto, CEO Interpreter

Our feature on Yuki Morimoto, Nissan’s Chief Executive Officer’s translator, was a hit with international journalists who have often seen her in action alongside CEO Carlos Ghosn.
Morimoto joined the Global Media Center for a one-on-one exclusive interview to share with us some of her most memorable experiences during 12 years as a translator and gave us some tips on her trade.

Jay Leno, US Comedian

Comedian Jay Leno, well-known for his nightly television program in the United States, is an avid car collector and automotive enthusiast.
Leno paid a visit to Japan in September this year and was given special access to some of Nissan’s top secret concept cars as well as the Zama Heritage Garage.

Sebastian Vettel, Three-time Formula 1 Champion

Infiniti ambassador Sebastian Vettel won his third world championship title for Formula 1 this year, the youngest ever driver to achieve the feat.
Vettel was in Japan in October and he paid a visit to Nissan’s Tochigi plant, where the first Infiniti FX Vettel Edition will be made. More to come in the new year, as the premium automotive brand becomes title sponsor for the Infiniti Red Bull Racing Team.

Ryuichi Sakamoto, Composer and Academy Award Winner

World famous composer and actor, Ryuichi Sakamoto, became the first driver of the Nissan LEAF in Manhattan, New York, back in April this year.
The EV ambassador took us on a journey through the streets of Manhattan in his electric ride while getting quite a bit of reaction from New Yorkers.

Best of 2012 – Technology & Design

Dec. 27 – Yokohama – Technological expertise and innovation is part of Nissan’s DNA.
Over the last 12 months we’ve covered a wealth of fascinating stories about technology and design – everything from easy-to-fill tires to choosing the perfect taxi yellow to engineering wizardry in the iconoclastic Nissan DeltaWing.
Here are a few videos for you to enjoy:

A Geneva Show Walk Around

Nissan’s deputy division general manager for product strategy and planning, the inimitable Francois Bancon, took the Global Media Center for a walk around the stands at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show.
Check out some of his bon mots on the show highlights, including the Ford B-Max, Peugeot 208, Mercedes-Benz A-Class, Fiat 500L, and the Audi A3.

Taking the Wheel of Intelligent Transport

Back in October the Global Media Center’s Roland Buerk tried out two of Nissan’s most unusual and advanced technologies – a LEAF fitted to automatically steer around pedestrians that step into the road, and a Infiniti G37S with a next generation steering system that uses ingenious electronics to smooth out even the bumpiest road.

Easy Fill Tire Alert

Here we covered another application of technology to improvement safety.
A study in the US showed that underinflated tires triple the risk of an accident. That is one reason why Nissan recently introduced an “Easy Fill Tire Alert” system on its 2013 Altima, a way to help motorists maintain optimum tire pressure.
It has been named a finalist for the 2012 Automotive Technology of the Year Award by AOL Autos, and the Grand Prize winner will be announced in January at the 2013 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

The Perfect Yellow

You might think that yellow taxis are just yellow. Not so for Nissan designers in San Diego California working on the 2014 Nissan NV200 Taxi of Tomorrow. They spent a whole year investigating different pigments before coming up with the perfect shade.
More photos of the New York City Taxi of Tomorrow here.

In the Winner’s Circle

In this video from Le Mans, Jerry Hardcastle, Nissan’s Global Chief Marketability Engineer, explains some of the technology in three very special cars indeed: the Nissan Juke-R, Nissan DeltaWing, and the all- electric Nissan Leaf NISMO RC.

Best of 2012 – Sustainability

Dec. 26 – Yokohama – Many of the stories we’ve told this year reflect the strong emphasis Nissan places on creating a zero-emission society, attaining leading fuel efficiency and introducing core green technologies.
Here are some of highlights from 2012, showcasing some of the active steps we are taking towards a sustainable mobile society.

Nissan LEAF Snow Test

More than 60 auto journalists braved the freezing temperatures of Shibetsu, Hokkaido, to put the Nissan LEAF through its paces on three different powdery test courses.
Watch the video to see how the electric vehicle performed.

New Eco-Carrier Rides Waves of Sustainability

Nissan launched its first energy-efficient coastal car carrier, the Nichioh Maru early this year. The 167-meter diesel-run ship employs solar panels to provide power for the LED lights in the crew quarters and also has a low-friction coating on its hull for a smoother sail.

TAXI-E in Amsterdam

TAXI-E, a pioneering private taxi company in Amsterdam is helping the European capital steer its way to becoming a sustainable mobile society, with the help of a fleet of Nissan LEAFs.

New Mobility Concept

What’s zippy, compact and emits zero-emissions? Not just the LEAF, but also Nissan’s New Mobility Concept car that’s now being trialled on the streets of Yokohama.
The media center’s Roland Buerk took the vehicle out for a spin.

