Posts Tagged ‘Nissan’

If you reserved a Nissan Leaf electric vehicle, chances are that you’ve already been contacted by Nissan to schedule your first test drive. For the rest of us, there’s the Drive Electric Tour and it may be coming to a city near you.

For those who live on the west side of Los Angeles, that magical test drive happened this past weekend at Santa Monica’s annual Alt Car Expo.

Nissan set up a large-scale test drive center for the expo that resembled an amusement park ride (minus the life-size cartoon characters). Those who have already reserved a Nissan Leaf were notified before the event and could register early for their spin around the block.

After registration, drivers were invited to wait in a general lobby area where you could meet and chat with other zero emissions enthusiasts as you waited for your chance to drive Nissan’s new green machine around the test track.

Even though I’ve already reserved a Leaf of my own, I decided to give up my spot and let others take a turn behind the wheel. I was able to test drive Nissan’s EV two months ago at Plug-In 2010 event in San Jose and wanted to let someone else get enjoy the exhilaration of electric power.

What astounded me about this particular display, however, was the sheer number of people there to experience electric drive. Everywhere you looked there were smiling faces and excited people.

There really is only one way to understand the beauty of electric drive…and that is by getting behind the wheel of a green machine. Nissan plans to offer 50,000 test drives across the country this fall and you can check tour dates and schedule a test drive of your own here.

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Shannon Arvizu, Ph.D., loves driving clean, green machines. You can read more at MissElectric.com

Nissan has just released pricing details for their fast and funky new crossover, the 2011 Juke. The turbocharged runabout goes on sale in October starting at $18,960 for a base front-wheel drive model.  Top of the line “SL” models with all-wheel drive will run for $24,550.

While plenty of crossover bill themselves as part sports car and part sport utility vehicle, Juke pulls off the claim better than most. The car’s profile is dominated by a rising beltline and sloping roofline that shout speed. Fenders flare out aggressively to highlight handsome 17-inch alloy wheels and rear door handles are hidden to suggest a coupe-like presence.

Under the hood is a brand new 1.6-liter turbocharged engine that pumps out a stirring 188-horsepower; enough to beat the Juke’s closest hatchback-on-steroids rival, the 181-horsepower Mini Countryman S. Fuel economy is excellent, too, with 27 miles per gallon city and 32 highway for front-wheel drive models with the CVT automatic transmission. A 6-speed manual transmission is also available (front-wheel drive models only) for those who prefer to select their own gears.

Nissan engineers are particularly proud of the Juke’s new torque-vectoring all-wheel drive system which can route power side-to-side on the rear axle to enhance cornering. It’s a high-tech feature that has until now been found only on high-end machines like the Acura RL and BMW X6.

The upscale technology doesn’t stop at the wheels, either. Juke comes with a Bluetooth hands-free phone system standard and offers navigation, rearview camera, USB/iPod interface, and keyless ignition as options. A new I-CON Integrated Control system allows drivers to toggle between Normal, Sport, and Eco drive modes, tailoring throttle response, steering feel, and automatic transmission shifting to the driver’s mood.

With such a bold design and sporty hardware, the Nissan Juke is not for the faint of heart. But this lunar buggy might be just the thing for fashionable urbanites who want utility and all-weather traction in a city-friendly size. We’ll take ours in red, please.

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2011 Nissan Juke Models and Pricing:

Juke “S” front-wheel drive, automatic transmission: $18,960

Juke “SV” front-wheel drive, manual transmission: $20,260

Juke “SV” front-wheel drive, automatic transmission: $20,760

Juke “SL” front-wheel drive, manual transmission: $22,550

Juke “SL” front-wheel drive, automatic transmission: $23,050

Juke “S” all-wheel drive, automatic transmission: $20,460

Juke “SV” all-wheel drive, automatic transmission: $22,260

Juke “SL” all-wheel drive, automatic transmission: $24,550

More details on equipment and trim levels can be found here at the Juke’s pre-launch website.

General Motors today released pricing details for the hotly-anticipated Chevrolet Volt. The extended-range electric vehicle will go on sale with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $40,280 (before $720 destination charge). A federal tax incentive of $7,500 drops the price to $32,780.

The Volt comes well-equipped with a standard navigation system, Bluetooth hands-free phone system, Bose premium audio, and 5 years of complimentary OnStar coverage. The only options will be chrome wheels, three premium paint colors, a rear park assist feature, and heated leather seats.

But how does the Volt stack up against the Nissan Leaf, its closest rival in the zero emissions race?

Nissan made waves earlier this year when they announced that the all-electric Leaf would be priced at $32,780. Factor in the $7,500 federal tax incentive and the effective price plummets to a very reasonable $25,280, which Nissan points out is comparable to a well-equipped Toyota Prius hybrid.

Compare the Leaf to the Volt, however, and you’ll find that the Chevy commands a stunning $7,500 price premium over the Nissan.

GM’s new vice president of US marketing, Joel Ewanick is quick to point out that the Volt has something the all-electric Nissan doesn’t: an onboard generator that runs on gasoline and that can keep the car moving for an additional 300 miles after the initial 40-mile all-electric range is depleted. ”No other automaker offers an electrically driven vehicle that can be your everyday driver, to take you wherever, whenever.”

