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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.
Nissan gives EV batteries a second life powering camping trailers
Once the batteries in electric cars are worn down beyond the point of being useful to the vehicle, something has to be done with them. Nissan has a novel solution that will help extend the life of the battery by repurposing it into a power source for camping trailers made by Opus.
Waymo's self-driving cars needed a lot less human intervention in 2018
Waymo likes to boast that its self-driving cars can handle tough situations, and now it has some extra data to back up its claims. The California DMV has published manufacturers' reports for autonomous vehicle disengagements (moments when a human had to intervene), and Waymo's disengagement rate fell in 2018 to 0.09 for every 1,000 driverless miles -- that's half as many instances as in 2017. To Waymo, that's evidence the cars are better at dealing with "edge cases," those once-in-a-lifetime situations that used to require human adaptability.
The Nissan Kicks is a cheap crossover that's still high-tech
Inexpensive entry-level vehicles are typically drab affairs. Beige boxes with the minimum options and styling that can be described as sadness on four wheels. The Nissan Kicks (yeah, with an S) is different. It's fun, quirky and has just enough tech to keep smartphone-addicted new car buyers happy.
Waymo may team up with Renault-Nissan on self-driving taxis
Waymo might not be done courting the automotive world after working with the likes of Fiat Chrysler and Jaguar Land Rover. Nikkei claims the Alphabet-owned company is in the "final phase" of talks to partner with the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance on self-driving car services. While there aren't too many specifics, one project would have Waymo and Nissan work together on autonomous taxis, including a system for booking rides. You'd hear about the union in the spring, Nikkei said.
Nissan concept van includes an all-electric carpentry shop
Nissan doesn't just think electric power should be reserved for the motors in its cars -- it should also apply to what you do in the back of those cars. Its newly unveiled NV300 Concept-van includes a mobile workshop (in this case, for woodworking) that runs on a 700Wh portable Energy Roam pack that runs on second-hand Leaf batteries. You could power table saws, computers and other gear in the field without having to use a polluting gas generator. There's a solar panel on top, too, so you can recover some power while you drive to your next work site.
Nissan's IMs concept sedan EV includes a 'Premier' rear seat
While Nissan already sells a relatively popular electric vehicle, the Leaf, it's still imagining concepts that wrap more appealing shells around a zero-emission drivetrain. Enter its latest "Intelligent Mobility" concept car: the IMs. Following the IDs and IMx models we've seen at events in years past, this one tries to create a whole new kind of car with the "elevated sports sedan." In a world where SUVs and crossovers are eating into car sales, maybe that makes sense, but this almost-a-crossover not only rides high on 22-inch aluminum alloy wheels and an air suspension that adjusts to the terrain, but it can go with dual electric motors capable of 483 HP and 590 lb-ft of torque.
Nissan unveils its longest-range Leaf EV yet
Even though it's one of the oldest EVs on the market, the Nissan Leaf has only been available with just 150 miles of range -- far less than its newer rivals. Nissan has finally rectified that at CES 2019 by unveiling the 2019 Leaf e+. It packs a 62 kWh battery pack that can propel it about 226 miles, approaching the range of Chevy's Bolt and the Tesla 3 base version.
Infiniti unveils its electric QX Inspiration concept
Infiniti is surprisingly late to the EV game, considering what its rivals are doing and the fact that parent Nissan has been making the Leaf since 2010. It just unveiled the QX Inspiration, a concept rather than a production car, that it will show off in detail at the 2019 North American International Auto Show later in January. The vehicle design, teased last month, represents the future (and platform) for Infiniti's electrified program.
Infiniti to unveil its first fully-electric crossover concept in January
Nissan's Infiniti will mark its 30th birthday next month by unveiling its first all-electric crossover at the place where it all began for the luxury car brand: the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. The crossover will give the world the first look at Infiniti's design framework for future EVs in line with its plans to electrify its entire portfolio from 2021 onwards.
Nissan boss who championed the Leaf EV arrested on tax charges
Carlos Ghosn, the CEO who guided Nissan through difficult times and masterminded the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance, has reportedly been arrested in Japan and could soon be fired by Nissan. In an extraordinary news release, Nissan said that an internal investigation found that Ghosn and Director Greg Kelly were under-reporting their compensation in the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The automaker also discovered "significant acts of misconduct ... such as personal use of company assets" by both executives.