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Nissan's next Leaf will be ready to drive itself
Today at CES, Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn confirmed plans for a follow-up to his company's flagship EV, the Leaf. While speculation has focused on how much range a successor could add to the current model, the announcement emphasized how a new Leaf represents "the next chapter of Nissan Intelligent Power" and will include ProPilot autonomous technology. The car is due "in the near future" -- at a media roundtable Ghosn said "we can't announce new EVs in advance because unlike our competitors, we're already selling them."
Artificial 'leaf' could beat real plants at converting sunlight
Natural photosynthesis is considered a good target for solar energy conversion, but it's already considered old hat. Harvard scientists have developed a leaf-like system that should be more effective at converting solar energy than plants themselves. The technology boils down to a jar of bacteria (Ralstonia eutropha), a cobalt water-splitting system and a pair of electrodes. When you send electricity through this partly biological system, the electrodes turn the water into hydrogen gas that you can use for fuel and carbon-based materials. It's only 10 percent efficient, but that's better than the widely established 8 percent baseline for real-world performance.
Nissan's 'mind-reading' Leaf projects driver reactions on the road
Nissan is no stranger to weird concepts for automobiles. Remember the automaker's Teatro for Dayz selfie wagon? To celebrate the 5th anniversary of its all-electric Leaf, Nissan developed a version of the car that can read a passenger's mind... sort of. After scanning brain waves of first-time test-drivers in the EV with a headset, the special-edition Leaf projected one of over 30 comic-esque messages on the road outside in real time. In other words, folks outside of the vehicle could "see" a general translation of what the driver was thinking. Luckily this is just a concept, so the thoughts that pass through your mind in fits of road rage will remain safe from public view -- for the near future, at least.
Nissan disables its Leaf remote control app (update)
GM recently found out that connected cars can be vulnerable to online attacks, and now it's Nissan's turn. Security researcher Troy Hunt reports several parties have learned that the Leaf's climate control system is susceptible to attack through flaws in its companion app, which lets you remotely activate certain features. There's apparently no safety risk (it only works when you're parked), but an intruder abusing the code could turn on the climate system in any car -- provided they know the VIN -- from anywhere in the world. Imagine leaving work to find that your battery is dead, simply because a prankster ran the heating all day -- not very fun, is it?
BMW and Nissan roll out dual-plug EV chargers across the US
In some says, Tesla's Supercharger network is its ace in the hole -- you can buy one of the company's electric cars knowing that you'll have speedy charging when away from home. BMW and Nissan aren't going to let this competitive edge go unanswered, though. They're launching a network of 120 dual-format fast chargers (both CHAdeMO and CCS) across 19 US states, any of which should bring most EVs up to 80 percent in less than 30 minutes. The stations should be available now, and you can find them in the automakers' respective mobile apps.
The Leaf 'Plug 'n Plant' is an all-in-one hydroponic grow box
Growing weed is easy (it is a weed, after all), growing good weed is a lot harder. And growing top-shelf sticky-icky in the comfort of your own home has, until now, been an expensive and technical nightmare. But that's where the Plug 'n Plant system from Leaf comes in. This tableside grow box is completely self contained. It provides all the pumps, lights, fans and nutrients needed to raise a pair of cannabis plants and yield 4 to 5 ounces of high-test herb. What's more, it includes a host of environmental sensors and an HD camera that push data (and a timelapse view of your plants) to your smartphone for easy and continuous condition tracking. The system is even semi-autonomous, automatically dispensing additional nutrients as the plants absorb them from the growing medium.
The 2016 Nissan Leaf touts 107-mile range thanks to a larger battery
If you're looking to get over 100 miles out of your next EV before needing to recharge, Nissan hopes its retooled Leaf will grab your attention. Two of the 2016 models claim an EPA-estimated 107-mile range thanks to a bigger 30 kWh battery. And yes, that's both best-in-class and 27 percent further than the previous power pack would take you. Looking to park one in your driveway? The base S model is priced at $29,010 before a $7,500 federal tax credit lowers the cost to $21,510. There are also SV and SL models, priced at $26,700 and $29,290 (after tax credit) respectively, if you're after a new ride with more options than the standard model offers.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: next-gen EVs and bricklaying robots
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green. Now that the first wave of electric vehicles has established a strong foothold in the market, automakers are working on their successors -- and the green cars of tomorrow will blow you away. For starters, they'll be able to travel much farther. This past week, Volkswagen revealed that it's working on an electric car with a 186-mile range; Chevrolet announced plans to begin producing the 200-mile Bolt EV in 2016; and reports indicate that the next-generation Nissan Leaf will be able to travel over 310 miles on a single charge. Hydrogen cars are also gaining traction -- last week, Toyota announced that its Mirai is the only zero-emission vehicle that can travel 312 miles nonstop. Meanwhile, Tesla is tackling the range-anxiety problem by improving its charging network -- and it just launched a next-generation Supercharger that is lighter, faster and cooled by liquid. If you're looking for something even more futuristic, we have just the thing -- the world's first commercial jetpack is (finally) set to hit the market next year.
