1999 Nissan Frontier Xe Extended Cab Pickup 2-door 3.3l on 2040-cars

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Nissan says Leaf battery packs are nearly bulletproof

Like the old 1970s Schoolhouse Rock song (and an early-90s remake from hip-hop artists De La Soul), three, indeed, is the magic number. That's how many Nissan Leaf batteries have conked out in Europe during the past four-plus years. Out of about 35,000. I'd hate to be a member of that unlucky trio. The Japanese automaker says it has shut up the naysayers who once crowed that electric motors may be less reliable than gas- or diesel-powered engines. Nissan has done so by maintaining a 99.99 percent "battery success rate" in Europe. With only an on-board charger, inverter and motor, the Leaf's electric motor costs 40 percent less to maintain that gas- or diesel-powered engines. Nissan does seem to be getting more converts across the Pond. Nissan boosted European sales of the Leaf by about 33 percent last year to more than 15,000 units. Meanwhile, here in the States, sales jumped 34 percent last year to more than 30,000 vehicles, though early 2015 sales appear to be down as lower gas prices are leading American car shoppers to larger, more gas-swilling vehicles. Still, Nissan recently said it surpassed sales of 75,000 units in the US and we expect the March sales numbers to show that the Leaf has become the top-selling plug-in vehicle in US history. Take a look at Nissan Europe's press release below. Related Videos: Nissan LEAF battery reliably outperforms cynics, critics and alternatives Five years on, Nissan reports 99.99% battery success rate across Europe More reliable than a petrol or diesel engine, according to industry averages Nissan LEAF is the world's best-selling all-electric car, with over 165,000 sold globally Rolle, Switzerland, 23 March 2015: Five years and more than 35,000 European sales since the launch of its all-electric LEAF, proprietary data released by Nissan for the first time shows that 99.99 percent of its battery units remain entirely fit for purpose. The failure rate of the battery power unit is less than 0.01 percent - or just three units in total - a fraction of the equivalent industry-wide? figure for defects affecting traditional combustion engines. To prove the long-term reliability of the battery technology, Nissan tracked down a rather infamous early model, whose owner is still enjoying fault-free motoring in her LEAF three years on: http://youtu.be/6V1bJJwJhEg Electric vehicle advocate and presenter of online TV channel Fully Charged, Robert Llewellyn commented: "This comes as no surprise.

Chevy City Express headed for dealers

With competition coming from the Ford Transit Connect, it's high time Chevrolet got in on the compact hauling action and took the fight to its cross-town rival... and it's doing so with a little help from Nissan. The Chevy City Express, a badge-engineered Nissan NV200, is now arriving at dealers, giving Bowtie fans a counter to Dearborn's compact van.
"Our existing customers will love getting behind the wheel of the City Express when it's at their Chevrolet dealership," Ed Peper, GM's vice president of fleet and commercial vehicles said in a statement. "But we're most looking forward to giving potential new customers the opportunity to experience one of many Chevrolet commercial vehicles that best fit their needs."
Prices for the 2015 City Express start at $22,950. Scroll down for the official announcement from Chevrolet.

Trucks, SUVs — and Camry — shine in mixed U.S. January vehicle sales

DETROIT — Automakers posted mixed U.S. new vehicle sales data for January, with American consumers continuing to abandon passenger cars for the larger pickup trucks, SUVs and crossover models that manufacturers also love because they are far more profitable. Total industry auto sales for the month rose 1 percent versus January 2016. According to Autodata Corp, which tracks industry sales, the seasonally adjusted annualized rate (SAAR) of U.S. car and light truck sales in January fell to 17.12 million units from 17.44 million a year earlier. Analysts polled by Reuters had expected a January SAAR of 17.2 million units. U.S. auto industry sales fell 2 percent in 2017 to 17.23 million vehicles after hitting a record high in 2016 and are expected to drop further in 2018 despite a solid economy. Interest rates are rising and around 4 million late-model used cars will return to dealer lots this year to compete with more expensive new ones. Automakers have used consumer discounts to boost sales, a growing concern for observers who say this undermines resale values and profits. Discounts declined in January, but remained above 10 percent of manufacturers' recommended prices. ""I think the industry has accepted that (sales) volumes will fall somewhat in 2018 ... and I don't think the industry is going to go over the cliff with insane incentives," Mike Jackson, chief executive officer of AutoNation Inc, told Reuters after his company, the largest U.S. auto retail chain, posted a higher quarterly net profit. Mark Wakefield, head of the North American automotive practice for consultancy AlixPartners, had a gloomier perspective. The industry's less-than-stellar sales performance for January showed "we are now past the peak," he said. "Automakers are now selling the deal instead of the vehicle," he said. "That's a tough spot to be in because that treadmill is hard to get off once you're on it." General Motors January sales rose 1.3 percent, driven by a 16 percent rise in fleet sales. Sales to consumers fell 2.4 percent. GM posted strong gains for models such as the Silverado pickup truck and Equinox crossover model, while its passenger cars continued to struggle. Ford The Blue Oval posted a 6.6 percent sales decline for January, with retail sales down 4.3 percent. Sales of Ford's F-Series pickup trucks - America's best-selling vehicle brand for decades — rose 1.6 percent. Passenger cars were down more than 23 percent.