Moms on the Move

Feb. 21 – Yokohama – Shoppers are in full force despite snow in north Yokohama, where Nissan’s New Mobility Concept vehicle is taking a step closer to the roads of Japan – and the hands of consumers.

New Mobility Concept vehicles at Tama Plaza

Tokyu Corporation joined Nissan and the city in the final year of its Yokohama Mobility Project Zero, to increase low-carbon transportation locally.
Nissan’s 100-percent electric vehicles– namely, the LEAF – and now its two-seater mobility cousin are the perfect size- and volume – for the narrow shopping and neighborhood streets of suburban Japan.
Perfect even for mom.
Seven mothers test drove the EVs for the first time in the falling snow.
The volunteers will use the new mobility concept vehicles at home for two weeks – taking 4-hour, full charges from their home sockets – to shop, take kids to the train, and entertain.

Yoko Sonobe will test the New Mobility Concept vehicle for two weeks

The test trial is supported by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and an official Akihiko Hoshi said they’re trying to make the concept vehicle a reality on the road.
“This kind of vehicle is still very new in Japan, so I think it is important to take time to teach people how to use it safely,” said Hoshi. ”We are planning to have a trial period of three years first, and hope that by 2015 the infrastructure associated with the vehicle will be in place so that we can officially launch it.”
After two laps, trial participant Yoko Sonobe, said she wanted to take it home.
“We own a big, eight-seater car, and it always seems a little over the top to use it for such small things as going shopping,” said Sonobe. “But if I had something this compact, it’s much less of a hassle to drive the children around or to run small errands to the supermarket.”
The New Mobility Concept might be small, but Nissan hopes it has a big impact on low-carbon transportation in Japan – with a little help from mom and dad.

Nissan’s Innovation Takes Shape in Silicon Valley

February 19, 2013

Nissan’s Innovation Takes Shape in Silicon Valley

Feb.18 – Sunnyvale, Calif. – Nissan now has a new research center in the heart of Silicon Valley.
Company leaders plan to partner with other companies and research institutions to develop the best and most advanced technology possible.

Nissan opens new research center in Silicon Valley

“This is where everything is happening. This is where all the intelligence lies, so this is where Nissan needs to be,” said Nissan Americas Senior Vice President of Research and Development Carla Bailo.
The new facility is part of Nissan’s global plan to expand research and development outside of Japan into key local markets. The team will work with the Nissan Research Center team in Japan to develop autonomous driving vehicles – in other words, cars that can safely drive themselves.
“Nissan wants to create the future for mobility in autonomous driving,” said Nissan Corporate Vice President Takao Asami.

Nissan's Advanced Robotic Concept, the Nissan EPORO Robot Car

Researchers will also look for ways to connect the car with the Internet, existing infrastructure, and other self-driving cars.
They will additionally research what’s called the “Human Machine Interface”, so autonomous and connected cars can interact better with people.
“This lab is focused in reaching out beyond the cars to things that are beyond the automobile. It is really trying to think about the car in society and not just the car and the interior of it and I think that’s the future,” said MIT Media Lab Professor Alex Pentland.
The Renault-Nissan Alliance has been present in Silicon Valley since 2011, with an office in Mountain View, Calif.  Now the Alliance will continue their work in the larger lab in Sunnyvale.

Guests at the opening of the Nissan Research Center in Silicon Valley

“We hope to be an open center and have collaborations with the Silicon Valley attitude and the Silicon Valley spirit.  Nissan is well positioned, I think, to take the next step and be a leader in autonomous driving and connected vehicles, and that is very exciting,” said Research Director for Nissan Research Center Silicon Valley Dr. Maarten Sierhuis.
Some of the smartest and most innovative minds in the area will come together here to move the car industry, and Nissan Motor Company, into a new, more advanced, even Jetsons-like era.
“Maybe we will have a Jetsons’ era.  We will see,” said Bailo.

Nissan LEAF joins the ranks of Sydneysiders

Feb. 19 – Sydney – The City of Sydney has taken delivery of 10 Nissan LEAF electric cars, the single largest order of the award-winning electric vehicles in Australia.

The City of Sydney's fleet of Nissan LEAF EVs

The order replaces its former fleet of 10 Toyota Prius petrol-electric hybrid cars, and will be used by a range of City employees, including building and health inspectors, town planners and engineers.
“They represent the first mass-produced, zero tail-pipe-emissions vehicles on the planet. We are the number one provider of that. Really, there is no emission from this vehicle as it is going down the road,” said William F. Peffer Jr., Managing Director and CEO of Nissan Australia after handing the cars over to City of Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore.

