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European Nissan Leaf gets always-on connection, lets you turn up the AC wirelessly

We've already marveled at the Chevy Volt's ability to let you turn up the AC while it's still plugged in to the A/C, courtesy of its OnStar app. Now we can confirm the European model of Nissan's Leaf is getting the same sort of functionality, and it's said to be standard -- no monthly fees like you'll be stuck with on the Volt. We're still not sure who's providing the wireless connectivity in the US, but abroad it comes courtesy of Telenor Connexion, which will enable a mobile phone or PC to access the Carwings Data Center remotely, to check charging status and modify the car's climate controls. In an EV the car's heating and cooling can be two of the biggest sinks for the onboard battery packs, so this ability to get the car up or down to temp while it's still plugged in could help you spend more kW driving and less on acclimatizing.

Update: As it turns out Chevy is kindly throwing in five years of free OnStar service to Volt owners. So, it's free there as well.



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Telenor Connexion

Nissan LEAF cars connected at all times through Telenor Connexion
Telenor Connexion - Dec 20, 2010 09:00 CET

Telenor Connexion will enable Nissan LEAF owners to use a mobile phone or PC to check battery status and range, to turn on vehicle's air-conditioning etc. even when their Nissan LEAF is parked and completely switched off. This is the first time connectivity becomes a standard in an electrical car. Nissan LEAF was awarded "European Car of the Year 2011".

Telenor Connexion has been chosen as the European connectivity supplier for Nissan LEAF's "CARWINGS" intelligent transport (IT) system, allowing connection between the electric car's sophisticated onboard transmitting unit and Nissan's CARWINGS Data Center. Thanks to Telenor Connexion, owners of the 100% electric vehicle will have access at all times, both on and off board, to the data and information they need for greater convenience, comfort and peace of mind. Unique features of the Nissan CARWINGS system include electric vehicle battery state monitoring, usage history and air-conditioning remote control. This is made possible by seamless communication between the vehicle and people via mobile networks and PCs.

- Telenor Connexion's dedicated telematics solution connects Nissan LEAF's onboard unit to the Nissan CARWINGS Data Center in a private network environment allowing Nissan to deliver a secure and stable product to our customers, says Pierre Loing, Vice president of product strategy and planning at Nissan International SA and head of the company's European zero emission business unit. Nissan International, located in Rolle, Switzerland, is the headquarters of Nissan in Europe.

- We are very excited to work with Nissan, who plays a major role in setting a standard for the whole EV industry. This agreementis the start of what we expect to be a long-term partnership. It is of significant value for Telenor Connexion, but above all it reinforces our position as the leading connectivity supplier in the automotive industry. We already have agreements with major global automotive players such as Volvo Cars, Volvo Trucks, Scania and Daimler, says Per Simonsen, CEO of Telenor Connexion.

Nissan LEAF was awarded "European Car of the Year 2011" and is the world's first mass-production, 100% electric, zero-emission car. The new EV will be on sale in Europe early 2011 with the first deliveries to Portugal, Ireland, the UK and the Netherlands.


For more information, please contact:

Mia Nielsen, Nissan Europe SAS, mnielsen@nissan-europe.com,
+33 1 72 67 66 44
For B-roll and photos of Nissan LEAF, go to
www.newsroom.nissan-europe.com

Kristina Grandin, PR and Communications, Telenor Connexion
kristina.grandin@telenor.com, +46 734 25 26 21

About Nissan in Europe
Nissan employs 12,500 people in its European design, research and development, manufacturing, logistics, and sales and marketing operations. In calendar year 2009, the company sold 498,027 vehicles across 40 markets in Western and Eastern Europe including Russia. Furthermore, the company produced a total of 390,727 vehicles in its Spanish and British plants.

About Telenor Connexion
Telenor Connexion is a leading global provider of embedded connectivity for business and life critical applications. Companies in industries as diverse as automotive, security, utilities and fleet management are implementing embedded connectivity solutions to achieve productivity gains, cost management, environmental improvement and expand customer services. With more than 10 years of experience, Telenor Connexion is a reliable partner, understanding and dedicated our customers' business.
Telenor Connexion provides international, cost-effective M2M (machine-to-machine) communication solutions to a number of global customers such as Volvo, Daimler and Securitas Direct.
According to leading industry analyst Berg Insight Telenor is "the most advanced mobile operator in the area of M2M" and also "the dominant provider of wireless M2M connectivity".
Telenor Connexion is wholly owned by Telenor Group, the world's sixth largest mobile operator. Telenor Group is an international provider of high quality tele, data and media communication services with mobile operations in 13 markets across the Nordic region, Central and Eastern Europe and in Asia. For more information, please visit www.telenorconnexion.com