Autoblog

Submit your questions for Autoblog Podcast #187

Sam Abuelsamid — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 17:00:00 EST

It's Monday afternoon and you know what that means. It's time to submit your questions for this week's podcast. We've got a list of topics to discuss below, starting with a supercar question to get our resident curmudgeon warmed up. Got a question for our intrepid team of podcasters? Now's the time to ask away. Don't forget to vote on which questions deserve our attention the most, though we'll try to get to as many as we can. Discussion topics for Autoblog Podcast #187, which we'll record tonight, can be found below. Finally, subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes if you haven't already to hear your question answered.

Discussion Topics for Autoblog Podcast Episode #187

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Submit your questions for Autoblog Podcast #187 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Blind group displeased that Nissan Leaf sound can be turned off

Autoblog Staff — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 12:05:00 EST

Nissan Leaf EV - Click above for high-res image gallery

The Nissan Leaf is the first of the new batch of electric vehicles to reveal its pedestrian-alert sound. While advocates for the blind are pleased with the introduction of the audible warning, the National Federation for the Blind is not happy that the Nissan Leaf will allow drivers to disable this feature.

The main point of creating artificial sounds is to help pedestrians who rely on hearing to know whether a car is approaching. If drivers can turn the system off, the effort is rendered pointless. Nissan says it added the switch to balance the needs of drivers and pedestrians while also claiming the sound is not really audible inside the car. As with the disable switches for stability control systems, the noise is only turned off for the current drive cycle. Each time the car is shut off, the noise is re-enabled. We see the value in turning off such audible signatures in limited circumstances (teens creeping up their parents' driveways after curfew, whirring in late to a drive-in movie, etc.).That said, we also understand the NFB's concerns.

The introduction of electric vehicles to mainstream consumers is in its infancy, with new legal standards still evolving. To that end, the National Federation for the Blind plans to continue pursuing legislation that mandates permanent sound systems in all hybrid and electric vehicles.

Gallery: 2010 Nissan LEAF

[Source: The New York Times]

Report: Blind group displeased that Nissan Leaf sound can be turned off originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 20 Jun 2010 12:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan Leaf will break the EV silence with a digital whistle [w/video]

Autoblog Staff — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Technology, Videos, Hatchback, Nissan, Electric

Nissan Leaf EV sound - Click above for video after the jump

As we get closer to seeing significant numbers of electric vehicles come to market, various standards are starting to emerge that cover things like how these vehicles are to be charged and how to measure range and equivalent mileage. One feature that remains up in the air is the sound signature of electric vehicles. For years, EV advocates have touted the silent operation of battery-powered vehicles as a bonus.

However, advocates for the blind and safety regulators are pushing for electric vehicles to produce some audible alert that indicates their presence. According to Just-Auto, beginning next week, Nissan will be bringing in 500 people including media, government officials and customers who have signed up to buy the Leaf to drive the car at its Oppama, Japan test track.

Among other things, they will be evaluating the "approaching vehicle sound" that will be used for the Leaf and Fuga (Infiniti M37) hybrid. Nissan is testing a system that produces external sounds that sweep across a range of frequencies to insure that almost anyone can hear it. The sound will also vary depending on whether the car is accelerating or decelerating. Follow the jump to hear a sample of what the Leaf will sound like, which to our ears is something like a robot whistling dixie. Top tip, Tohe!

Gallery: 2010 Nissan Leaf EV

[Source: Just-Auto]

Continue reading Nissan Leaf will break the EV silence with a digital whistle [w/video]

Nissan Leaf will break the EV silence with a digital whistle [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 14 Jun 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple demos Nissan Leaf ad on iPhone 4 with exclusive contest

Autoblog Staff — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 17:19:00 EST

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Hatchback, Nissan, Electric

Nissan Leaf iAd on 4th generation iPhone - Click above for high-res image gallery

One or two of you may have noticed that Apple CEO Steve Jobs "officially" revealed the new fourth-generation iPhone today at the Apple World Wide Developers Conference. What you may not know is that the Nissan Leaf played a small part in his demonstration of Apple's new iAd mobile advertising platform. Nissan will apparently be using the iAd system to promote its upcoming electric car with some cool interactive features.

