Renault-Nissan
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Of the 90 million or so new vehicles sold globally last year, plug-in electric cars made up only a tiny proportion, roughly 1 percent. But the auto industry works on long product cycles and buyers tend to be conservative, only changing the types of cars they buy if life circumstances change or there's a compelling financial reason to do so. Nonetheless, it's now abundantly clear that the 2020s will see vastly more cars with plugs on the world's roads than we have today. CHECK OUT: 2018 Nissan Leaf vs Chevrolet Bolt EV: new electric cars compared With that as context, Nissan and its allied...
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300,000th Nissan Leaf electric car delivered as new version kicks off
Nissan, the first automaker in the world to launch a mass-priced electric car, has a reason to celebrate this week. The automaker said on Monday it delivered the 300,000th example of its electric hatchback, the Nissan Leaf—though it did not detail whether it was one of the new...
Mark Stevenson -
Renault Samsung SM3 ZE electric sedan: battery upgrade gives 130-mile range in Korean tests
Frequently, cars withdrawn from one market live on in another, sometimes for years. Those vehicles may even be upgraded with newer technology in the older body. Consider that the first-generation Volkswagen Golf launched in 1974, for example, lived on in South Africa until 2009 as the VW CitiGolf...
John Voelcker -
Nissan, Mitsubishi, Renault all to 'target' electric cars in 2020, CEO Ghosn says
Carlos Ghosn has been an advocate of electric cars for years, but after initial disappointment, he's ready to take on the segment with even greater focus. The CEO of the Renault Nissan Alliance that now includes Mitsubishi predicted the rise of electric cars nearly a decade ago, and oversaw the...
Sean Szymkowski -
Who will sell the first affordable AWD electric SUV? Poll results
Of our eight Green Car Reports Best Car To Buy award winners since 2011, five have been compact five-door hatchbacks. It's a good, sensible format, by far the most popular segment in Europe and stronger even in Canada than in the U.S. Sadly, U.S. car buyers are not only ignoring small hatchbacks...
John Voelcker -
Nissan, Mitsubishi, Renault to launch 12 new electric cars by 2022
Some car companies release their business plans and goals publicly, others don't. This morning, the Renault Nissan Alliance (now including Mitsubishi as well) released a new six-year plan laying out its business goal through 2022. Among the most significant: The group said it will launch 12...
John Voelcker -
With the global introduction of the second-generation Nissan Leaf electric car due next week, one open question concerns the source of its battery cells. To date, Automotive Electric Supply Corporation—a joint venture between Nissan and Japanese electronics giant NEC—has supplied lithium-ion cells for every Nissan Leaf built, a total now approaching 300,000 over more than six years. Now, a Chinese private investment fund has agreed to purchase Nissan's stake in AESC, a deal first reported in late May by Bloomberg. Nissan will also buy NEC's shares of the joint venture and include...
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Nissan Leaf electric car platform to spawn more models, SUV included: report
The 2018 Nissan Leaf apparently won't be the brand's lone electric car for much longer, if a new report with details on plans to expand the electric car's underpinnings to additional models proves accurate. Following the introduction of the second-generation 2018 Nissan Leaf, the electric car's...
Sean Szymkowski -
Renault Zoe still dominates Europe electric-car sales; longer range boosts sales
Ask a North American driver to name companies that make electric cars, and you'll probably hear Tesla, maybe Nissan, and perhaps Chevy or BMW or Toyota. Chinese drivers may be more likely to say BYD (and perhaps Tesla), but Europeans will likely name Renault. (And Tesla.) The Renault Zoe, now in...
John Voelcker -
Renault Kangoo ZE small electric van now on sale with longer range
French automaker Renault has given its small light commercial electric vehicle a handful of upgrades, including a significantly longer battery range. The Renault Kangoo ZE is now officially on sale with a longer rated range, a more powerful charging system, and a heat pump to keep the little van...
Sean Szymkowski -
Renault plans huge energy storage plant using old Zoe electric-car battery packs
With more plug-in electric vehicles on the road today than ever, automakers are working to solve an impending issue: what to do with used lithium-ion batteries. Once the batteries are no longer suitable to power vehicles, automakers must recycle or repurpose them. Now, through a partnership with...
