1986 Nissan 300zx Coupe 2-door 3.0l 8k Miles Incredible on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Is 120 miles just about perfect for EV range?

When it comes to battery-electric vehicles, our friend Brad Berman over at Plug In Cars says 40 miles makes all the difference in the world. That's the approximate difference in single-charge range between the battery-electric version of the Toyota RAV4 and the Nissan Leaf. It's also the difference between the appearance or disappearance of range anxiety. The 50-percent battery increase has zapped any lingering range anxiety, Berman writes. The RAV4 EV possesses a 40-kilowatt-hour pack, compared to the 24-kWh pack in the Leaf. After factoring in differences in size, weight and other issues, that means the compact SUV gets about 120 miles on a single charge in realistic driving conditions, compared to about 80 miles in the Leaf. "The 50 percent increase in battery size from Leaf to RAV has zapped any lingering range anxiety," Berman writes. His observations further feed the notion that drivers need substantial backup juice in order to feel comfortable driving EVs. Late last year, the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), along with the Consumers Union estimated that about 42 percent of US households could drive plug-in vehicles with "little or no change" in their driving habits, and that almost 70 percent of US commuters drive fewer than 60 miles per weekday. That would imply that a substantial swath of the country should be comfortable using a car like the Leaf as their daily driver - with first-quarter Leaf sales jumping 46 percent from a year before, more Americans certainly are. Still, the implication here is that EV sales will continue to be on the margins until an automaker steps up battery capabilities to 120 or so miles while keeping the price in the $30,000 range. Think that's a reasonable goal to shoot for?

Nissan Sway displays the future of the compact hatch [w/videos]

Nissan is giving a glimpse at its future compact hatchback design with the Sway Concept at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show. The little, egg-shaped hatchback cribs styling elements from earlier show cars from the brand and mixes them together into an attractive five-door. Though, the company makes no mention of the model's powertrain. The Sway's most eye-arresting feature is its arching hood that leads to a deep, V-shaped grille similar to the Lannia Concept. The design element is flanked on both sides by boomerang-shaped LED headlights, and there's a splash of color from the orange accents under the air intakes. To draw the eye from front to rear, a crease flows over the fenders and then sweeps all the way back to the taillights. Nissan's floating roof motif also makes an appearance here, although it's not quite as obvious as on larger vehicles. As is common on show cars, the Sway has suicide doors with no B-pillar to let attendees in Switzerland have a good look inside. The interior appears to be an airy place to take a drive with a panoramic glass roof, and a windshield that rises up over the front occupants' heads. The driver gets a simple instrument cluster that's dominated by just two gauges, but there's a tablet at the center of the dashboard to provide extra info. According to Nissan, the whole point of the Sway's design is to take compact hatchback styling in a bolder direction. The first video below shows off even more angles, and the second has some of the brand's designers going in depth about the car's shape. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Nissan rethinks the compact hatchback: Introducing the Sway Concept Bold design theme showcases new design language Edgy exterior matched by elegantly simple interior Created to bring fresh, high-end thinking to compact hatchback segment GENEVA – Innovative design and product planning gave birth to the Qashqai and Juke, two of the biggest automotive success stories in recent years. Now the company has applied the same radical thinking to one of the most important sectors of the market: the compact hatchback. Unveiled at the Geneva Show, the Sway is a glimpse at how a future generation of compact Nissan models might look if the company's striking new design language was applied to a European hatchback.

Nissan Leaf sets another monthly sales record, Chevy Volt remains steady

Here we go again. Another month in the books and another month of record sales by the Nissan Leaf in the US. For October, the world's best-selling pure EV sold 2,589 units, which is 29.3 percent more than October 2013. That makes it 20 times in a row that Nissan can say that last month sales were better than the same month a year before. All told, Nissan has sold 24,411 Leafs in the US this year, a new record, reflecting an overall Leaf sales rate that is up 35 percent, year-to-date. Nissan isn't stopping, either. A new TV ad, one that, "encourages consumers to kick gas" by saving money on fuel will start airing today in major markets, according to Toby Perry, director of Nissan's EV marketing. You can watch it below. As for the Chevy Volt, things remained steady last month in the face of a new model that's coming in the second half of 2015. Chevy sold 1,439 Volts last month, which is about the same as September (1,394) but down 28.8 percent from the October 2013 despite GM having its best overall US October sales this year since 2007. So far, 2014 Volt year-to-date sales are down 14.9 percent through the end of October compared to 2013. And that wraps up the flash report on monthly sales for these two long-standing plug-in vehicles in the US market. As always, we'll have our in-depth write-up of US green car sales available soon. For now, we await your comments, below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.