We like the Leaf. It’s not a good choice for everyone, but it’s a great second car or city car, set back the most perhaps by the trouble one has to take in charging it. At home you are advised to spring for a high-capacity outlet, and abroad you must plan your trips to coincide with existing charge points. Anything that can make adding power to these cars easier will increase their… → Read More
Next-generation homes are definitely one of the big trends at the CEATEC 2011 exhibition that currently takes place in Chiba, Japan. We have covered multiple “smart home” concepts from various Japan companies over the last years, and at CEATEC, Nissan’s so-called NSH-2012 Smart House of the Future is stealing the show.
It’s not a typical home but rather a simple house that’s specifically… → Read More
Nissan Leaf owners, take note. The Leaf companion app is now available in both Android and BlackBerry flavors. These smartphone apps follow the steps of the iOS version that launched alongside the Leaf earlier this year. All the key features are here: battery level meter, charging schedule, estimated range, and climate control functions.
The apps themselves are free to download, owning a Leaf… → Read More
Consumers have spoken and Nissan has listened. The 2012 Nissan Leaf will now pack more standard features — and a noticeably higher price. Starting July 25 the second model year Leaf will be available for order in the Southeastern United States and Illinois. Consumers with existing reservations have first dibs, though. That is if those consumers are still on board after they see the new price. → Read More
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. and 4R Energy Corporation announced today that the two companies have developed and installed a new EV charging solution that combines renewable solar energy and high capacity lithium-ion batteries. The system was recently installed for testing at Nissan’s global headquarters in Yokohama, Japan.
The system uses the solar cells to collect the energy and a large lithium-ion… → Read More
If the road is smooth enough, you can hear birds chirping while you’re going 35 mph. With the windows up. The Nissan Leaf is that quiet. When going less than 30 mph there’s just a slight electric whine from the powertrain and above 45 mph the wheels produces a steady hum. But there’s this special spot between 30 and 45 where the two combine in a way that they cancel each other… → Read More
I’m a few days into my week with the Nissan Leaf. It’s a fun car; I can say that much so far. My plan later today is to test the range by driving in increasingly smaller circles around my house until the battery is nearly depleted. A full review is coming next week, but until then, here’s a quick look at the simple Leaf iOS owner’s app. Nissan launched the iOS app launched… → Read More
Poor Kelangst: he or she is the first person ever in the whole world to announce that they’ve depleted their Nissan Leaf’s batteries, a problem bolstered by the fact that some range calculations for the Leaf are inaccurate until you’ve driven the car a few hundred miles. The post, in which Kelangst writes “Part of me is amused that I may go down in history as the first dumbass to drive the car… → Read More
CODA Holdings (or CODA Automotive) the Santa Monica, Calif. company that plans to sell all-electric sedans in the U.S. this year, raised another $76 million according to a company statement today. The company’s total equity funding, with this round, reached about $200 million. CODA’s new backers include Harbinger Capital Partners and Riverstone Holdings, who were joined by earlier investors AERIS… → Read More
While I’m sure the guys at Nissan were crossing their fingers, hoping for a 100MPGe rating, the EPA either had other ideas, or didn’t plan for three-digit numbers on their window stickers. Maybe the new ones will change that, but for now the poor Leaf is stuck with a paltry 99MPGe rating. Wait, that’s pretty good. → Read More
Here comes another spoof on the Mac vs. PC ad campaign, this one promoting electric vehicles over combustion engines. Plug In America, an advocacy organization that wants to reduce the United States’ dependence on petroleum, created the electric vehicle hype spots and calls them public service announcements.
The first of the seven PSAs include talent from the film Who Killed The Electric Car. One… → Read More
One thing is clear to me now: GM gets it. Government Motors now understands the importance of cutting edge technology. They understand rapid development processes. But most importantly, the once largest auto maker understands the future. If only they had “gotten it” back at the turn of the century, they wouldn’t be in the mess they’re in now.
I recently spent some time at a couple GM facilities… → Read More
It’s hard to ignore the looming EV vehicle showdown between the Chevy Volt and the Nissan Leaf even though the vehicles are totally different in nature and target market. While the Nissan Leaf is simply a beautifully-packaged electric vehicle with around a 100 mile range, the Chevy Volt takes a different approach by having a somewhat limited 40 mile EV range but an on-board gas-powered… → Read More
Nissan has decided that Hawaii will be in the first wave of Leaf-enabled states. They say (truthfully, I think) that it’s because of Hawaii’s commitment to green power and all that. Yes, very good. Lots of solar. But, as Treehugger notes, Hawaii is also a rather small island where the range limits of the Leaf won’t really be apparent during the critical launch period. It’d be like if they launched… → Read More
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Disrupt Europe: Berlin Hackathon
Berlin, Germany