Nissan turns old electric car batteries into fixed energy storage
Mercedes and Tesla aren't the only electric car makers giving their batteries something to do besides getting you from A to B. Nissan is teaming up with Green Charge Networks to repurpose "second-life" (read: used) batteries from Leaf EVs as commercial energy storage. Much like the batteries you can buy for your home, the lithium-ion packs will help offices save money (and ideally, the environment) by storing cheap energy. Companies can charge up overnight to avoid painful peak electricity rates, for instance, or reserve power from solar and wind farms that would otherwise go to waste. The Leaf-based tech will see its first use at one of Nissan's own facilities this summer, but we'd expect it to spread to other businesses in short order.
Watch Nissan's glowing Leaf tear down a glowing stretch of highway
Daan Roosegaarde's Smart Highway concept saw a third of a mile of asphalt in the Dutch town of Oss festooned with phosphorescent stripes -- they spend the day soaking up sunlight and convert it into a slightly eerie blue/green glow to guide drivers for eight hours once night falls. Seeing the road is trippy in and of itself, so (naturally?) watching Nissan's glow-in-the-dark Leaf tear down it is a whole other story. Friendly reminder: You might want to have the Tron or Starlight Express soundtracks cued up before you press play.
Bellabeat Leaf activity and health tracker can also monitor reproductive cycle
There was a time when "gadgets for women" were silly novelty items or pink-colored, Swarovski-covered versions of existing devices. Well, OK, those still exist, but at least there are now decent gadgets for women with features we actually need, like Bellabeat's Leaf. The Leaf isn't even available yet, but the huge pre-order sales (where Bellabeat earned $1.2 million in revenue) prompted the startup to add a new feature: the capability to track your reproductive health. Leaf will be able to monitor and notify you about your ovulation, contraceptive intake and incoming period, making it a valuable tool for those who want to conceive (and those who don't). A lot of existing apps out there can already do those, of course, but if you're already thinking of getting this device, that's a nice plus.
Nissan's built an electric pickup that it'll never sell
There are probably lots of justifiable reasons why carmakers haven't got around to making an electric pickup that anyone can buy (range and demand would be just two), but that doesn't mean such vehicles don't exist. Engineers at Nissan, with a little too much time on their hands, wanted to create a neat way of ferrying people and parts around their Test Center in Stanfield, Arizona. Using the project as a team building exercise, designers Roland Schellenberg and Arnold Moulinet took a Leaf EV, cut off its roof, replaced it with the top of a Titan pickup and added a shortened rear bed from a Frontier. The end result is "Sparky," a stylish little electric pickup that won't ever leave Nissan's 3,050-acre test facility, but gives us hope that we'll one day see a little more EV variation on our roads.
Nissan offers free electricity to entice EV customers
Though "fueling" an EV costs a pittance next to a gas-guzzler, hunting for that next compatible charging network can bring on cold sweats. Nissan Leaf buyers in 25 markets will soon be able to relax, though. A new "EZ-Charge" card will grant two years of free charging across four major networks: ChargePoint, Blink, AeroVironment and NRG's eVGO. The automaker may have been motivated by its free charging trials in Texas, which led to a three-fold Leaf sales increase at one dealership. The expanded program will roll out to owners in 10 markets this July, provided they bought their Leaf after April 1st. There are other restrictions too: just one hour max of free charging at a Level 2 station and a half hour on a fast charger. The latter option will give an 80 percent charge, but a Level 2 station will only dole out 20 miles' worth of electrons in an hour -- so plan accordingly.
Sound system simulates a rocket blast, would kill you just as dead
Sure, your stereo may go up to 11 and beyond, but you probably couldn't murder your listeners with it. The European Space Agency has a bigger budget, however, and its Large European Acoustic Facility (LEAF) has a 36-foot wide by 54-foot high wall of sound designed to simulate the level of noise during a rocket launch. To be exact, it can produce more than 154 decibels by shooting nitrogen into the horns, which the agency says is the same as standing right next to multiple jets taking off at the same time. It added that "no human being could survive hearing it at maximum output" (presumably because of the overall power), so the walls are epoxy-coated, reinforced concrete. The giant system is designed to stress-test pricey satellites before attaching them to actual rockets, and hopefully avoiding some of the many, many things that can go wrong.
