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Nissan ex-Chairman Carlos Ghosn wins release from jail

TOKYO — The Tokyo District Court approved the release of former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn on bail of 1 billion yen ($8.9 million) on Tuesday, although the end of his four months of detention in Japan was delayed when prosecutors appealed that decision. Prosecutors filed their objection to Ghosn's release within hours of the announcement he was going to be granted bail. But their appeal was rejected by the court, paving the way for his release. A lawyer for Ghosn said he would not be able to leave the Tokyo Detention Center until Wednesday at the earliest, because bail procedures can't be done at night. The acceptance of Ghosn's request for bail, his third, came a day after the lawyer, Junichiro Hironaka, said he was confident the auto executive would gain his release. Hironaka, who recently joined Ghosn's defense team, is famous for winning acquittals in Japan, a nation where the conviction rate is 99 percent. Hironaka said Monday that he had offered new ways to monitor Ghosn after his release, such as camera surveillance. Hironaka also questioned the grounds for Ghosn's arrest, calling the case "very peculiar," and suggesting it could have been dealt with as an internal company matter. He welcomed the decision, telling reporters: "It was good we proposed concrete ways showing how he would not tamper with evidence or try to flee." The 1 billion yen bail set by the court was relatively high but not the highest ever in Japan. Among the conditions for Ghosn's release were restrictions on where he can live, a ban on foreign travel and other promises not to tamper with evidence or try to flee, the court said. The former head of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Motors alliance has been detained since he was arrested on Nov. 19. He says he is innocent of charges of falsifying financial information and of breach of trust. In Japan, suspects are routinely detained for months, often until their trials start. That's especially true of those who insist on their innocence. Prosecutors say suspects may tamper with evidence and shouldn't be released. Two previous requests submitted by his legal team were denied. His previous defense lawyer, Motonari Ohtsuru, had said Ghosn's release might not come for months. Hironaka is among many critics of the Japanese justice system who say such lengthy detentions of suspects are unfair.

Nissan Leaf electric vehicle goes on sale in Mexico

Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn may not be intimately familiar with the Dean Martin 1962 classic South of the Border, but he may as well start crooning the standard now. The Japanese automaker said this week that the Nissan Leaf will officially be the first mass-produced battery-electric vehicle to be sold in Mexico. So break out the horn section. Nissan will start selling the Leaf through its Mexico City dealership network and is touting features such as the car's fast-charging port. That feature allows the car to be 80-percent charged in about a half hour. Nissan and the Mexican government are also working on an "electric corridor" of charging stations between Mexico City and Cuernavaca, which is about 55 miles to the south. There will also be "charging zones" in various districts throughout Mexico City, making it easier for the newly inaugurated EV drivers to charge up in town. Nissan has been working on Leaf brand exposure to Mexico City for years, sending the first batch of 100 all-electric Leaf taxis to Mexico starting in the fall of 2011. Last month, Nissan had its best ever month of sales in the US, moving 3,117 Leafs in May and the company has sold over 115,000 Leafs around the world. Check out Nissan's press release below. Nissan becomes the first company to sell a 100% electric vehicle in Mexico Nissan LEAF arrives in Mexico and becomes the first 100 percent electric vehicle to be comprehensively marketed in the country. The car of the future is already part of the present with more than 115,000 global sales. Nissan, the leader company in electric vehicles, strengthens its commitment to promote Zero-Emission mobility by opening charge centers distributed in Mexico. MEXICO CITY – Nissan today announced the launch of LEAF, the first 100 percent electric vehicle to be marketed in Mexico. The presale starts today and will continue until its arrival on June 30. Nissan LEAF is the first zero-emissions vehicle marketed in Mexico, confirming the leadership and the promise of the Japanese company to transform traditional driving into a new silent experience. "Nissan LEAF is a reality in the Mexican market," said Airton Cousseau, CEO of Nissan Mexicana. "We are proud to be the pioneer company to introduce the first zero-emissions vehicle leader in sales worldwide in Mexico.

Kaz and Shiro talk Gran Turismo 7 details, Titan Nismo and more in AMA

One of the greatest innovations to come about thanks to the gigantic popularity of Reddit is the Ask Me Anything (AMA) question and answer format. The AMA becomes especially worthwhile, of course, when the person(s) answering the questions have detailed information or insight on products we love.
So, in the case of the recent AMA session with Gran Turismo creator and mastermind Kazunori Yamauchi (above), and his buddy and Nissan chief designer Shiro Nakamura (right), it was basically must-read stuff.
The pair really lived up to our expectations, too, with Kaz offering a lot of useful information about the future of the Gran Turismo franchise (especially the upcoming GT7 for Playstation 4), and Shiro promising to bring some interesting new ideas back to his colleagues at Nissan.