Excitement for EV-eryone

Over 200 LEAF owners from Japan and overseas helped to celebrate the electric vehicle’s second birthday during a special event in Oppama, Japan.
Here’s one of the owners and his experiences at the event.

Best of 2012 – Motorsports

Dec. 24 – Yokohama – 2012 has been a fantastic year for Nissan Motorsports, and we can promise you a lot more excitement to come in 2013.
But first – in a series of Global Media Center Best Of selections this holiday season – here are some highlights from the racetrack.

REMIX: Nissan at Le Mans 24h Overall Summary

The Nissan DeltaWing made its debut at the Le Mans 24 Hours. The ground-breaking racing car gave a strong start but an accident pushed it into a wall and it was forced to retire, despite a valiant team effort to get the car running again.
DeltaWing became a firm fan favourite and the biggest story of Le Mans 2012, thanks to its outlandish, dart-shaped design and efficiency-driven technology. Witness the debut race of the innovative car in the video below.

REMIX: Super GT Rd.7 (Autopolis) Digest

The MOLA #1 S Road REITO MOLA GT-R driven by Masataka Yanagida and Ronnie Quintarelli were crowned champions for the second consecutive year in the GT 500 class in the Super GT race. This was the deciding round at Autopolis, also the GT-R’s 2nd consecutive win at this race track.
The winning team also set the record for being the first in the history of the series that the same driver pairing has won two championships in a row.

Shotaro’s pit-stop – Life in the Pit Lane

Have you ever thought about what it takes to be under the pressure of having to work in an environment where seconds count?
Well, the Nissan Global Media Center’s Shotaro Ogawa has been finding out and will be sharing his experiences in the pit lane with you through the year via a series of videos.
Here’s an interesting one from this year. Watch as he learns to lift and change a Super GT race car wheel that is much heavier than it looks.

V8 Supercar on Melbourne Track

Back in November, just three days after its official unveiling, the 2013 Nissan Altima V8 Supercar was rolled-out at Calder Park Raceway in Australia for the first part of aerodynamic testing.
Despite being sidelined after a recent shoulder reconstruction – team owner and driver Todd Kelly was given the first honors of taking the wheel of the car. Impressively, he took the car round the track using just one hand.
More to come in 2013, as the team plans to place four Altimas on the grid at the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide.

Driving Lightning – Michael Krumm & Usain Bolt

A few months ago, Nissan’s GranDrive played host to two experts in speed: Nismo race driver Michael Krumm and Usain Bolt, the fastest man in the world. Bolt had just been named Nissan’s Director of Excitement and he showed a fair bit of excitement himself when Krumm took him around the course in the Nissan GTR.
Krumm summed up the experience in our interview: “It’s not so easy to drive in a small place like this and show him the limit. So I showed him that you can drive on the limit, and he really enjoyed that a lot. He was screaming and shouting a lot in the car. ”

Nissan Funds Battle to Save Evergreens in Tennessee

FRANKLIN, Tenn. (Dec. 21, 2012) – Environmental experts say there is a hidden killer that could harm the very air we breathe.  The killer is microscopic and often goes unnoticed, but in time, non-native forest pests are deadly.

“The main problem is that they are not native, so we don’t have native predators that can keep those populations in check and keep those insects from causing harm,” said Trish Johnson with The Nature Conservancy’s Tennessee chapter.
The pests are taking down trees across the United States. One particular pest called the Wooley Adelgid has spread to Hemlock trees in 17 states so far.
“Over $2 billion in expenditures have been put forth because of forest pests and pathogens, and that’s an annual number,” said Johnson.
Nissan is now working with The Nature Conservancy to stop the spread of these pests.  The company recently donated $50,000 to help keep Tennessee, a state where Nissan employs thousands of people, green.
“Nissan has a strong environmental commitment,” said Russell Vare with Nissan Corporate Planning.   “Zero emission leadership, improving the fuel economy of our entire fleet, reducing our corporate carbon footprint, and increasing the amount of recycled materials in our vehicles is our focus, and we’re making good progress.”
The Nature Conservancy is using Nissan’s donation to treat trees from the ground up with a special chemical meant to kill pests while protecting the trees.  In some parts of the country, like in Tennessee, volunteer climbers are even angling to treat trees.
“We’re going to be one of the main user groups that gets hurt the most when the trees are gone,” said Rick Bost with East Tennessee Climbers Coalition.
Local climbers are on board because they need trees like Hemlocks to keep going to new heights.
“If the hemlocks are gone then that means the tall trees are gone and the next trees are going to go and it is just going to be very arid and not very comfortable.  Climbers seek out the comfortable climbing areas so we like it in the shade,” said Bost.
Nissan’s donation is also being used to help educate the public about a problem they said should resonate with everyone.
“It has an economic impact, and it also has an aesthetic impact, and it really relates to our health because the trees help clean our air,” said Johnson.
The biggest ways individuals can help are to point out predators both on private and public land, so they can be eradicated. People are asked to also not move firewood from one site to the next. Forest pests like Wooley Adelgid often hide in wood.  When campers take logs from one site to another, they spread the predator.
“When you really look at what the environment means at the local level we think it is important to have a focus where you can actually see it. You can see the difference that’s being made with The Nature Conservancy with this program,” said Vare.

