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Nissan presents NV200 is the brave new face of London taxis [w/video]

In most cities, just about any vehicle can serve as a taxi - so long as it meets the owner/operator's requirements for reliability, comfort and utility. But certain cities have their own unique taxis, and Nissan has been working hard to corner those markets. It has already designed specific taxis for such locations as New York, Barcelona and Tokyo, but its latest effort will bring a new Hackney Carriage to the streets of London.
A year and a half ago, Nissan displayed its NV200 on the streets of London in traditional black livery. But this new design takes the customization for the British capital one step further. Working closely with the mayor's office and with cab drivers across the city, Nissan's European design center in the Paddington district has reskinned the NV200 specifically to serve as the new black cab in London. The new face features round headlights, a new grille, LED lighting and a restyled front bumper. The steering has also been reconfigured to meet the 25-foot turning circle requirements for Hackney Carriages, as the black cabs are known on the streets of London.
The result is a distinctly British take on the NV200 taxi - one that we're guessing won't go without its fair share of controversy. Nissan will begin offering the black cab at the end of the year with a 1.6-liter gasoline engine mated to an automatic transmission, a powertrain said to be cleaner than the diesels used in existing taxis. And Nissan should know, having supplied many of those 2.7-liter turbodiesels in the '80s and '90s. But if that's not clean enough, the Japanese automaker will also begin selling an electric version, the e-NV200, starting next year. Watch the video clip and read the full details in the press release below.

Nissan rolls out updated Juke-R 2.0 at Goodwood

If you thought the original Nissan Juke-R was badass, just check out this latest version. Called the Juke-R 2.0, it's making its debut as promised this weekend at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, packing a series of upgrades to make it even more potent than the original version. And not the least of those is a new, 600-horsepower engine. For those who don't recall, Nissan first launched the Juke-R four years ago – the year after the production Juke first hit the market. The idea was to cross-breed the little crossover with a GT-R and create what was billed as the world's first crossover supercar. Version 2.0 takes the idea even further. In place of the 545-horsepower twin-turbo V6 from the GT-R available at the time it was built, the Juke-R 2.0 packs the upgraded 600-horsepower engine from the GT-R Nismo. It also incorporates the enhancements applied to the facelifted Juke revealed last year, including its revised lighting and bodywork. Only the Juke-R 2.0 also features entirely new bumpers front and rear, wheel arches, side sills, and more, all crafted from carbon fiber and coated in matte black. Nissan isn't saying exactly what she'll do. Considering, however, that the existing version could sprint from a standstill to 60 in three seconds flat, the added power could only make it even quicker. Le Mans driver Jann Mardenborough will be driving up the hill at Goodwood, and we doubt it'll take him much time at all to reach the top. THE NISSAN JUKE-R GETS AN EXCITING UPGRADE - INTRODUCING THE JUKE-R 2.0 - Nissan upgrades its legendary original Juke-R Crossover supercar - The Juke-R 2.0 concept makes its global dynamic debut at Goodwood Festival of Speed (26-28 June in the UK) - Drawing on impressive performance from the GT-R, the Juke-R 2.0 will reach 600bhp - LM P1 driver and GT Academy winner Jann Mardenborough to showcase the Juke-R 2.0 up the famous Goodwood hill - Launched this Summer to kick start the fifth anniversary of the Nissan Juke The birth of the Nissan Juke-R set a benchmark in 2011 as the world's first Crossover supercar, marrying Nissan's innovative Juke with the engine and running gear from the legendary Nissan GT-R - the brand's flagship sportscar. Now four years on, Juke-R has been given an exciting upgrade to reflect the latest model of the Juke coupled with even more power and bolder styling - welcome the Juke-R 2.0.

Nissan installs 1,000th CHAdeMO fast charger in Europe

While the European Union hasn't been very supportive of CHAdeMO stations, the fast chargers are seeing significant growth in the European electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure, with Nissan installing number 1,000 at the Roadchef Clacket Lane Services in Surrey, UK recently. In the past year, the number of CHAdeMO fast chargers nearly doubled in Europe, starting from about 600 stations in early 2013, and that's helping make EVs more useful. Nissan says that installation of a CHAdeMO station along Norway's E18 highway increased EV use eightfold there in the 18-month period after that station was installed. The new CHAdeMO station in the UK is available to use for free and, like other CHAdeMO stations, can charge a Nissan Leaf or other compatible EV up to an 80-percent charge in just under 30 minutes. Japanese automakers like Nissan and Mitsubishi are dedicated to the CHAdeMO but German and US automakers continue to support a competing technology in Europe and abroad, the SAE Combo DC fast charger. Tesla Motors has covered all the bases as it rolls out its $1,000 CHAdeMO adapter for its Supercharger stations. Nissan worked with Ecotricity, a UK green energy firm considered to be a pioneer in EV charging, for the Surrey installation. Nissan says that installing it on the M25 highway south of London helps EV drivers gain easy access to Kent and onward into Europe on one of the busiest roads in Europe. That will help drivers of the Leaf and the upcoming Nissan e-NV200 electric van to quickly extend their journeys, said Jean Pierre Diernaz, Nissan's director of electric vehicles, in the press release available below. 1,000th CHAdeMO standard quick charger installed in the UK UK has 18% of Europe's electric vehicle quick chargers Charger provides free, zero carbon electricity from Ecotricity Chargers recharge electric cars from 0-80% in 30 minutes Nissan has announced 1,000 CHAdeMO quick chargers have now been installed in Europe with the commissioning of the charger at the Roadchef Clacket Lane Services in Surrey, UK. The fast charging unit can recharge the batteries of compatible* electric vehicles - including the 100% electric Nissan LEAF - from zero to 80 percent charge in just 30 minutes, and at zero cost. The installation of the fastest type of chargers dramatically increases the uptake and usage of electric vehicles.