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Nissan unveils its $40,000 electric Ariya crossover
Nissan's next EV is this crossover, the Ariya. It will go on sale next year with prices starting at about $40,000.
Nissan looks set to debut its Ariya EV in July
The hotly-tipped Nissan Ariya could arrive next month.
Nissan hopes people will pay $699 a month to swap cars on demand
Over the last couple of years, we've seen automakers like Porsche and Cadillac try their hand at car subscription services, and now Nissan is doing the same. Starting in Houston, the Japanese automaker is testing its new Switch service, which allows you to swap Nissan vehicles through a mobile app. Each time you order a new car, a dealership employee will deliver the vehicle to your home and explain all the ins-and-outs of the model.
Nissan crams more safety tech into the base 2020 Leaf
The 2020 Nissan Leaf EV will be more expensive in its latest incarnation, but the carmaker is stuffing in more safety tech as standard. All 2020 Leaf models include Nissan Safety Shield 360, which has features such as automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane departure warnings and rear automatic braking. The car also has forward collision warning, intelligent lane intervention and blind spot intervention.
BMW now has 500,000 EVs on the road
The number of electric vehicles on the road is growing exponentially. While it might have previously taken BMW three years to shift 100,000 models, the carmaker has now announced it's since sold five times that number -- 500,000 -- in the same amount of time, marking not only a major milestone for the brand, but for the EV market overall.
Nissan's dual-motor Leaf test car hints at future EVs
If Nissan is going to build production versions of EV concepts like the Ariya, it's going to need considerably more from its electric powerplants. Thankfully, that work is well underway. The car brand has unveiled a Leaf-based test car that packs dual motors and all-wheel drive, delivering both greater control and much more power. The prototype machine produces 227kW of peak output (about 304HP) and, more importantly, a whopping 501 pound-feet of torque -- the Leaf Plus' 214HP and 250 pound-feet of torque seem dowdy by comparison.
Nissan's bold Ariya EV concept may soon go into production
The Leaf is a smart and practical EV, but no one would ever call it fun. Nissan is looking to switch that up with its next generation of electric cars, judging by the Ariya concept it unveiled at Tokyo Motor Show. The swoopy, bold design along with the premium, lounge-like cabin is meant to signal the "pure, clean nature" of EVs, Nissan said in a press release.
Nissan’s IMk concept is a chic, boxy and electrified ‘Kei’ car
Nissan wants to show that tiny city "Kei" cars in Japan don't have to be pug-ugly. At the Tokyo Motor Show, it will unveil the IMk EV concept built on a new platform that "signals the future of Nissan design," the company said. While tiny, it packs Nissan's latest tech including the ProPilot 2.0 driver assistant, "seamless" connectivity and a powerful EV drivetrain for its size. The design, meanwhile, uses what Nissan calls "timeless Japanese futurism," and borrows liberally from the country's traditional arts and crafts.
Nissan envisions car-themed esports gaming chairs
Nissan's connection to gaming might extend beyond the occasional car in a racing sim. The automaker has joined with FaZe Clan and OpTic Gaming to design a trio of "esports gaming chairs" themed around (what else?) some of its more iconic cars. The GT-R Nismo is a "performance" chair with a thin carbon fiber shell, a racing seat shape, Nismo leather and an audio system built into the headset. The Armada chair echoes the SUV with extra-comfy lumbar support, posh leather and its own climate control. A Leaf chair, meanwhile, mimics the EV with "eco-friendly" materials and a USB charging port.
Nissan is adding 200 more chargers to its network
Nissan has been building charging stations across the US with help from EVgo over the past few years. Now, the two companies are expanding their six-year partnership by adding 200 direct current fast chargers to their network across the country. All 200 will apparently be able to deliver 100kW of power and will have CHAdeMO and CCS connectors -- two competing charging standards -- to be able to cater to a wide variety of EV models.
Robot 'duck' keeps weeds out of rice paddies
For rice farmers, ducks have been a viable way to keep their crops healthy -- they destroy weeds, eat bugs and fertilize crops without using harmful chemicals. And now, a Nissan technician might have an alternative when fowl isn't an option. He's testing a robot 'duck' that roams rice paddies, muddying the water to prevent weeds from getting enough sunlight to grow -- it's really a Roomba (and a cute one at that) for watery fields. Although it's a personal project, it's fully realized with GPS, a WiFi connection and solar power to minimize its environmental impact.