Sean Szymkowski -
Nissan's plans: reignite electric-car sales, boost lagging Mitsubishi
The Nissan Leaf has been a fading light in the electric car market, but after a few years in the dark, it will soon get a chance to shine once more. Despite a battery capacity increase in 2016 and a quarter of a million in sales since its 2010 launch, the Leaf has been in dire need of a proper trip...
Green Car Reports -
The Renault-Nissan Alliance's plans for future electric cars are beginning to come into focus. The two automakers have dominated global battery-electric car sales with the Nissan Leaf and Renault Zoe, as well as lower-volume models like the Nissan e-NV200 and Renault Kangoo ZE electric vans. But many of the automakers' electric models are due for redesigns, and the two carmakers are also expected to emphasize lower costs in a bid to compete in developing markets like China and India. DON'T MISS: Nissan Leaf leases can extend until all-new 2018 electric car late this year: updated With that in...
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Nissan e-NV200 beats Renault Kangoo ZE in electric van sales in Europe
The Renault-Nissan Alliance continues to lead all other automakers globally in sales of battery-electric cars. The Nissan Leaf is the best-selling electric car in history, while the Renault Zoe now leads the European market for cars with plugs. But Renault-Nissan's electric-vehicle dominance isn't...
Stephen Edelstein -
With Mitsubishi, Renault-Nissan is world's largest maker of all-electric cars
The controlling interest in carmaker Mitsubishi it acquired last year has helped the Renault-Nissan Alliance to solidify its position as the global leader in sales of battery-electric cars. The Nissan Leaf is the best-selling all-electric car in history, while the Renault Zoe has achieved...
Stephen Edelstein -
Renault adds new Master ZE larger electric delivery van
French carmaker Renault sells no passenger cars in North America, and hasn't for almost 30 years now. But in Europe, its all-electric Zoe subcompact hatchback has been the best-selling plug-in electric car for months on end. The Zoe is one of three "ZE" (zero emission) vehicles sold by Renault, and...
John Voelcker -
Mitsubishi electric cars to use Nissan-Renault platforms: report
Mitsubishi, Renault, and Nissan may soon share a common electric-car platform.
Stephen Edelstein -
Nissan and Renault to share common electric-car platform in future
The Renault-Nissan Alliance's best-selling electric cars could share a common platform in the future.
Stephen Edelstein -
One of several new electric cars and concepts at last week's Paris Motor Show was the electric version of the second-generation Smart minicar. As Smart pointed out, it's the only maker that offers the option of gasoline or electric powertrains in every model it makes. Those are the ForTwo two-seat coupe, the ForTwo cabriolet with its roll-back cloth roof, and the Europe-only ForFour four-seat hatchback. DON'T MISS: 2018 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive details released before Paris Motor Show The new Smart was a joint development between Daimler, which owns Smart as well as its flagship...
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Nissan electric subcompact below Leaf in future electric-car lineup?
The 2011 Nissan Leaf was the first mass-priced modern electric car when it launched in December 2010. Nissan has since sold close to a quarter of a million Leafs, and together with its alliance partner Renault it has now sold more than 350,000 all-electric vehicles. But the Leaf is still with us...
John Voelcker -
Nissan and Renault together now up to 340,000 electric cars built
Nissan and Renault reach another electric-car milestone.
Stephen Edelstein -
Very cheap, low-range electric cars key for China, India: Nissan CEO Ghosn
Carlos Ghosn, who runs automakers Nissan and Renault, is one of the few auto executives who'll regularly take questions from a roomful of more than 100 journalists. At last week's New York Auto Show, many of the questions concerned plans by the Renault Nissan Alliance for more and higher-volume...
John Voelcker -
Renault Zoe Leads 2015 European Sales Of All-Electric Cars
While sales of electric cars and plug-in hybrids fell slightly last year in the U.S., the sales data for Europe was more encouraging. Almost 100,000 battery-electric cars were sold in the European Union last year: 97,687 units, to be precise. (Data for plug-in hybrids isn't immediately available.)...
John Voelcker -
Renault-Nissan CEO Ghosn Welcomes Bolt EV, More Electric-Car Competitors
Nissan embraces more electric-car competition.
Stephen Edelstein