We've met the Nissan Leaf before. First at its coming-out party in Japan, followed by an all-too-brief stint behind the wheel of a Versa-based prototype late last year. Now we've had a chance to sample Nissan's first foray into the world of electric vehicles in production form and the automaker picked one of its most important markets – the heart of Silicon Valley – to give us some seat time. If there's any area ripe for early-EV adoption, it's San Jose, CA. And during a quick test loop through the tight confines of Santana Row and a run through the city's suburban ... Read More

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A word on Nissan Leaf sales, orders and reservation numbers [w/poll] 1327951800

What's up with the sales, orders and reservations of the Nissan Leaf? The Japanese automaker loudly trumpeted the 20,000 reservations it originally collected back in September, 2010 and Nissan's Mark Perry recently told AutoblogGreen that, since then, that number has climbed to around 26,000. Where do things stand today? That's not exactly simple to ...
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Tokyo: Nismo Leaf Nismo Concept is a look at the future of performance EVs, but don't expect it too soon 1322683080

Sitting inside Nissan's Smart House perched above the automaker's booth here at the Tokyo Motor Show was a fitting setting to talk about Nissan's plans for future electric vehicles. The mock building was being powered by a Leaf, with the EV parked below and connected through the Leaf-to-Home system. Within a few minutes of starting my interview with ...
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Confirmed: Nissan sells 20,000 Leafs worldwide, 10,000 in U.S. by end of the year 1322580540

It was just a few months ago that Nissan announced it had sold over 10,000 all-electric Leaf electric cars around the world. Speaking before the start of the Tokyo Motor Show today, company officials confirmed to Autoblog that the automaker has sold over 20,000 Leafs since the electric car went on sale in December of 2010. Of that total, over 60 percent ...
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Consumer Reports lauds Chrysler 300 improvement, Hyundai Genesis still tops 1317320940

"The best Chrysler sedan we've seen in decades," says Consumer Reports, in reference to the 2011 Chrysler 300. At the risk of damning a very fine car with faint praise, that may not be all that much of an accomplishment. And we'd have to add that the last all-new Chrysler 300, which hit the market in model-year 2005, was also the best Chrysler sedan the ...
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Nissan's response to Top Gear? Here, have two charge points 1312497060

When Top Gear said that, "In the real world, [the Tesla Roadster] doesn't seem to work," the electric automaker responded with a lawsuit. Nissan is taking a different tack, putting a clever twist on the one-sided, anti-EV message that the British television show keeps broadcasting about the faults of plug-in vehicles. In the town of Lincoln, where ...

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Nissan Leaf still holding sales edge over Chevy Volt 1312376460

In the battle for plug-in vehicle sales supremacy, the electric-only Nissan Leaf has emerged victorious for the month of July, beating out the Chevrolet Volt for the fourth consecutive month (April, May, June and July). Nissan says Leaf sales dropped to 931 units in the U.S. in July, a significant decrease compared to the 1,708 electric hatchbacks the ...
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Report: Top Gear airs controversial Nissan Leaf segment, responds to critics 1312319700

We're not into spoiling the on-screen antics that make Top Gear one of the greatest automotive shows ever, but we're not gonna let slide the fact that the BBC aired last Sunday the much-anticipated Top Gear episode in which Jeremy Clarkson and James May embark on a journey in the Nissan Leaf and Peugeot iOn. Yes, the Top Gear duo ragged on the Leaf and ...
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Video: Stephen Colbert mocks Nissan's call for unique wave for Leaf drivers 1311872280

Because "saying hello to a Leaf owner isn't just an act of kindness, it's a sign of camaraderie," Nissan is asking, "How do you say hello?" That's how a recent post on the official Facebook page for the Nissan Leaf is asking drivers to submit a photo of suggested hand signals so that Nissan can determine which Leaf gesture "waves supreme." Submissions ...
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Official: 2012 Nissan Leaf gets higher price tag, more standard equipment 1311103920

For 2012, the Nissan Leaf mid-size electric will receive some minor upgrades and a healthy bump in price. Moving into its second model year, Nissan's groundbreaking hatchback will not receive any significant modifications to its exterior or powertrain. However, the decision to make standard the cold weather package – consisting of a battery heater, ...
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Report: Nissan Leaf production to start in Smyrna by late 2012 1310419860

Bill Krueger, head of Nissan's manufacturing and supply chain management, tells Automotive News that the March 11 quake in Japan disrupted construction of the automaker's Nissan Leaf production complex in Smyrna, TN, but says there's no need to worry because his team is working 'round the clock to stick to the automaker's open-by-late-2012 ...