Plugging into the Future

Dec. 20 – Tokyo – If a company or organization isn’t thinking “green”, it’s time to go back to school.
That was the message of Eco-Products 2012, a 3-day event attracting nearly 180,000 visitors – including over 30,000 children.
Hundreds of exhibitors showcased products, technologies, services and programs, advancing innovation and sustainability across a wide spectrum.
This year, Nissan focused on teaching children that electric vehicles go beyond mobility, powering homes and the community.
An extension of Nissan’s “Waku-waku Eco School” activities – a regular program about the environment for kids – children built toy electric vehicles at the booth, churned a hand-charger, and watched their cars run on a track and power lights on a town diorama.
“EV batteries can use natural energy to charge and that’s the kind of energy that can be supplied. The car is not only for the home, but for the community, for the society. That’s the message we want children to understand, so we made the diorama to demonstrate it,” said Masahiko Iwasaki, manager in Nissan’s Environmental Management Group.
Adults may be running the show, but it seems they could learn a lot from children, says Iwasaki.
“Today’s kids have a good understanding of environmental issues. They understand global warming very well. I think many of them even know that energy can come from EVs and can be used in homes. That’s quite a surprise. Much more than adults, kids know what needs to be done for the environment,” said Iwasaki.

The Nissan LEAF was a cornerstone of the green message.
“You can charge the EV at your house, too. Without going all the way to the gas station, you can charge the car at your house. I think that’s great.”
For kids and adults alike, that’s one lesson worth living.

Infiniti gears up for UK production

Dec. 19 – Yokohama – Infiniti, Nissan Motor Company’s premium car brand, confirmed on Wednesday that it will manufacture vehicles in Europe for the first time at the award-winning production base in Sunderland, United Kingdom.

Infiniti's Etherea concept car

The announcement represents a substantial investment of around £250 million ($406 million) and is expected to create a further 1,000 jobs at Sunderland and across the UK.
Nissan Motor Co. Ltd Executive Vice President Colin Dodge said the announcement is a milestone for Infiniti, the Sunderland plant and the company’s wider UK presence, with production of a new compact premium model slated for 2015.
“We are going to build an Infiniti compact premium car in the UK for the first time. This is the first time we’ve had a car which is, suitable for Europe and that we’re producing in Europe. So it’s a big milestone for the plant,” said Dodge.
“It’ll create hundreds of jobs in the plant, and it’ll take the total employment level inside the factory to 6,100. There will be hundreds of jobs for UK suppliers as well,” Dodge added.

Nissan Motor Company EVP Colin Dodge

The new Infiniti, which will be exported around the world, is being developed with Nissan Motor Company’s London design center and our European Technical Center at Cranfield.
Infiniti will also become the first car brand to begin production on this scale in the UK in 23 years.
Production of Infiniti is expected to create an additional 280 new jobs at the Sunderland plant, with a capacity to produce 60,000 Infiniti models per year. The new model will be inspired by Infiniti’s Etherea concept car.
The announcement coincides with the news that this year, Nissan’s Sunderland plant will produce more than half a million cars – the first UK manufacturer to achieve this milestone.
During 2012, employment on site passed 6,000 for the first time and global exports from the plant now exceed five million units.

Record November U.S. Sales and New Sedans

Dec. 18 – Yokohama – Global Sales EVP Takao Katagiri speaks with the Global Media Center on the strategy behind Nissan’s newly launched sedans, record November sales in the U.S., and the market outlook ahead.

Media Center: How did global sales fare in November?

Takao Katagiri EVP:

Global Nissan sales in November ended up at -6.7% against last year. Good sales in the U.S. and in Asia, especially Thailand, couldn’t completely offset or compensate for the volume of loss in China or Europe. So, we ended up with -6.7% against last year.
But, as for China, the situation is getting better and better, month by month. Especially showroom traffic to Nissan dealers is almost at the same level as that of last year. At the same time, retail sales in China have recovered to something like 85% of last year’s. So, the situation is getting better and better.

Media Center: What are sales for Nissan’s newly-launched sedans and how is that helping Nissan in the highly-competitive C-segment market?

