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Ghosn: Nissan Leaf can sell 50,000 units in US a year

For the Nissan Leaf, last year was good. So far this year, not so much. In the future, possibly much better, with a little help from the public sector, Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn says. Speaking at the New York Auto Show earlier this month, Ghosn was bullish on potential US sales of the country's best-selling electric vehicle, saying they had the capacity to reach 50,000 units a year, according to Automotive News. The key, Ghosn said, is that federal and local governments will have to do a better job ensuring there is a sufficient network of plug-in vehicle charging stations. That would make the Leaf's 84-mile single-charge range far less of an issue than it appears to be now. It would also give Ghosn a better chance of a decent return on the $5 billion Nissan and sister company Renault have invested in electric-vehicle technology. Last year, Nissan boosted Leaf sales in the US by 34 percent to 30,200 units, and earlier this year surpassed the 75,000-unit threshold for Leaf sales since its late-2010 US debut. So far this year, though, things are slipping, as sales through the first quarter were down 21 percent compared to 2014 to 4,085 vehicles. That's an awful long way from 50,000, but Ghosh didn't say which year he expects Nissan to sell those 50,000 Leafs. Related Videos:

2014 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid priced from $35,110*

Nissan has announced pricing for the 2014 Pathfinder Hybrid, which was revealed earlier this year at the 2013 New York Auto Show. Offering two- or all-wheel drive, the hybridized crossover sports a 3.5-liter V6 and a 15-kilowatt electric motor, for a total of 250 system horsepower and 243 pound-feet of torque. Those numbers match up well with the 260 horsepower and 240 pound-feet of torque put out by the V6-powered Pathfinder. Naturally, fuel economy sees a hefty boost, to 25 miles per gallon in the city and 28 mpg on the highway, bumps of five and two mpg, respectively.
The Pathfinder Hybrid is available in three grades. Prices start at $35,100 for an SV and jump to $38,050 for the mid-level SL. A top-flight Platinum, meanwhile, moves the price up to $42,750. Adding all-wheel drive to the package bumps the price up to $1,600 across the range, and keep in mind that these prices don't include Nissan's $860 destination charge. Take a look below for the full press release from Nissan, including detailed pricing charts for both the Hybrid and V6 Pathfinder.

Full 2015 Chevy City Express details revealed

If you're thinking, "hey, that looks familiar..." you aren't alone. We've already seen photos of the 2015 Chevrolet City Express van. And before that, we've already learned everything there is to know about the Nissan NV200 upon which its quite obviously based. Now, though, the City Express is holding its official coming out party at the Chicago Auto Show, and we finally have the official details about what'll hopefully make this van attractive to work-minded buyers.
To no one's surprise, the City Express doesn't offer any mechanical differentiation from its Nissan equivalent. Power comes from a 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder engine rated at 131 horsepower and 139 pound-feet of torque, mated exclusively to a continuously variable transmission. Of course, the purpose of the City Express is less about what's under its hood and more about what it can haul in its capacious cargo area. Chevrolet says the front passenger seat can fold flat to create a work space or accommodate longer objects in the cargo bay, there's a center console designed specifically for maximum storage capability and both sides of the van have sliding doors. In addition, there are a plethora of integrated cargo mounts, floor-mounted D-rings and roof rack mounts throughout the vehicle.
Visually, Nissan's NV200 has never exactly been a handsome thing to begin with, and this City Express doesn't really tweak it for the better - to our eyes, it might even be less attractive. Even the design of the 15-inch wheel covers have been left alone, though the Chevy shown here appears to wear chrome-finished units.