2014 Nissan Altima 2.5 S on 2040-cars

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PickupTrucks.com's latest test results in a familiar winner [w/video]

PickupTrucks.com has gone and thrown the latest batch of half-ton pickups into a cage match to see who would come out on top. The site put the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500, 2013 Ford F-150, Ram 1500, Toyota Tundra and Nissan Titan through a battery of tests. Those included 0-60 miles per hour acceleration, 60-0 mph deceleration, fuel economy, a hill climb, and payload and towing. They even threw the rigs on an autocross course to evaluate overall handling. Each truck was given points based on how it scored in each evaluation.
Who came out on top? Somewhat surprisingly, the 2013 Ford F-150 walked away with the gold, though fewer than 50 points separated first and fourth place. Head over to PickupTrucks.com to read the full evaluation and the final results. You may be shocked to see exactly where some of the segment's newest additions placed. You can also watch a video on the test below.

Carlos Ghosn's new lawyer, 'the Razor,' starts slashing

TOKYO — Carlos Ghosn's new lawyer took aim at Nissan, prosecutors and courts on Wednesday, dismissing the charges against the ousted chairman as an internal company matter and saying Japan was out of step with international norms by keeping his client in jail. "This should have been dealt with as an internal matter," Junichiro Hironaka, nicknamed the Razor, said at his first press briefing. Ghosn, who was arrested in November over alleged financial misconduct and remains in detention in a Tokyo jail, picked a new team last week with long-time defense attorney Hironaka as a key member to replace Motonari Otsuru, a lawyer who once ran the prosecutor's office investigating him. Hironaka's combative style contrasts with the low-key approach adopted by media-shy Otsuru. Ghosn's switch to an aggressive legal strategy came after his attempts to win bail failed and just before lawyers were due to sit down with prosecutors and judges for the first time to hash out a schedule for pre-trial discovery meetings, where prosecutors will reveal evidence and submit a list of witnesses. Hironaka said he didn't know why Ghosn picked him, but added that Ghosn probably wanted an experienced criminal lawyer as the case moved toward trial. The 73-year-old defense attorney is reputed for winning high profile cases, including the acquittal of a senior lawmaker, Ichiro Ozawa, on financial misconduct charges. He also helped free a senior bureaucrat Atsuko Muraki who was jailed for four months on corruption charges fabricated by prosecutors. Yet, even with greater legal firepower the former Nissan Motor Co boss faces a criminal justice system where only three out of every 100 defendants pleading not guilty are acquitted. Neither does Japan have a plea-deal mechanism that would allow Ghosn to agree to lesser charges for a lighter sentence. "The change in lawyers means a change in style, but the legal strategy will still be the same. I don't think it increases Ghosn's chance of an acquittal," said Masashi Akita, a defense lawyer at Shin-Yu Law Office in Osaka, ahead of Wednesday's comments by Hironaka. Ghosn has lost his perch atop an automotive alliance trio of French carmaker Renault SA and Japanese automakers Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors Corp. Attempts to win bail, including an offer to wear a GPS ankle bracelet and hire security guards to stop him trying to tamper with evidence, failed.

Recharge Wrap-up: Zero to debut 2015 lineup, Nissan extends New Mobility carsharing in Japan

Nissan is extending its carsharing service in Yokohama, Japan for another year. The service, called "Choimobi Yokohama," will use data gathered during its first year to make improvements going forward, including new payment options. The one-way service provides users zero-emission driving with Nissan's New Mobility Concept EVs. Nissan will scale back the number of vehicles from 70 to 50 for the second year. As of September 15, membership was at 10,651 users. Read more in the press release, below. In other Nissan news, the company has a new ad showcasing the benefit of the Leaf's available torque. The video depicts one of the fun parts of driving an EV, which is having 100 percent of the torque available from zero rpm, and shows a Leaf driver pulls away quickly from a stoplight in an impromptu drag race. The ad finishes by reminding Leaf drivers to "use your torque wisely." Watch it below. Analysts predict a booming EV charging infrastructure in South Korea. Government subsidies will encourage this rapid expansion, as the Ministry of Environment South Korea has a plan to fully fund level 2 chargers, plus the installation fee for DC chargers. The availability and shorter charging time of these stations are likely to help convince people to adopt EVs, as well. Analysts at Frost & Sullivan predict 90,000 charging stations around the country by 2020, as you can see in the press release below. Zero Motorcycles is set to debut its 2015 line of electric motorcycles. They will first be unveiled at Intermot in Cologne, Germany beginning September 30. The new all-electric models will then see their US launch at AIMExpo in Orlando, Florida beginning October 16. Zero Motorcycles VP of Global Marketing Scot Harden says, "We are confident that the new line will exceed expectations and look forward to seeing how the motorcycle world responds." Read more in the press release, below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Nissan Extends its Groundbreaking 'Choimobi Yokohama' Car Sharing Service for Another Year YOKOHAMA, Japan (September 19, 2014) - Nissan Motor Co., Ltd and the City of Yokohama revealed today that they will extend the one-year trial run of the first large-scale One-way Car Sharing Service in Japan, called "Choimobi Yokohama," for another year. The service, which kicked off on October 11, 2013, features Nissan's New Mobility Concept electric vehicles.