EVP:

The new Sylphy was launched in Japan at the beginning of December and has been very well-accepted. The new Sylphy has been developed as a global C-segment strategic sedan that has been launched in the U.S. as the Sentra, and also has been launched in China as the Sylphy, and Thailand as well. This is a global sedan.
In Japan, the sedan market has been shrinking, but still we need a successor of the C-segment sedan. Our strategy was to make a global sedan by combining the volume for all markets. This is the result.
Thanks to the volume and each market requirements, we successfully made a very, highly-competitive, high-quality sedan. And that’s why this model has been successful in all the markets, including Japan. In Japan, the business model has been very well accepted, thanks to very high quality and high specifications of quality. That is driven by the global strategy of the Nissan sedan.
Our strategy is to make a sedan that is global but with requirements that differ from market to market.  Our strategy is to combine sedan volume and also strategy on a global basis for B-segment, C-segment and D-segment. And we have already launched those three models in many markets. And in every market, all models are well accepted, including Japan. So our strategy is making some results already.

Media Center: How is Nissan performing in the U.S. market?

EVP:

The U.S. market is growing up to the highest level since 2008, as of TIV in November. At the same time, competition is harder and harder. In such circumstances, Nissan has successfully increased volume by 12.9% and made a November sales record. That success was driven mainly by the new models, such as the new Altima or new Pathfinder. At the same time, current models, such as the Rogue, have been very successful. Rogue is almost at the end of its life cycle and it’s still keeping its competitiveness.

Media Center: What is your outlook for 2013?

EVP:

We believe that the U.S. market will grow in terms of total industry volume next year. At the same time, we at Nissan have launched many new models this year. Next year is a full year for us to utilize the competitive new models, so we are very optimistic and we have a very bright view for the market next year.
And also, the Asian markets are the same. The Asian market will grow strongly next year and our models are very competitive in those markets, so we are very optimistic and we will challenge a lot in Asian markets.
As for the Japan market, compared with this year when we had government incentives, as we probably won’t next year we will still introduce some new models, including new mini-cars. We will challenge to increase volume and share in the Japanese market.
For China, as I’ve said before, we are recovering from the impact of the island issue. I hope we’re going to recover strongly through next year.
The European market is still difficult, but we’ll have new launches and new challenges.

Q-uintessentially Infiniti

Dec. 18 – Yokohama – Infiniti announced a new vehicle naming strategy Tuesday, to be applied to its complete product range beginning with the 2014 model year.
The first model to carry Infiniti’s new Q badge will be the Q50, an all-new premium sports sedan to be unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in January 2013. Infiniti President Johan de Nysschen spoke  about the new nomenclature with the Global Media Center’s Coco Masters.

Media Center: Infiniti made a major announcement today. Can you tell us the details?

Johan de Nysschen, Infiniti President:

Infiniti President Johan de Nysschen

Infiniti is at an important inflection point for the brand. We announced today that we are changing our nomenclature philosophy from the current practice which uses alpha-numeric symbols to identify the various models in our lineup to a much more simple-to-follow approach where we will go back to our roots.
Our sedans, coupes and convertibles, will be identified by the letter ‘Q’ and a double digit while our crossovers and SUVs, will be identified by the letters ‘QX’ and a double digit.

MC: Why ‘Q’ and what do you expect this will do for Infiniti?

De Nysschen:

The original Infiniti, when it was first launched as the iconic ‘Q45’, already set the brand on a course with a reputation for meticulous attention to detail, and we would like to capture that spirit again as we are now at this important new chapter in the history of the brand.
Infiniti is really set now on expanding its global footprint and part of doing that also means the expansion of our product portfolio. We will be taking the brand considerably more upmarket with more aspirational models, more performance models. At the same time, we also have to recognize demographic trends with the emergence of ‘Generation X’ and ‘Generation Y’ as very important consumers in the premium category. They, too, have a desire for fascinating models at the compact premium end of the model range.

Infiniti booth at the 2012 Beijing Motor Show

This expansion of our product portfolio, both upwards and into market segments below where we are positioned today means that we have to find a way to differentiate the vertical hierarchy of models but also – quite pragmatically – we ran out of alpha-numeric symbols in our current or previous philosophy.
So the combination of all of those considerations brought us to the realization we need to find something new and what we have ended up with now, has got a good precedence in our history with ‘Q’ being an important part of the very origins of our brand and the clear separation of ‘Q’ double-digit for the cars, ‘QX’ double-digit for the SUVs and crossovers and the size of the digit will increase as you go further up the price band, so a clear vertical hierarchy for the models as well.

MC: In Detroit, the first ‘Q’ model will be unveiled. What does this naming strategy signify about where you are going to take Infiniti?

De Nysschen:

The Infiniti brand in the future is going to capitalize on the very strong foundation that we have already built. A reputation for exciting cars, performance cars, and drivers’ cars will remain very much part of the brand DNA, but we are going to take it to places where it has never been.