Nissan Leaf prototype becomes first autonomous car to hit Japanese highways (video)
Autonomous autos are somewhat old hat for commuters in California and Nevada, but Japan's only just seen one hit its public roads. After earning a license plate in September, Nissan's driverless (and electric) Leaf hit the pavement of the country's Sagami Expressway, becoming the very first self-driving car to complete a public road test on a highway in the Land of the Rising Sun. The firm's Autonomous Drive tech, which handles everything from detecting road conditions to merging into traffic, piloted the car onto the interstate, passed slowpokes and exited the freeway. Sure, this is a notable milestone for Nissan, but the company's goal to sell autos with the technology by 2020 is still a long way off.
Nissan's autonomous Leaf shows its smarts on Japanese test track
Now that Nissan's partially automated Leaf has the proverbial green light to traverse some of Japan's roadways, we figured we'd place our lives in the hands of various computer systems in order to have one whisk us around a test track at CEATEC. This year's autonomous Leaf demo was a step up from last year, with our test vehicle trained to not only stay between the lines, but also pause and evaluate the situation when faced with a fellow car. An on-site representative informed us that off-the-shelf PC components are being used to calculate its motions at the moment, and yes, it's a Windows-based system underneath (for now, anyway). A suite of prohibitively expensive lasers keep the car from veering outside of its lane, while onboard processing determines whether a stopped or slowed vehicle is passable or not. The company has tested the automated Leaf at speeds as high as 70 kilometers per hour, but we barely broke 15 on the track. Speaking of which, you can catch a bit of footage from our ride just after the break. Mat Smith and Richard Lai contributed to this report.
Nissan treats new Leaf owners in Texas to one year of free charging
Hey, EV fans in Texas, you might want to wait until October 1st before purchasing or leasing a Nissan Leaf. That's because the company's taking a leaf out of Tesla's book and giving new owners in Dallas, Fort Worth and Houston a year of unlimited free access to all eVgo charging stations in those areas. Unfortunately, that does mean that if you've already got one of the company's electric vehicles, you don't get the perk -- ouch. As for potential customers in other states, don't despair. Nissan's Brian Brockman has hinted that the program might expand to other eVgo locations -- depending on how well it does in the Lone Star State.
Atlus bringing 2D fighter AquaPazza to US
Japanese 2D anime fighter AquaPazza: Aquaplus Dream Match is being localized for a North American release, publisher Atlus has announced. Titled simply AquaPazza for its western release, the game will launch on the PlayStation 3 in both physical and digital flavors sometime this holiday season for $29.99. The localized version will be based on AquaPazza's most recent Japanese arcade build (version 2.01), and will maintain all of the original Japanese voice dialogue. AquaPazza is a crossover fighter featuring characters from different eroge (read: erotic) visual novels/romance simulators developed by Leaf, a subsidiary of Japanese publisher Aquaplus. Despite this, AquaPazza is a normal, non-adult anime fighter with relatively tame visuals, especially when compared to something like Dead or Alive 5. While the game has no ESRB rating as of yet, last year's Japanese PS3 release was approved for ages 12 and up by Japan's Computer Entertainment Ratings Organization.
UK to test driverless cars on public roads before the end of 2013
While Americans have seen a few driverless cars on the open road, their British counterparts have had to settle for demos on private circuits. They'll get a better glimpse soon, though, as the UK Department for Transport now expects tests on public streets by the end of 2013. The initial trial runs will be gentle -- Oxford University's Nissan Leaf-based RobotCars will drive only on lightly trafficked roads, with humans tagging along in the event of a crisis. We haven't yet seen a timetable for more aggressive experiments, but we're not exactly in a hurry to compete with early autonomous cars during rush hour. [Image credit: Oxford University]
Nissan to install EV quick charge stations at more than 100 US dealerships
Like Tesla, Nissan knows that EV drivers want a safety net of charging stations; it's no fun to hunt for a power socket many miles from home. Accordingly, the automaker will soon deploy CHAdeMO-based quick chargers at more than 100 dealerships across 21 US markets. The rollout starts this summer and finishes by April 1st of next year. Combined with stations from a 24-dealer pilot, the expansion should give many urban Leaf drivers at least one reliable charging location -- and Nissan may get a few more sales in the bargain.