The ad begins with a small banner that shows up at the bottom of the iPhone screen. iPhone users can tap the banner to expand the ad to full screen where they will find the Leaf on a pedestal. A swipe across the screen will spin the pedestal to reveal different features of the car. One of the pages allows users to register for the Leaf reservation list and even enter an iAd-exclusive contest to win a Leaf.

Users will be able to check out the ad on iPhones, iPod touches and iPads after it goes live on July 1.

Gallery: Apple iAd for Nissan Leaf

[Source: Engadget]

Apple demos Nissan Leaf ad on iPhone 4 with exclusive contest originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 07 Jun 2010 17:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan Leaf crushing Chevy Volt on Google, Facebook and more

Autoblog Staff — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 11:03:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Hybrid, Sedan, Marketing/Advertising, Hatchback, Chevrolet, Nissan, Electric

If Google Trends is an accurate indicator of eventual success, the Nissan Leaf will be a smash hit. At the very least, it looks to be more popular than the Chevy Volt. The latest trends show that interest in the Leaf, as calculated by search volume and news articles, is nearly double that of the Volt. We don't have to use Google as the only indicator that interest in the Leaf is high, just take a look at the Leaf's Facebook page, which lists more than 54,000 fans (something Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn is particularly proud of), while the Volt has only managed to rack up 24,000. If you still doubt that the Leaf is leading the online popularity contest, then look no further than the official interest lists for each vehicle. As GM-Volt.com reports, the Leaf's is 130,000 strong, whereas the Volt only has 42,000.

Now, there's no real way to translate these numbers into eventual, actual sales, nor can we predict success based on statistics alone. For that, we'll have to wait until these the new EVs go on sale later this year and the real-world results allow us to crown a champion. Still, current indicators suggest that the Leaf is hot, hot, hot.

[Source: Google trends, GM-Volt, Facebook]

Nissan Leaf crushing Chevy Volt on Google, Facebook and more originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 05 Jun 2010 11:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Carlos Ghosn: 2011 Nissan Leaf sold out

Sam Abuelsamid — Tue, 25 May 2010 17:28:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Hatchback, Nissan, Electric

If you aren't already on the list to purchase a 2011 Nissan Leaf, you're officially out of luck. During a speech to the Detroit Economic Club today, Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn announced that the U.S. market allotment for the first year's production of Leafs is already sold out more than six months before the EV even goes on sale. Nissan has now received 13,000 orders for the $32,780 electric car - quite impressive for a vehicle almost no one's driven.

So far, the orders are comprised of refundable $99 deposits, so it will be interesting to see how sales and orders hold up once people begin getting calls from dealers. Prior to going on sale in 2008, the Smart ForTwo also received thousands of orders before deliveries began - and we all know how well that turned out. While the Leaf will undoubtedly be a much more pleasant and practical car to drive than the Smart, it remains to be seen how customers will react once they get used to the real world electric range.

Ghosn remains extremely bullish on electric vehicles and will be adding production capacity in both the United States and Europe over the next three years.

Gallery: 2010 Nissan Leaf EV

[Source: Detroit Free Press]

Carlos Ghosn: 2011 Nissan Leaf sold out originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 25 May 2010 17:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Hertz to rent Nissan Leaf starting in 2011

Sam Abuelsamid — Fri, 14 May 2010 10:58:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Hatchback, Nissan, Electric

Nissan Leaf EV - Click above to for high-res image gallery

For those of you who aren't quite sure if an electric vehicle is something you can live with, you'll have an easier way to find out early in 2011. According to The New York Times, Hertz - the same company that bid for rival Dollar Thrifty last month - will begin renting the Nissan Leaf in the United States and Europe shortly after customer deliveries begin late this year. At this point, it is unlikely the Leaf rental will available everywhere. Instead, the same regions where the car is first offered for sale will probably be in the lead for rentals. That means places like California and Hawaii will get the first batch of cars.

While tourists may be interested in renting the Leaf, they might want to check with their lodgings first to ensure there will be somewhere to plug it in. Not being able to charge the car at your hotel could put a real damper on your Hawaiian vacation.

Gallery: 2010 Nissan LEAF

[Source: The New York Times]

Report: Hertz to rent Nissan Leaf starting in 2011 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 14 May 2010 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan: 6,635 customers have signed up to reserve a Nissan Leaf

Sebastian Blanco — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 18:01:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Hatchback, Nissan, Electric

Nissan Leaf EV - Click above for high-res image gallery

How many people plunked down $99 to register for a Nissan Leaf? According to an email from Nissan, "As of this morning, 6,635 customers signed up to reserve a Nissan Leaf." The reservation line has only been open about 70 hours (Nissan began taking reservations late Tuesday), so that's a pretty solid rate of ~100 an hour.