And while the Leaf’s driving range of 70-120 miles may not make it as road-trip-worthy as the Volt, the Leaf is eligible for an additional $5,000 state tax incentive for California residents. This expands the Nissan’s price advantage to $12,500 in what is sure to be a critical sales market for electrically-driven cars.

Consumers will ultimately decide if range anxiety – their fear of running out of electricity before they can find a charging station – is worth the extra $7,500 to $12,500. As some EV enthusiasts have already pointed out, the price difference would cover a lot of rental cars for those times when 70-120 miles just isn’t enough.

Were you one of the first in line for the iPhone? Are you drooling all over your glossy new iPad? Do you have to have the latest and greatest gadgets before anyone else?

If so, I have good news for you because automakers will soon be releasing next-gen technology that will transform the way we drive.

It’s part of a coming wave of new cars that will (finally!) offer options beyond the dinosaur internal combustion technology that’s been around for the past 100 years.

Like many new technologies, however, these future cars will only be available on a limited basis at first.  Field trials of the all-electric Mini E and hydrogen fuel cell Honda FCX Clarity, for example, were limited to Southern California and the New York metropolitan region last year.

These prototype test cars were leased to early adopters for a specified time and then returned to the manufacturers for continued analysis.  Ideally, these trials are intended to help Mini and Honda create even better production cars for the rest of us to enjoy.

Three new cars, the Nissan Leaf, the Chevy Volt, and the Ford Focus Electric, are slated for production in the next year. In addition to cutting-edge technology under the hood, these cars will feature advanced dashboard, navigation, and wireless communication technology that you will not find in standard gas-guzzling machines. They will also come with their own SmartPhone applications for maximizing energy use and minimizing charge costs. For example, this video gives you a taste of the Chevy Volt Wireless App.

How do you get a “car of the future”? This time it won’t be just Californians and New Yorkers who get to show off their new toys: early adopters in several other regions across the country can look forward to getting in on the electric drive action.

Those regions include:

- Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga, TN (for the Nissan Leaf)

- Los Angeles, CA (for the Chevy Volt and Ford Focus Electric)

- San Jose and San Francisco, CA (for the Chevy Volt and Ford Focus Electric)

- San Diego, CA (for the Nissan Leaf)

- New York, NY (for the Ford Focus Electric)

- Austin, TX (for the Ford Focus Electric)

- Phoenix and Tucson, AZ (for the Nissan Leaf)

- Portland, Eugene, and Corvallis, OR (for the Nissan Leaf)

- Seattle, WA (for the Nissan Leaf)

- Detroit, MI (for the Ford Focus Electric)

Early adopters in these regions can expect significant city and state purchase incentives (in addition to the well-publicized $7,500 federal tax credit). In many regions, these folks can also qualify to get a free charger installed in their home for juicing their new electrically-driven wheels. Officials in these cities are working with manufacturers to establish a new public charging infrastructure, as well.

But what is it like to be an early adopter for these future cars? How does one join this energy evolution? In the next few weeks, I hope to interview some first-movers in the electric car field for our Honk readers. Stay tuned for an inside perspective from those who are on the front line of next-gen mobility…

Dr. Shannon Arvizu is a clean-tech strategist and educator. You can read more at MissElectric.com

Remember $4.00 per gallon gasoline?  Daimler CEO Dr. Dieter Zetsche made comments at the Beijing Auto Show that hint at high oil prices and much more in the near future:

“If you look at the population and the growth here [in China], you quickly reach the conclusion that it would be unthinkable to provide these people with traditional gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles. There just isn’t enough oil for that. So there has to be personal transportation that is not dependent on oil and is CO2-free to the greatest possible extent.”

Zetsche’s comment signals a new outlook from the maker of Mercedes-Benz luxury cars.  The CEO envisions a future in which the world is forced to find new sources of energy for personal transportation.  Daimler is clearly anticipating the approach of high oil prices – and potential oil shortages – as growth in China, India, and other emerging markets begins to strain global resources.

As Renault-Nissan CEO and fellow electric vehicle proponent, Carlos Ghosn said at the Tokyo Auto Salon a few months ago: “If all your transportation relies on one commodity, you’re in trouble.”

Though EVs run solely on electricity, the energy they need can come from a diverse range of sources like solar, wind, nuclear, coal, and natural gas.  Though it will take time to build additional power plants and a public charging infrastructure, Ghosn and Zetsche see a need for this kind of flexibility in an oil-strained future.

Daimler is currently producing about 1,000 electric vehicles for a real-world market test and is involved with Chinese automobile company, BYD, to design and build an electric vehicle tailored specifically for the Chinese market.  Nissan intends to launch their first mass-market electric vehicle, the Leaf, later this year.  Its French partner, Renault will launch an all-electric sedan called Fluence in 2011.

Other manufacturers are ramping up their EV efforts, as well.  Chevrolet is due to launch their extended-range electric vehicle, the Volt, in a few short months.  And as we reported here a few weeks ago, BMW recently announced a new manufacturing plant in Washington State that will produce lightweight body panels for their own upcoming “megacity” electric vehicle in 2013.

Assuming that Dr. Zetsche’s bold prediction for the future is correct, how high would fuel prices have to rise to get you to switch from a gasoline- or diesel-powered car to an electric vehicle?