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When public charging fails you and your EV

Think that owning and driving a plug-in vehicle in green-centric San Francisco is easy? You should probably think again. That's because a lot of other residents already have the same idea, and there aren't enough charging stations to keep up. A classic First World problem, for sure, but a problem nevertheless for at least one EV driver. A Wired reporter shares the experience test-driving a Nissan Leaf for a couple of days. The catch is that, like many of the city's residents, he's an apartment-dweller without a dedicated parking spot, meaning that he's at the mercy of publicly-accessible station availability. And that infrastructure, he writes, is "woefully inadequate" to handle the current crop of plug-in vehicle drivers in the San Francisco Bay Area The crux is that, while Nissan Leaf's navigation systems can direct a driver to the nearest stations, they neither say if the stations are occupied or if they're open to the public. The former issue is a major one because, unlike gas stations, a plug-in vehicle charging station can be occupied for hours instead of minutes. That means plug-in vehicle drivers without overnight charging access will likely constantly be on the hunt for unoccupied charging stations in the area until more stations are deployed. Read the details of Alex Davies' trying times here. Featured Gallery 2013 Nissan Leaf View 55 Photos News Source: WiredImage Credit: mayorgavinnewsom/Flickr Green Nissan Electric San Francisco

Infiniti brand will finally make its debut in Japan, but not the name

Nissan left the automotive media scratching its collective head when it announced that its Infiniti luxury brand would be renaming all of its vehicles, with cars wearing the Q designation and CUVs/SUVs wearing the QX badge. So the G Sedan became the Q50, and the G Coupe became the Q60. The QX56, meanwhile, became the QX80, and the FX crossover became the QX70. It is still thoroughly confusing nearly a year later.
Not content to confuse its US customers alone, Nissan will be fiddling with the name of one of its most revered Japanese-market models - the Skyline. Rebadged for the US as the Q50, and before that as the G Sedan/Coupe, the new Skyline will wear an Infiniti badge. What makes this truly confusing, though, is that the car won't be called the Infiniti Skyline, despite its badging. It won't even be called the Nissan Skyline, anymore. It's now just the Skyline. Apparently, Nissan thinks it can capitalize on the Skyline's link to the Japanese royal family (the Skyline was originally a product of Prince Motors, which provided vehicles for the Emperor and his family), by ditching any brand names and referring to it as its own model, according to Automotive News.
Now, confusion aside, there are things about Infiniti badging in Japan that make sense. Badging all the Nissans that eventually become Infinitis as Infinitis in the first place goes a long way to make the brand seem separate and distinct from its parent company. Speaking to AN, Infiniti's executive vice president of global product planning, Andy Palmer, puts it this way, "We have to treat Infiniti, if you will, in the same [way] that Volkswagen treats Audi. It's not a Nissan-plus. Infiniti has to stand head-to-head with any of those German competitors."

2016 Nissan Maxima offers 300 hp and 30 mpg for $32,410* [w/video]

After a surprise debut during the 2015 Super Bowl, Nissan has finally divulged the details on its latest Maxima sedan at the 2015 New York Auto Show. Starting at $32,410 (*not including a $825 destination charge), the Maxima retains the current car's powertrain, featuring a 3.5-liter V6 and a continuously variable transmission. Unlike its predecessor, though, the new fullsizer boasts 300 ponies, up from 290. While the power figures and displacement of the new V6 are similar to last year's model, Nissan claims over 60 percent of the parts in the new 3.5 are new. That means not only more power, but a 15-percent improvement in highway fuel economy, with the Maxima estimated to hit 30 miles per gallon. The CVT is also new, with Nissan claiming it's now "performance oriented." Beyond the oily bits, the cabin is home to an eight-inch touchscreen, while drivers will enjoy a seven-inch display in the instrument cluster. In terms of safety tech, Nissan installed the standard alphabet soup of acronyms, offering up Predictive Forward Collision Warning (PFCW), adaptive cruise control, Forward Emergency Braking (FEB), and blind-spot warning with cross-traffic alert. As we said, the Maxima will start at $32,410, and will be offered in four grades, with the Platinum trim remaining at the very top of the line. It's not clear, however, how those prices will break down, nor when the Maxima will arrive in dealers. 2016 Nissan Maxima "4-Door Sports Car" makes global debut at New York International Auto Show President and CEO Carlos Ghosn unveils Nissan's totally redesigned flagship Maxima "4 Door Sports Car" All-new Maxima features a 300-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 and new lighter, yet more rigid chassis, bringing sports car-like acceleration and handling to large sedan segment 2016 Maxima is set to arrive in U.S. Nissan showrooms with a starting M.S.R.P. of $32,410* NEW YORK – Nissan today unveiled the all-new Nissan Maxima during a press conference at the New York International Auto Show. Making the presentation was Nissan President and CEO Carlos Ghosn, who addressed a range of topics including Nissan's $10.1 billion investment in the U.S. in the past three decades. The dramatically styled 2016 Maxima, created by driving enthusiasts for driving enthusiasts, looks like nothing else on the road today – and drives like nothing in the segment.