Infiniti at the Moscow Motor Show

With ever more sophisticated technology, far more refinement and luxury, authenticity of materials, absolute meticulous detail of fit and finish and precision, we’ll expand the range into price points and market segments where we have never been before.
The brand, therefore, is going to expand quite significantly in terms of its stature, and the broadness of its appeal within the premium sector.
The first model to reflect this new nomenclature philosophy will be the all-new premium compact sports sedan, the Infiniti Q50, and it is significant because it really heralds the start of what will be a very substantial product offensive, which will be at the very core of this repositioning of the Infiniti brand into the future.

Nissan NV Powers LA Mobile Edit Suite

LOS ANGELES (Dec. 14, 2012) – PrePost Data runs their entire mobile unit out of a Nissan NV 2500 High Roof.  The company is in the film and video production business. Their expertise is making sure that content gets from cameras into the post production process safely. They focus on building dailies, which is making copies of the film shot on set in the course of one day for the director and producer to watch and analyze. This work requires them to be constantly on the move.
“We looked at a lot of vehicles to find out which one kind of best suited our needs and the reason we chose the Nissan NV was it was economical, and fit into our business model.  It was extremely flexible,” said Jason Brown, co-founder of PrePost Data.
Brown said the van is attractive, but more importantly, spacious and smooth on the road.  The tall roof allows for directors and producers to stay standing while inside the vehicle.  The smooth ride allows their equipment to stay secure while driving hundreds of miles cross country.  And the sleek appearance allows them to keep a consistent positive image.
“When people come into the van they are just wowed,” said Andrew Guerrero, a digital imaging technician with PrePost Data.
Guerrero and Brown said they regularly drive their NV across the nation from Los Angeles to Savannah, Ga.  They typically change locations four to five times a day and often change climates just as often.  The Nissan NV has proven reliable for long road trips and luxurious for stationary shoots.  The people at PrePost Data said no other vehicle suited their needs so nicely.

Nissan launches largest lithium-ion automotive battery plant in the U.S.

Dec. 12 – Franklin, Tennessee – With two years of Nissan LEAF sales just completed, the company announced launch of the United States’ largest lithium-ion automotive battery plant in Smyrna, Tennessee. The facility, making battery components for the all-electric, zero-emission 2013 Nissan LEAF early next year, is one of three of its kind in the world operated by a major automaker.
Since December 2010, Nissan has delivered more than 18,000 LEAFs to U.S. customers and more than 46,000 worldwide, making it the most successful 100-percent electric vehicle in history.
“Opening this U.S. plant is an important milestone in Nissan’s overarching strategy to foster sustainable mobility around the world,” said Carlos Ghosn, president and chief executive officer of Nissan Motor Co.
“Nissan is the zero-emissions vehicle leader, and we are making significant strides as one of the largest producers of electric vehicles and batteries in the United States. The opening of this facility in Tennessee supports our goal of making zero-emissions mobility a reality through American jobs and American manufacturing.”
The first batteries produced at the plant have completed the required aging process and are now ready to receive their first charge. The state-of-the-art facility is capable of expanding to produce modules for up to 200,000 batteries annually, depending on market demand. Those batteries can serve as the power source for the all-electric Nissan LEAF and for future vehicles that could be added to the portfolio.
The new battery plant is located adjacent to Nissan’s existing vehicle assembly plant in Tennessee, which has been retooled to accommodate production of the Nissan LEAF. Adding Nissan LEAF and the battery output has resulted in the creation of more than 300 U.S. manufacturing jobs. As battery production and LEAF assembly expand to accommodate demand, combined operations could add up to 1,000 more jobs as needed.
The Nissan LEAF is manufactured on the same line as Altima and Maxima so volume can readily be adjusted among the vehicles to meet demand. The 2013 model-year Nissan LEAF will receive a number of technological advancements and feature changes, which will be announced closer to the vehicle’s on-sale date in early 2013.
Recent growth in Nissan’s U.S. manufacturing plants is part of a strategy to localize core-model production. By 2015, Nissan aims to have 85% of all Nissan and Infiniti products sold in the U.S. produced in North America. Nissan is in the middle of a product blitz of five key models in 15 months, such as the all-new 2013 Altima, Sentra and Pathfinder.
Combined, the construction of the battery plant and modification of the Smyrna manufacturing facility represent an investment of up to $1.7 billion at full capacity. The project is supported by a U.S. Department of Energy loan for up to $1.4 billion.
The loan, issued as part of the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program, was authorized by Congress as part of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. The program is designed to accelerate development of vehicles and technologies that increase U.S. energy independence, create cleaner means of transportation and stimulate the American economy.

Nissan reports on eco-targets, unveils hybrid plans

Dec. 12 – Yokohama – Nissan gave an update on a slew of eco-targets Wednesday, highlighting cuts in CO2 emissions and a plan to add 15 hybrid models by 2016.

