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Infiniti puts EV plans on hold again

Think of it as the green-automotive industry's version of Groundhog Day. Nissan's Infiniti division is putting plans for its first mass-production electric vehicle on hold. Again. The Infiniti LE, whose concept version was unveiled 2012's New York Auto Show, is again being put up on the proverbial blocks, USA Today says, citing a presentation by Infiniti executive Michael Bartsch at a recent company event in Detroit. Essentially, the Nissan division has bigger fish to fry, in the form of boosting overall Infiniti sales, and doesn't yet want to put the effort into introducing the Infiniti LE. The Infiniti EV plans were first postponed by then-Infiniti President Johan de Nysschen during the summer of 2013, as de Nysschen wasn't quite buying into Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn's ambitious electric vehicle sales projections. De Nysschen resigned last summer to join General Motors' Cadillac division. One issue may be the fact that the Infiniti wouldn't be all that different from the Nissan Leaf. Despite the fact that US sales of that EV surged 34 percent last year compared to 2013, to 30,200 vehicles, an Infiniti version was apparently not enough of a selling point within the company. While the Infiniti is sportier looking than the Leaf and would boast inductive, wireless charging, it would have a similar power output and single-charge range as the Leaf.

Nissan IDX production model to get sharper, less retro styling

The Nissan IDx seems like the type of concept that auto enthusiasts wish they could be driving. With a compact size, style inspired by the classic Datsun 510 and a rear-wheel-drive powertrain, it certainly ticks many of the boxes that people want. Unfortunately, the car seems to be miles away from actually getting a green light for production, but rumors about the retro coupe's future keep cropping up.
The last we heard about the IDx, the biggest complication with the coupe was that it was a tough project to make profitable. Nissan didn't have a cheap enough rear-wheel drive platform to make the affordable coupe work. The latest rumors point to a potential solution to this problem. According to Motoring from Australia speaking to an insider close to Nissan, the new plan is to tweak the styling to be less retro and adapt the car to work on the platform for the forthcoming, next-generation Z car.
The new look reportedly cribs from the Nissan Sport Sedan Concept from the 2014 Detroit Motor Show, including its floating roof design and sharper edges around the fenders. In terms of power, the source tells Motoring, the IDx could use a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with around 180 horsepower on tap. That might not sound like too much, but remember the Z car itself is rumored to get smaller and lighter when it's new generation hits the stage. If the weight is low enough, potentially using it for the IDx might just work.

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.