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Nissan Leaf EVs slip through French village to make a quiet point

Bjork's 1995 freak-out hit It's Oh So Quiet may have reflected the singer's oddball Icelandic sensibilities, but Nissan is making the concept of relative silence a French thing. The Japanese automaker recently promoted its all-electric Leaf by staging a mini-rally through what it called "one of the quietest villages in Europe." And with the exception of a couple damaged trash bins and a destroyed rear-view mirror from an old-school archway, the race kept the drivers wide awake but everyone in the Southern French village in Provence Alpes Cote d'Azur sleeping. Nissan sent four vehicles on a five-kilometer jaunt through the village in the wee morning hours. Screeching tires and a couple booms notwithstanding, the company said everyone in town stayed snoozing. There was a broader purpose to this exercise, of course, which Nissan blatantly admits was a stunt. Nissan was helping celebrate 19th Annual International Noise Awareness Day (INAD), which took place on Wednesday and highlighted the emotional and health issues as well as high blood pressure and insomnia caused by excessive exposure to noise. Check out Nissan's press release below, where you'll also find the video. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. NISSAN LEAF CELEBRATES INTERNATIONAL NOISE AWARENESS DAY WITH A NIGHTTIME "SILENT RIDE" ROLLE, Switzerland – To mark the 19th annual International Noise Awareness Day (INAD), Nissan has taken to the streets of one of Europe's quietest villages during the middle of the night with a silent "ride" of its 100 percent electric Nissan LEAF. The activity, complete with a start and finish line in Provence Alpes Cote d'Azur, was designed to demonstrate the noise reduction levels of the Zero Emissions car compared to traditional combustion engines. The World Health Organization (WHO) states at least 13.5 percent of Europeans are exposed to road traffic noise at levels exceeding 55 dB, which is considered detrimental to human health*. The medical effects of noise levels include insomnia (50dB), obesity (50dB), psychic disorders (60dB) and reduction in life expectancy (50dB)*. As a result, Nissan has filmed a 'silent ride' to help support INAD in raising awareness about noise pollution levels across Europe.

Ford and Lincoln design honcho leaves to head Nissan North America design

Last Friday, David Woodhouse suddenly resigned from his dual positions as Ford's director of global strategic design and director of Lincoln design. In a post not long after leaving, he praised the efforts of his former team over the past six years he headed design at Lincoln. Among other products, that crew gave us the redesigned Navigator, the Continental concept and production sedan, and the Aviator concept and production crossover. Car Design News reports Woodhouse traded Michigan for California, taking the role of VP at Nissan Design America in San Diego. He officially assumes the position July 1, and will also serve on the Japanese automaker's Global Nissan Design Management Committee. Woodhouse has spent more than 25 years in the design department, starting with BMW and work on the Mini and Range Rover brands, followed by a brief stint with Cadillac of Europe. For the past 20 years he's been with Ford, coming on board with the Ford's former luxury arm known as the Premier Automotive Group — Jaguar, Land Rover, Aston Martin, Volvo and Lincoln. He became Lincoln's design director in 2013, introducing the world to the design language labeled "quiet flight." He described the language's details as "anti-wedge body gestures, S-curves wherever possible, and an emphasis on horizontal lines at every opportunity to create leaner, longer, wider emphasis on the exteriors, and create equilibrium, balance, and calmness on the interiors." A much shorter way to describe it is: revitalized Lincolns. The U.S. luxury maker's new and overhauled products have been praised for their lines by critics and by paying customers. The brand's done so well it's hard to remember when the MKC concept was a revelation, and that goes on Woodhouse's resume, too. That's some special juju to take to Nissan, where Woodhouse will lead both Nissan and Infiniti design focused on the North American region. Nissan has a solid if uninspiring lineup that sells well here, while Infiniti, as the luxury brand, is the bigger issue. Infiniti sedans glide on the contrails of a design language more than 10 years old. The money-making crossovers and SUVs haven't made a splash in about the same time, since the long-ago FX45. Nissan's plan to update 70 percent of its lineup over the next few years and Infiniti's transition to an all-electric brand makes right now the perfect time to break into riveting designs for the street. Woodhouse replaces Taro Ueda, who moves into a global role with Nissan.

Nissan Juke-R [w/video]

The Other Brother
The handler strapped into the carbon fiber race bucket next to me is the only other person outside of yours truly who looks like he thinks this is a bad idea. I've just finished situating myself in the cabin of the very first Nissan Juke-R ever constructed. There are literally thousands of man hours in this single prototype and only four examples of the car total in the entire world. Each one carries a price tag of around $656,400 at current conversion rates, making this both the rarest and most expensive piece of machinery anyone has ever let me get close enough to sniff, let alone drive.
And that's exactly what I mean to do.