COO Toshiyuki Shiga in Yokohama

Chief Operating Officer Toshiyuki Shiga provided details on the company’s environmental commitments under the Nissan Green Program 2016 at a press briefing in Yokohama.
“Thanks to environmentally friendly technology and new products, we are completely in line with our targets for the reduction of CO2 in the usage of vehicles, ” said Shiga.
“Other areas we’re tackling starts with manufacturing, logistics, offices and sales outlets.”
Longer term, Nissan aims to begin reducing total corporate CO2 emissions in the 2020s, even as vehicle sales are projected to rise dramatically.
Also in the plan is a commitment to zero-emission leadership, minimizing the use of scarce natural resources and industry-leading fuel efficiency.

Nissan's Asahi says new models are cutting CO2 emissions

New electric vehicles and 15 hybrids will build on an estimated 35% rise in average fuel economy since 2005 in major markets, which Nissan intends to improve even further.
“We’ve made most progress in raising fuel economy,” said Hiromi Asahi, deputy general manager of Nissan’s Environmental Planning Group.
“We’ve introduced five cars globally, including the Altima in the U.S., which have top-level fuel efficiency.”
That’s helping Nissan make each vehicle cleaner, while carbon emissions from auto production are now among the best in the industry.

Building a Greener LEAF

The Japan-market Nissan LEAF

Dec. 11  – Yokohama - Nissan’s zero-emission LEAF electric vehicle just became even greener.
The latest version of the industry leader, introduced in Japan in November, has a new electric motor using 40% less of the rare-earth mineral dysprosium – without affecting performance.
“The driver will not notice any differences. Vehicle performance will remain unchanged,”  said Kiyoshi Takagi, deputy general manager in Nissan’s Materials Technology Planning Group.
“In fact, the overall performance increased, so drivers don’t need to worry.”

The rare-earth element dysprosium

Dysprosium is added to the LEAF’s electric-motor magnets to make them more resistant to heat as they spin at speeds of up to 10,000 rpm.
A new process called “grain boundary diffusion” allows Nissan to drastically cut rare-earth content in use a way that may extend beyond EVs and hybrids to use in other automotive applications.

Nissan's Takagi (left) and Murakami

“Dysprosium is used not only in the motor to power EVs, but also in components of existing internal combustion engines,” said Ryou Murakami, manager of Nissan’s Advanced Materials Laboratory.
Using less rare earth content is a goal of the Nissan Green Program 2016, part of a commitment to minimize use of scarce natural resources.
Cutting dysprosium in the LEAF also helps Nissan avoid supply constraints, with the large majority of the element mined in China, and lower costs as demand grows.
“Rare-earth metals, dysprosium in this case, are a scarce resource, which also impacts the environment during the mining process,” said Takagi. “Reducing the usage of such resources will reduce this impact.”
For a new generation of Nissan LEAF owners, greener production is already complementing zero-emission motoring.

Sylphy Comes Home to Japan

Yokohama – Dec. 5 – The all-new Nissan Sylphy came home to Japan Wednesday, after launches in the U.S., China, Thailand and other countries.
The sedan’s premiere at Nissan’s Yokohama headquarters was feted by the Kanagawa Philharmonic Orchestra, as Nissan executives and the media attended.
The Sylphy is built on a new platform with a new powertrain, including a new 1.8-liter engine and next-generation XTRONIC continuous variable transmission, now selling in dealerships across Japan.
The model achieves 16% greater fuel efficiency than the last Sylphy.
Chief Operating Officer Toshiyuki Shiga expects its roominess and enhanced exterior to make it a formidable class competitor.
“In Japan this is an M-class sedan. Globally it’s a C-segment sedan. And that market is extremely competitive, because it’s occupied by so many models from rival carmakers. So, if you don’t make an attractive car, it’s hard to get market share,” said Shiga. “The exterior has a quality, elegant design, which is very important. It’s a C-class, but it’s a car that meets the needs of the D-class consumer.”
Sylphy is one of Nissan’s global core models along with the Latio compact sedan and Note, which went on sale this fall.
Nissan targets global sales of 500,000 units annually, eventually reaching 120 countries.
The Sylphy is now the fourth production model made at Nissan’s Oppama plant in Japan, joining a combo of the Juke, the Cube and the pure-electric LEAF.

Learning to Lead

Dec.  19 – Tokyo – Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn spoke on global leadership Wednesday at the University of Tokyo, and assembled students and alumni heard his views on the possible outlook for Japan’s future leaders and country.
After the session, the Nissan CEO chatted with the Global Media Center on leadership and Japan.

Media Center:

You’ve just spoke with some of Japan’s best and brightest students on leadership, many of whom, as part of the younger generation, will shoulder heavy burdens in coming decades due to the rapidly-aging society. What are your impressions and thoughts on their future?

