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Before next-gen arrives, Nissan Leaf may get 120-mile battery

As Nissan prepares to unveil its next-generation Leaf electric vehicle, the Japanese automaker may come out with an "interim" version of sorts that could spur lagging sales of the model in the US. So says Automotive News, which reports from a person familiar with the process who wasn't identified that Nissan soon may start selling a Leaf with a 30-kilowatt-hour battery, up from the current 24 kWh version. It could arrive as soon as next month. Indeed, Nissan's temporary solution may be to provide range-hungry drivers with a single-charge range of 100 to 120 miles. Sure, that doesn't quite match up with the distance a gas-powered vehicle can go on a full tank, but it would be an notable upgrade from the current single-charge range of 84 miles for the Leaf. Word first got out about the Leaf possibly adding a 30-kWh battery in late May. Nissan's contending with falling Leaf sales in the US that may be caused by both the expiration of some plug-in vehicle credits as well as the prospect of a glut of used Leafs back on the market as three-year leases run out. Through the first half of the year, Nissan sold 9,816 Leaf vehicles in the US, a 23-percent drop from a year ago. Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn said in a June 23 shareholders meeting that the company can improve battery technology enough to put an electric vehicle's single-charge range on par with the distance a conventional car can go on a full tank of gas. Related Videos:

Police search Renault headquarters as part of Ghosn probe

PARIS — Police are searching Renault's corporate headquarters in Boulogne-Billancourt, which a judicial source said was related to an ongoing investigation into ex-Renault boss Carlos Ghosn and his use of Versailles for his 2016 wedding party. L'Express magazine reported earlier on Wednesday that the search was being carried out in relation to Ghosn, who faces charges of misconduct. Ghosn has denied any wrongdoing and has been released on bail. L'Express added that French authorities were probing a wedding reception party held at the Chateau de Versailles in 2016 to mark the wedding of Ghosn to his second wife Carole, and a judicial source confirmed those elements to Reuters. Renault itself confirmed that police were searching its premises, but declined to comment on the subject of the search. "Renault confirms that a search by police is currently underway at its headquarters in Boulogne-Billancourt and Renault is co-operating fully with authorities," said the company, adding that it would not make any further comment on the matter. Earlier this year, Renault said it had found evidence that it had paid part of Ghosn's wedding costs and added it would turn the investigation over to prosecutors. Ghosn's Versailles wedding party in October 2016 had already drawn public scrutiny for its opulence and Marie Antoinette-themed costumes. Government/Legal Mitsubishi Nissan Renault Carlos Ghosn

Nissan could offer plug-in hybrids by 2016

Nissan is recharging the idea of a production plug-in hybrid model. The Japanese automaker may start making a plug-in hybrid by as soon as late 2015, with deliveries to start in time for the 2016 model year, Green Car Reports says, citing an interview with company executive Andy Palmer. Those comments go against what Nissan said during the North American Auto Show in January. Palmer didn't specify what class of vehicle the plug-in hybrid would be, but he said battery-electric vehicles are best suited for cars 3,850 pounds or lighter, according to Green Car Reports. That would imply that the plug-in hybrid powertrain may be used for a mid-sized sedan or a crossover vehicle. Either way, a Nissan PHEV may pair the Nissan Leaf's 108-horsepower electric motor with a gas engine. Whether Palmer's projected timeframe was more of a ballpark estimate is anyone's guess, as the company hasn't made official plans for a 2016 model-year plug-in hybrid, Nissan spokesman Tim Gallagher wrote in an e-mail to AutoblogGreen. Either way, feel free to join us in the comments below. Nissan is coming off its best-ever sale month for the Leaf, which has moved about 115,000 units around the world. Domestic sales of the Leaf in May rose 46 percent from a year earlier to a monthly record 3,117 vehicles. Through the first five months of the year, Leaf sales increased 36 percent, to 10,389 units.