Nissan Australia MD & CEO, William F. Peffer Jr and City of Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore

The City of Sydney became the first council in Australia to achieve formal certification as carbon-neutral under the National Carbon Offset Standard in November 2011, as a result of its benchmark greenhouse gas reduction programs.
“The advantage of a car like this is, in terms of parking, it’s a real issue in the city, and reducing congestion. Congestion is currently costing us AUD$4 billion (USD $4.1 billion) a year, so we have to look at every possible way of reducing it,” said Moore.
The City has installed seven electric charging stations at its public parking stations in Kings Cross and Goulburn Street.
“The zero emissions technology, alternate fuel technology is here to stay and we are at the leading forefront of it. This represents not only our vision but the visions of other municipalities seeing the way we do it and trying to provide for a better future,” added Peffer Jr..

The City of Sydney will install 5,500 solar panels on 30 of its buildings

Carbon emissions from charging the electric vehicles will be offset by zero-carbon electricity produced by solar panels installed on City buildings.
The City is installing 5,500 solar panels on 30 of its buildings, including Town Hall House, public buildings, major depots and additional solar panels for electric vehicle charging offsets, the largest building-mounted solar installation in Australia.
“The other thing I hope it will do is to set an example to tiers of government, I’d like to see the federal government fleet in Canberra, I’d like to see the state government fleet in Macquarie Street using sustainable vehicles,” said Moore.
The LEAF’s 24kWh lithium-ion battery can be recharged in seven to eight hours using a normal charger or in around 30 minutes using a quick charger. A trickle charge will replenish the battery in 16 hours.
The Nissan LEAF comes equipped with a variety of advanced technologies, including the use of an in-built solar panel to assist in maintaining battery charge.

2014 Nissan Teana unveiled in China, based on Altima

The new 2014 Nissan Teana has been unveiled in China by the Dongfeng-Nissan joint venture and from what we can see, Nissan’s latest D-segment contender is heavily based on the North American Nissan Altima, a sign that Nissan is probably merging it’s D-segment line-up into a single world car.
The new Nissan Teana’s styling draws many design cues from the new model Nissan Sylphy that was unveiled in 2012. The car looks much more dynamic, with sweptback Nissan 370Z style headlamps and an Infiniti-like muscular body. There’s plenty of chrome on the Teana compared to the USDM Altima.

This is the only shot of the interior we have so far, which in this case is black leather with metallic accents. I’m sure there are other colour combinations that include beige leather and brown wood as well. The seats are said to be ‘zero-gravity inspired’, which I suppose is a new take on describing comfort level.
The Chinese market car is powered by a 2.5 litre engine mated to a CVT. Curiously, the 2.5 litre motor is the four cylinder QR25DE instead of the smooth VQ-family 2.5 litre V6 motor that’s in the current generation Teana available in Malaysia. This probably takes after the fact that the QR25DE is what Nissan has traditionally used as a 2.5 litre offering in the US in the Altima. Are we saying goodbye to one of the last remaining V6 motors in the non-luxury D-segment?

 

 

 

Nissan confirms ‘special’ GT-R Nismo for production

The world probably doesn’t need a faster, more hardcore version of the Nissan GT-R but that doesn’t mean we don’t want one. If anybody ever thought their 545 hp/630 Nm road and track monster isn’t quite capable enough then fret not, Nismo is coming to your rescue.
Nissan has just confirmed that it will launch a higher performance version of the GT-R next year, developed by its dedicated tuning house and motorsport arm Nismo. The performance flagship will head Nissan and Nismo’s new range of performance models, joining the Juke Nismo and 370Z Nismo.
The Nismo team will use all of its extensive knowledge and experience from racing the GT-R with considerable success in the Super GT and Global GT series, as well as feedback from competing in last year’s 24-Hours Nürburgring to make the ultimate road-going GT-R.
“It would be unthinkable for us to develop a range of Nismo road cars without including the GT-R,” said Nissan CEO, Carlos Ghosn at the launch of Nismo’s new headquarters in Yokohama. “The GT-R Nismo will be special and I can’t wait to drive it.”
I think we all share your sentiment, mate.