Carlos Ghosn CEO:

The main element of this discussion was to tell them that nobody is born a global leader. Nobody has a global talent. Everything is being produced through time, through education, through experience.
I want to attract attention to the fact that maybe 5% of the job for them is to get a good academic background. That’s a very important 5%, but it’s only 5%. And 95% is the development they’re going to have through their jobs. That’s a lot of everything that the company will need from them, which is mainly learned during their first years of working.

This means that in their academic years, they need to learn how to learn. That’s the most important thing. And when they go to the company, they do and they learn at the same time. They’re going to have a lot of challenges. Young Japanese people are going to have a lot of challenges into the future. But instead of this being stressing, on the contrary, it should be very dynamic. It should be encouraging. It should be motivating. It’s a great opportunity to make a lot of changes, because changes are needed.

Media Center:

Is Japan ready to accept younger corporate or political leadership? Looking at today’s audience at one of Japan’s most renown universities, what role will women play in its leadership?

CEO:

I think today, younger leaders are necessary because they are the element of change – and usually change is needed. Usually when companies do not perform well, they have to change, and this can come from younger people.
At the same time, diversity is very important. And that’s why the role of women is very important. It’s going to increase, not only because of the demographic reasons – the demography of Japan is today declining, which means that Japan needs all the human resources that it can count on, and women are a very important, still untapped resource in Japan.
Also, the market requires much more female input, in terms of product design, engineering, and even manufacturing and distributing the product.
So, I think change will come, and it will come particularly supported by young people. And also supported by a higher level of diversity.

Media Center:

Fewer Japanese are going abroad to foreign universities than in years past. What could be the impact on leadership ahead? Could more leaders come from abroad, such as yourself?

CEO:

I don’t think it’s needed to go abroad. What is important is to be exposed to the global life. And thanks to the explosion due to the Web and the fact that you can be in Japan and connect to the rest of the world, going to foreign countries today is less important than it used to be 20 years ago, because we have the technology to be connected.
At the same time, I don’t think that you can be global by just staying in your home.  At a certain point in time you need to go outside. But if you don’t go outside by going and following studies outside, you can do it within your career. But being in a company in Japan, for example, and working in a function or department that is exposed to foreign operations is for me as important as being in a foreign operation. Because dealing with people, with projects, which are going to be executed, implemented and developed in foreign countries, you’re going to learn maybe not as much, but not far from being expatriated in this country.
Again, make no mistake, nothing replaces the experience of going (abroad) at a certain point and time in your life, outside to live and participate in a project. But I think that now it’s needed less than before. Because you have all this interaction you can have with foreign people, with diverse people, staying in your own country, because we are all dealing with the global market.

Media Center:

In the wake of the Japanese election and speaking from a CEO’s perspective, if a potential partner of Nissan or Renault had changed its leadership every year for six years, would you consider the company viable to do business with? What does frequent change at the top mean?

 CEO:

I think the partners of the company do not care in a certain way. Frankly, they don’t care who is at the top. They need the company to perform well. That’s all they need. But it matters for the employees, in a certain way, to have a clear vision, to have clear guidance, to have clear decisions, to have clear arbitrage, to have clear processes. And usually this is assured with some sort of stable leadership.
The people who suffer the most from a high turnover of leaders are usually the people who are the constituents of the company or the constituents of the country. But for partners, as long as the company is doing well, they don’t care.

Nissan Juke and Note Personalisation Concepts – showcasing the new customisation path

The 2013 Tokyo Auto Salon next month will see a number of special Nissan vehicles on display, among them two showcase examples of the brand’s ‘New World of Customisation’ programme, the Juke Personalisation Concept and the Note Personalisation Concept.
The Juke Personalisation Concept highlights the personalisation programme announced for the Juke earlier this month. Essentially, it’s a set of dress-up items to individualise the vehicle. Three new design packages (Style, Premium and Exclusive) are available. Together with five colour themes and six different trim components, this makes for a variety of potential colour and trim combinations available.


The configurable items are alloy wheels, mirror caps, fog lamp rings, side sills, trunk handle and the roof spoiler, and can each be highlighted in accent colours of Force Red, Glossy White, Orange Racing, Piano Black or Silver Grey. The Tokyo Auto Salon showcar features an extra flourish of colour – the DLO frames on the doors, as well as the front door handles, are dressed up in Orange Racing.
Meanwhile, the Note Personalisation Concept that will be on show also features orange, highlighted through a graphics motif dubbed “digital camouflage.”