Katherine Zachary, who handles PR for Nissan North America, told Autoblog that during the first three hours, 2,700 people registered for the Leaf, and that it's been a steady flow ever since. However, if you were one of the people with an itchy trigger finger Tuesday, don't count on getting your Leaf first. Nissan is looking at where the most demand to help determine where to roll out the vehicles. So far, Zachary said, 75 percent of the people registering for a Leaf are from the areas Nissan has targeted as early markets - places like Tennessee, Oregon, San Diego, Seattle and the Phoenix/Tucson region in Arizona. "Through the work we have been going and what those markets have been doing, people are ready," Zachary said. Most of the reservations are from California, but a "fair amount" are from Georgia, due in part to the extra state incentives for plug-in vehicles there.

So far, the upper SL trim is beating the SV base trim level three to one. This makes sense to us, since the extra $940 does get you quite a few nice features. As for there being any cancellations yet, Zachary said she hasn't heard of any at this point. Someone will be the first, but apparently no one wants to do so quite yet. Nissan will continue to issue periodic statements on the number of reservations as time goes by. We'll be ready.

Gallery: 2011 Nissan Leaf

[Source: Nissan]

Nissan: 6,635 customers have signed up to reserve a Nissan Leaf originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 23 Apr 2010 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Officially Official: Nissan sending out Leaf registration emails, will take money Tuesday

Sebastian Blanco — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 15:56:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Hatchback, Nissan, Electric

We found an email in our inbox today that should make a lot of long-term plug-in vehicle fans happy. For the first time in about forever, a major OEM is taking orders on an all-electric passenger vehicle. Yes, Nissan is about ready to take your money in exchange for a purchase or a lease on the new Leaf, starting Tuesday. That's when Nissan will open the doors to accepting refundable $99 reservations from people who signed up on NissanUSA.com. Once these hand-raisers are taken care of, anyone interested can send in the reservation money. Actual pre-orders for the Leaf begin in August.

We did notice something interesting. In our email, the image announcing the reservation fee was divvied up into two parts, with our specific reservation time listed separately:

Did anyone get a different time? Maybe Nissan is staggering the reservations a bit? In any case, weʻre getting close to a time when all of the prognostications weʻve heard about this car (it'll flop! it won't!) will be firmly locked in the past. Either people will want to drive the Leaf or they won't. The time for proof is (almost) here. Official press release after the jump.

Gallery: 2010 Nissan Leaf EV

[Source: Nissan]

Continue reading Officially Official: Nissan sending out Leaf registration emails, will take money Tuesday

Officially Official: Nissan sending out Leaf registration emails, will take money Tuesday originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Apr 2010 15:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Nissan Leaf priced at U.S. $38,500+ in Japan

Sebastian Blanco — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Japan, Nissan, Electric

Nissan Leaf - Click above for high-res image gallery

Interest in, and "pre-orders" for, the Nissan Leaf remains high, but a report from the Japanese newspaper the Mainichi Shimbun might put a damper on things. Apparently, the price for the all-electric car in Japan will be somewhere between 3.5 million and 4 million yen, which is about $38,667 to $44,191 U.S. at today's exchange rates. Granted, even if these prices are accurate, they certainly don't automatically equal the MSRP for the U.S. market, but they are higher than what we've been expecting - i.e., under $30,000 after the $7,500 federal tax credit. We went and looked at the prices for a couple of other cars in Japan, to see how the Leaf's 3.5 million compares. The Toyota Prius runs between 2.0 and 3.27 million yen ($22k-36k USD). The Honda Insight? From 1.89 to 2.2 million ($21k-24.4k USD).

We suspect that Nissan's going to have to do better than this to beat the Chevrolet Volt. Yes, yes, we know the powertrains are quite different, but a lot of people are going to learn about these cars at the same time (late this year), and we believe that the pure electric will need to be quite a bit cheaper than the plug-in hybrid to hold its own.

Of course, all of these numbers should be taken with several grains of salt. We reached out to Nissan, and they reminded us that "the article out of Japan is speculative, and we have no comment. As you know, we have yet to disclose Nissan Leaf pricing in the U.S. or in any global market." Thanks to Scott W. for the tip!

