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NHTSA investigating Bosch Power Xpress 240V EV chargers for fire risk

*UPDATED with Bosch's comment. Let's stamp out the flames of suspicion right up front. A new National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) investigation, while involving a 2013 Nissan Leaf and some smoke, is not about another EV fire. Not directly, anyway. "Nissan has determined by pictures that the car was not to blame for the incident" – NHTSA complaint This time, the subject of the NHTSA's lens is the Bosch Power Xpress 240V charging unit. NHTSA wants to know if an overheating charging cord caused smoke (NHTSA says there was no actual fire) in a Leaf owner's garage last fall. NHTSA says it will investigate, "to evaluate the scope, frequency, and consequence of the alleged defect." Up to 50 of the charging units could be involved, and NHTSA decided to act based on a single customer complaint that was filed in August 2013. The investigation opened April 15, so it will likely be a while before we know any more concrete details. For now, you can read the official details of the investigation and the original complaint - which says, "Nissan has determined by pictures that the car was not to blame for the incident. They are blaming the charging station for the failure. They have denied any warranty coverage. The burden of the bill has been placed with the customer" – below. Nissan's senior manager of corporate communications, Brian Brockman, sent AutoblogGreen a statement that says Nissan will work with NHTSA and Bosch and points out that, "This inquiry is focused on the electric vehicle charger and is directed at the charger supplier, Bosch." Requests for comment from Bosch were not returned, but we will update this post when we hear back. Bosch spokesperson Cheryl Kilborn told AutoblogGreen that, "Bosch is reviewing the filing and will work cooperatively with NHTSA as we seek to identify the root cause." INVESTIGATION Subject : Bosch EV charging cord overheating Date Investigation Opened: APR 15, 2014 Date Investigation Closed: Open NHTSA Action Number: PE14011 Component(s): ELECTRICAL SYSTEM All Products Associated with this Investigation close Equipment Brand NamePart No.

200 Nissan Leafs recalled for faulty power inverters

Nissan is going full speed ahead with strong sales for its all-electric Leaf. Unfortunately, some of those Leafs had a glitch that could stop some of those Leafs from doing the same. Credit a faulty power inverter. US Department of Transportation says the faulty power inverters may cause some Leafs to shut down unexpectedly. Thankfully, the glitch affects just 196 Leafs, all of which were produced between April 15 and 24, 2014. Official DOT information on the recall is available here and it's also pasted below. Nissan started contacting Leaf owners in late May, instructing them to bring their vehicles to certified Leaf dealers for repairs, Nissan spokesman Brian Brockman told AutoblogGreen, adding that there'd been no cases of vehicle shut downs from the power inverter. Nissan confirmed the 196-vehicle figure and isn't charging the vehicle owners for the repairs. The company is also providing loaner vehicles at no cost. The recall marks a rare bit of bad news for Nissan's electrification efforts, as the Japanese automaker has been boosting sales of the Leaf all year. Through May, Leaf sales in the US were up 36 percent from a year earlier to 10,389 units, and May sales alone had surged 46 percent from a year earlier. In May, Chrysler recalled more than 4,141 Fiat 500e models from the 2013 and 2014 model years for a similar issue. Inverter modules on those vehicles may allow coolant to seep onto electrical components, which could cause a short circuit and power loss. The recall impacted cars built between September 2012 and April 2014. Report Receipt Date: MAY 16, 2014 NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V263000 Potential Number of Units Affected: 196 Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc. SUMMARY: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2014 Nissan LEAF vehicles manufactured April 15, 2014, through April 24, 2014. Due to a problem with the motor control circuit board, the inverter may fail, causing the vehicle shut down. CONSEQUENCE: An unexpected vehicle shut down increases the risk of a crash. REMEDY: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the inverter, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on July 7, 2014. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261. NOTES: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

New allegations against Ghosn concern payments to Saudi businessman

BEIJING – Fresh misconduct allegations brought by Tokyo prosecutors against ousted Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn center on the use of company funds to pay a Saudi businessman who is believed to have helped him out of financial difficulties, two company sources with knowledge of the matter said. Prosecutors arrested Ghosn for a third time on Friday, accusing him of aggravated breach of trust in transferring personal investment losses to the automaker. The prosecutors' statement said they believe that around October 2008, Ghosn was trying to deal with losses on paper of 1.85 billion yen ($16.6 million) incurred on a swap contract he had with a bank which it did not name. A person helped arrange a letter of credit for Ghosn and a company run by the person later received $14.7 million in Nissan funds in four installments between 2009 and 2012, the statement said, adding that the payments were made in Ghosn's and the person's interests. "By doing so, (Ghosn) behaved in a way that breached trust, and inflicted damage on the property of Nissan," the statement said. The statement also said Ghosn had earlier sought to have Nissan shoulder the appraisal losses directly. According to the Nissan sources who have knowledge of the company's probe into its former chief, the person who helped Ghosn is Khaled Al-Juffali, vice chairman of one of Saudi Arabia's largest conglomerates, E. A. Juffali and Brothers, and a member of the board at the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority. He is also majority owner of a company called Al-Dahana which owns half of a regional joint venture called Nissan Gulf with the other half held by a wholly owned unit of Nissan Motor. Sheikh Khaled Juffali has no comment on this subject, according to an emailed statement from E. A. Juffali and Brothers. Ghosn's Tokyo-based lawyer, Motonari Otsuru, was unavailable for comment on this article, according to a person who answered the phone at his law office. A representative for the Ghosn family declined to comment. Other media have said Ghosn has through a lawyer denied that he shifted losses to Nissan and has told investigators that the four payments were for legitimate business purposes, including a reward for handling problems at Nissan dealers in Saudi Arabia. Tokyo prosecutors declined to comment. Asked about Ghosn's reported comments, a Nissan spokesman said: "We cannot comment on matters related to Ghosn's arrest for breach of trust.