Infiniti to start production of an all-new premium compact car at Nissan’s Sunderland UK factory

Infiniti, Nissan’s premium offshoot, has confirmed that it will manufacture vehicles in Europe from Nissan’s production base in Sunderland, UK. The announcement represents an investment of around £250 million into the facility and is expected to secure a further 1,000 jobs at Sunderland and across the UK.
Colin Dodge CBE, Nissan Motor Co Ltd’s executive VP and chief performance officer, said: “This milestone, our first premium product to be manufactured at Sunderland, reconfirms our commitment to UK manufacturing and the ongoing success of the plant, which is moving up the value chain.
“Just as important, the new Infiniti, which will be exported around the world, is being developed with help from our London design centre and our European Technical Centre at Cranfield.”
The all-new “premium entry compact” Infiniti model is expected to be produced from 2015 and will allow the brand to compete within the heart of the premium segment for the first time, underlining Infiniti’s ambition to be a major global rival to the likes of BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi and Lexus. All of those brands have cars smaller than the smallest Infiniti, the G range.
When production begins, Infiniti will be the first new car brand to be manufactured in the UK on this scale in 23 years. Sunderland, which builds the Qashqai, Qashqai+2, Juke and Note, will have the capacity to produce 60,000 Infiniti cars per year.
The announcement coincides with the news that this year, Sunderland will produce more than half a million cars for the first time – the first manufacturer to achieve this milestone in the UK. Global exports from the plant now exceed five million units.

Nissan announces plans for 15 new hybrids by 2016

In a bid to improve the average CO2 emissions across its line-up, Nissan has confirmed plans to launch 15 new hybrids by 2016.
Nissan’s new hybrid system is based on that employed in the Infiniti M35h (pictured). But instead of a V6, it involves a supercharged 2.5 litre four-cylinder engine working together with an electric motor and a lithium-ion battery to produce 260 hp and 338 Nm of torque.
The company did not say which models would receive the hybrid treatment, but last we heard, the system was expected to be introduced in the US by 2013 in the next-gen Altima. As always, time will tell.
“Thanks to environmentally friendly technology and new products, we are completely in line with our targets for the reduction of CO2 in the usage of vehicles,” said COO Toshiyuki Shiga at a recent press conference in Yokohama.
Some details on the company’s environmental commitments under the Nissan Green Program 2016 were revealed. A reduction of total corporate CO2 emissions is on the cards for the long term, even as vehicle sales are projected to rise dramatically. The use of scarce natural resources will be minimised and the lead in EV technology will be maintained.
The 15 hybrids, along with new EVs, will build on an estimated 19% rise in average fuel economy since 2005 in major markets, which the company intends to improve even further.

Facelifted 2013 Nissan Livina spotted in China

The Nissan Livina range is due to get a facelift in China, as these leaked pics show. All are of the standard length Livina, and not the three-row Grand Livina (Livina Geniss in China) that’s very popular here. The green one is the Livina C-Gear, the SUV-styled version we know as Livina X-Gear in Malaysia.
This refresh sports bigger triangular headlamps and a more pronounced V-shape nose. The new face looks a little like the new Nissan Note, although not so funky without the Euro-spec car’s distinctive headlamps.
Bigger changes can be found at the back, where the tail light clusters are now wide instead of long. Also, unlike the current Livina, the lights eat into the tailgate. Old or new, which look do you prefer?
Word from the Middle Kingdom is that the refreshed Livina is set for a March 2013 launch, and the current car’s four-speed automatic gearbox will be replaced by a CVT unit that will boost fuel economy.

Nissan shows ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ Juke Nismo

When he isn’t blasting down the highway in the Tumbler or the Lambo, even Bruce Wayne may desire something a little more practical and a little less extravagant to drive on his day off.
This may be right up his alley – Nissan has released a special one-off Juke Nismo to celebrate its partnership with Warner Bros as well as the DVD and Blu-Ray release of Christopher Nolan’s third Batman film.

Developed by London-based Nissan Design Europe, the car cannot be bought or bid for; Nissan is giving only one lucky UK resident the chance to drive it home, through its Thrill Test online competition at www.builttothrill.co.uk.
Its official name is The Dark Knight Rises Juke Nismo, and it features matt black paintwork, a shark’s fin antenna and Bat insignia on the front grille, tailgate, kickplates and suede-trimmed Nismo sports seat headrests.

Downlighters mounted under the door mirrors project the famous Bat signal on to the floor, while an uplighter projects the same on to the black headlining inside. There’s also black 18-inch Nismo alloy wheels with red detailing.
Otherwise the car is essentially a Juke Nismo, featuring the same 200 PS turbocharged 1.6 litre engine driven through a six-speed manual, the same uprated suspension setup and the same bodykit. 0-100 km/h is dealt with in under eight seconds.

UK order taking for the Juke Nismo starts in January, with first deliveries set for March. Two transmissions will be available – a 2WD manual and 4WD CVT. Prices and specs will be released closer to launch.
Kia did something similar recently with its Optima K5, in collaboration with DC and RIDES magazine. If you were the Dark Knight, which of the two would you prefer?