Gallery: Quick Spin: Nissan Leaf Test Mule

[Source: The Wall Street Journal]

Report: Nissan Leaf priced at U.S. $38,500+ in Japan originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 17 Mar 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: Nissan may offer optional higher-capacity batteries at premium

Sam Abuelsamid — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:31:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Technology, Hatchback, Nissan, Electric, Electric

2010 Nissan Leaf EV - Click above for high-res image gallery

It looks like Tesla probably won't be alone in offering different-sized battery packs in its future electric vehicles. At a U.S. launch event for the Leaf electric car on Friday, Nissan product planner Mark Perry told Paul Eisenstein of the Detroit Bureau that the Japanese automaker is investigating a similar idea.

Lithium ion batteries are likely to remain expensive for the foreseeable future, so in a bid to make EVs more affordable, they could be offered with different battery capacities. Tesla is planning to offer three sizes for the Model S with ranges from 160 to 300 miles. The Leaf doesn't have room for a pack larger than the initial 100-mile range, but future models may be designed to accommodate larger packs while the base versions could come with a smaller unit.

Gallery: 2010 Nissan LEAF

[Source: The Detroit Bureau]

REPORT: Nissan may offer optional higher-capacity batteries at premium originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: Nissan's Ghosn rules out hybrid-only models like Toyota Prius, Honda Insight

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:31:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Nissan, Electric

Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn with Leaf EV - Click above for high-res image gallery

Quick, think of a hybrid automobile. Got it? Are you thinking of the Toyota Prius? Pretty much everyone instantly recognizes the well-known profile of the Prius, and it's by far the most popular fuel miser on the market. A good bit of Toyota's success with the Prius has been attributed to its unique look - some owners want everyone to know that they care about their environmental footprint, and the Prius currently accomplishes that better than any of its competitors.

Honda followed a similar path with the second-generation Insight hatchback, which some believe follows the form of the Prius a little too closely. According to Nissan head Carlos Ghosn, though, there's no chance that Japan's number three automaker will join that club. Speaking to Automotive News at the Tokyo Motor Show, Ghosn said:

We are not intending to play a leadership role in hybrids. One company already assumed leadership in the technology. We want leadership on EVs.

Obviously, the company that leads in hybrids is Toyota, and Nissan's intention is to score a similar position in the world of pure electric automobiles. The opening salvo on that front will be the upcoming Nissan Leaf, which is slated to hit the market about a year from now, and the company has ambitious plans for its following act. We'll know if Ghosn's plan is successful or not about five years from now. Stay tuned.

Gallery: 2010 Nissan Leaf EV

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req'd]

REPORT: Nissan's Ghosn rules out hybrid-only models like Toyota Prius, Honda Insight originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bill Ford, AdAge chide GM over 230 MPG Chevrolet Volt MPG projection

Sebastian Blanco — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 15:58:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Chevrolet, Ford, GM

The Chevrolet Volt's 230 mpg number continues to be questioned. The latest to criticize is Bill Ford, who takes issue not only with the General Motors-approved 230 figure, but also Nissan's claim that its Leaf EV will get 367 mpg. The real culprit here, Ford said, is the EPA's methodology, which he argues is meaningless. "This question devolves into madness," Ford reportedly told Green Car Advisor:

"The government will have to come up with a meaningful number for customers - a user-friendly label. And I think they will. I can't dispute that number, but I'm not sure it's relevant to the customer either."

Ford also said that since his company doesn't "have any particular expertise in batteries," they'll probably buy the batteries from established manufacturers for their own electrified cars.

Speaking of relevance, Advertising Age, the publication that was first to guess that the whole 230 teaser campaign was a GM plot, has determined that the stunt was a bad idea. The big problems it sees with the campaign are that it often gave people the wrong idea (that 230 would be the U.S.'s new a standard voltage for outlets) and didn't give people enough breadcrumbs to follow to the Volt. It created more questions than answers, until the big reveal last week. In any case, the whole thing was targeted at a younger, hipper audience, but are these the people who have $40,000+ to buy a Volt?

Gallery: 2011 Chevy Volt

[Sources: Green Car Advisor, Advertising Age]

Bill Ford, AdAge chide GM over 230 MPG Chevrolet Volt MPG projection originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Aug 2009 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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