Nissan's zero-emission ice cream truck uses recycled EV batteries
For some, chasing the neighborhood ice cream truck is a favorite summer tradition. But many ice cream trucks have diesel engines, and older models keep those engines running to power the freezers. That means you get a hefty side of CO2 emissions with your cone. Nissan thinks it can change that. To celebrate the UK's Clean Air Day, Nissan unveiled a zero-emission ice cream van concept, called "Sky to Scoop."
Waymo is developing driverless services with Renault and Nissan
Waymo might make its way to the top of the automotive world with the help of industry giants that chose to team up with the company. The Alphabet subsidiary has just inked a deal with Renault and Nissan to explore the development of driverless mobility services. None of the companies involved revealed details about the project other than the products they do come up with will transport people and deliver goods in France and Japan. According to Reuters, though, the partnership will also explore the development of self-driving cars for the regions. Who knows -- it might even give Waymo the chance to get in on the Tokyo 2020 Olympics robotaxi action.
Fiat Chrysler may strike Renault deal to survive changing car industry
Fiat Chrysler hasn't been on the cutting edge of automotive change as of late. Unless you count concepts like the Centoventi, the company hasn't done much with EVs -- and its support for autonomy mostly involves supplying minivans to Waymo. The automaker might make a huge deal that could prepare it for the future, though. Financial Times sources have claimed that Fiat Chrysler is in advanced talks to create "extensive ties" with Renault to help it cope with a changing industry. It might even join the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance in the future, although the tipsters cautioned that nothing was set at this stage.
Nissan's ProPilot 2.0 driver assist allows hands-off highway driving
Nissan's ProPilot driver assist could comfortably control the car with little to no input already, as Autoblog experienced on a road trip last year, but it still required a driver's hand on the wheel. Now the company has announced ProPilot 2.0 will launch first on its Skyline sedan in Japan, which supports hands-off driving within a single lane. Nissan says its next-gen driver assistance system is a world's first, but we've seen similar technology from Cadillac's Super Cruise over the last two years, which also allows for hands-off operation as long as the car doesn't need to change lanes.
The Nissan Leaf Plus adds more EV range but not more fun
While other automakers were debating the merits of the electric car, Nissan was already selling the Leaf (the little EV hit the market in 2010, two years before the Model S). The automaker has sold over 400,000 units since then. That's impressive. But in the past nine years, the EV market has changed, and when the latest version of the vehicle was unveiled, it had a range of 151 miles. That's clearly not enough for our new over-200-mile-range vehicle world. So in January of this year, the Leaf Plus (starting at $36,550) with 226 miles of range appeared. Problem solved, right? Well, maybe.
After Math: It's the circle of tech
While most of us now need Buzzfeed quizzes about "things only '90s kids would recognize" to remember what a Blockbuster is, the franchise's inevitable demise is still something to be commemorated -- if only by finally returning that VHS copy of Batman Forever you've been holding onto. But even as some companies fade into oblivion, others flourish in the market spaces left over. Here are a few from this week.
Nissan's IMQ concept looks more like a stealth fighter than a crossover
The great thing about concept cars is that automakers can just shoot for the stars when it comes to features. The Nissan IMQ concept unveiled at the Geneva Motor show is a good example of promising a lot of stuff in a car while simultaneously plotting the course for the future.
Nissan Leaf is the first electric car to top 400,000 sales
Nissan just reached an important milestone in electric car history -- though it likely won't be alone for long. The Leaf has become the first EV to top 400,000 sales, crossing that mark slightly over eight years since its December 2010 debut. Demand has been accelerating over that period too, The company was celebrating 200,000 sales back in December 2015. In other words, roughly half of all Leaf owners bought their car in the past three years.
What to expect from the Geneva Motor Show 2019
The Geneva Motor Show is about to begin and this year the focus will be electrification. From Audi to Volkswagen, the halls of the Palexpo will be filled the future of passenger transportation.
