Nissan co-founds electric car consortium
Posted on November 17, 2009 at 7:44 am
A baker’s dozen of big names have come together to launch the Electrification Coalition, a vehicle that will bundle their power to shape government energy policy. Nissan is in the mix, as is FedEx.
But the group also digs deeper into the EV ecosystem, arguing that in order to support a rapid scale-up in production of advanced batteries, the feds should provide tax credits for installation of automotive-grade batteries in stationary applications. To help convince consumers that plug-in vehicles will perform as well or better, at lower cost, than conventional vehicles, the coalition urges regulators to review vehicle warranties and establish a minimum residual value for large-format automotive batteries (potentially smoothing the way for battery leasing and recycling).
SEE ALSO: Electric Avenue: Or, How to Rev Up the Electric-Car Revolution from the Journal.
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Big utility joins Nissan’s electric car push
Posted on November 13, 2009 at 2:52 pm
In Los Angeles for the U.S. unveiling of his LEAF electric car, Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn announced his company has enlisted Houston-based electric utility Reliant Energy to help flesh out the infrastruture that will be needed to charge electric vehicles.
MTSU economist: Nissan electric job projections optimistic
Posted on November 12, 2009 at 1:32 pmDavid Penn at MTSU’s Business & Economic Research Center says the study prepared to help Rutherford County officials justify $62 million in tax breaks for Nissan was a tad too upbeat.
“The analysis done on the multiplier assumes that other jobs that Nissan has stays the same,” said Penn, who is also an economics associate professor for MTSU. “These models they use assume that all sources are fully employed to begin with, but we clearly know that’s not the case right now. So that brings down the multiplier a lot.”
For its part, the accused at Younger Associates say they’ve got the government backing them up.
“The analysis is based on the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis multipliers. They are specific to Rutherford County and they are specific to the automotive industry. They are reflective of the past performance of automotive operations in Rutherford County.”
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Big wheels driving Nissan sales
Posted on November 4, 2009 at 9:20 am
Nissan North America’s truck sales rose more than 17 percent last month, helping the Franklin-based auto maker post an overall volume increase of almost 8 percent. Shipments of Infiniti-brand vehicles, however, fell almost 10 percent.
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Nissan’s electric project getting tax breaks
Posted on October 29, 2009 at 10:56 am
The Rutherford County Industrial Development Board will cut the auto maker $62 million worth of slack over 20 years in return for the more than 1,700 jobs expected to be created at its electric car and battery operations.
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Ghosn: Electric cars need regulatory help
Posted on at 8:12 am
Speaking at UPenn’s Wharton School of Business, Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn said that — between public perception and emerging-market growth — the auto industry has no choice but to dive headlong into the production of cars that don’t need fossil fuels. That said, he does say car makers need a good bit of government help to build a mass market.
The equipment isn’t cheap: A quick-charge device, Ghosn said, costs $30,000 — an investment that might make sense once there is a critical mass of electric-car drivers already on the road, but something that could seem expensive for service station owners in a market where electric cars remain rare. He called for governments to step in and spur the market via regulation. One idea: Make quick-charge facilities mandatory for anyone operating a gas station starting in 2012.
A star over Cool Springs
Posted on October 15, 2009 at 1:20 pmFrom a presser:
The Nissan Americas building’s innovative energy-saving features has earned it the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s prestigious 2009 ENERGY STAR®. The award signifies the building’s energy performance rates in the top 25 percent of facilities nationwide. Nissan Americas, which opened in July 2008, serves as the regional headquarters for North, Central, South and Latin America.
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Nissan recalls Smyrna cars over potential part issue
Posted on September 22, 2009 at 2:59 pm
Possible cracks in some strut insulators made in China have pushed Nissan to recall a number of 2010 Maximas made in Smyrna. The manufacturer also is recalling some new-model-year Altimas made in Mississippi.
That new Infiniti engine already has a lot of miles on it
Posted on September 17, 2009 at 2:33 pm
Lindsay Chappell at Automotive News checks in with word that Nissan will for the first time export U.S.-made engines to Japan for cars that will make their way back stateside. The V-8s being made in Decherd will go into Infiniti models that are apparently in higher-than-expected demand.
Chrysler, Nissan break up pact
Posted on August 27, 2009 at 7:28 am
Six months after saying so in code, Nissan and Chrysler have ended their vehicle-development partnership wherein Nissan supplied small cars and Chrysler built full-size trucks.
Nissan spokesman Fred Standish said Fiat wasn’t involved in any of the discussions. Standish stressed that the company was committed to stay in the North American truck market.
“We are looking at a variety of options,” he said.
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Nissan puts fuel cells on the floor
Posted on August 25, 2009 at 10:26 am
The auto manufacturer is replacing the batteries in its Smyrna factory-floor tugs with methanol fuel cells, a move it says will save it hundreds of thousands of dollars per year.
Oorja’s OorjaPac fuel cell sits on the fork lift and funnels electrons to the battery pack, charging it as the day progresses. Filling up the fuel cell at the beginning of a shift, ideally, provides enough power for the day. The charging infrastructure – otherwise known as a pump – costs less than a tenth of what a battery bay will run, claims Oorja.
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Nissan finds another way to go green
Posted on August 20, 2009 at 6:44 amAlso known as: Quit plowing money into blades. The auto maker has over the past year or so cut its energy use by a third, mainly by slashing the number of servers it uses by a factor of more than five.
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Report: Nissan to unveil e-cars in a week
Posted on July 24, 2009 at 11:01 am
A Japanese automotive magazine says Nissan will roll out three electric car designs next week, including the crossover that will be built in Smyrna.
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A few details on Nissan’s electric car
Posted on June 26, 2009 at 12:56 am
We may see the electric car that Nissan workers in Smyrna will build as soon as early August, says one industry pub. For now, the vehicle (that’s a prototype at left) looks like it will be a midsized, five-door hatchback.
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Saturns made in Smyrna?
Posted on May 5, 2009 at 11:38 pm
A day after auto dealer and racing team owner Roger Penske said he’s interested in acquiring the Saturn brand, Bloomberg News reports that Nissan officials are interested in teaming with Penske in an interesting arrangement that might borrow from the latter’s approach to distributing the Smart in the U.S. – and unite the two auto brands most closely tied to Middle Tennessee.
Chief Executive Officer Carlos Ghosn may want to put Nissan’s North American factories to work producing vehicles under the Saturn nameplate after Nissan and Infiniti sales in the U.S. fell by a third.
…
Unlike most other vehicle-distribution networks, Smart takes customer orders and deposits via a Web site, allowing dealers to keep fewer cars in inventory. Penske executives refer to such a vehicle distribution method, sidestepping the traditional U.S. franchises in which only dealers can take retail orders, as “plug and play.”
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