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Nissan battery breakthrough to double Leaf EV range within a few years

The Tesla Model S might be the headline-grabber of the electric vehicle world, but the Nissan Leaf is the segment's secret star. With over 130,000 sold worldwide since its introduction and record US sales in 2014, the little hatchback has helped its parents at the Renault-Nissan Alliance to sell over 200,000 EVs since 2010. With that much success in the EV business, there's no reason for the automaker to stop now, and according to CEO Carlos Ghosn a huge technological breakthrough is on the way to make plug-ins an attractive choice for more drivers than ever before. In an interview on Japanese TV, Ghosn confirmed that Nissan has a new battery that could allow for over 400 kilometers (249 miles) of range. New batteries could "very soon take the issue of range off of the table." – Jeff Kuhlman Ghosn was tight-lipped on the details of the tech, but Daily Kanban dug deeper. An unnamed Nissan engineer confirmed that the roughly 250-mile range would be for a Leaf-sized vehicle – a massive leap over the hatchback's current EPA-rated max of 84 miles or 124 miles in Europe. The battery reportedly offers twice the capacity, while bringing weight and costs down compared to the present version. "Commercial applications could be no more than one model cycle away," said the anonymous worker, making the innovation sound even more tantalizing. Lending even more credence to this major battery innovation, Nissan spokesperson Jeff Kuhlman told Daily Kanban: "We continue our R&D efforts because we believe that we can do more with battery electric, and very soon take the issue of range off of the table." Renault-Nissan is betting a huge portion of its chips on the future of battery electric vehicles. The company even tried stuffing a 48-kilowatt hour pack into a Leaf for an event in Spain last year. While not its primary focus, the automaker is hedging its bets slightly by working with Daimler and Ford on fuel cell innovations, as well.

Nissan's Carlos Ghosn reportedly arrested, to be fired for financial misconduct

TOKYO — Nissan Motor Co said it was ousting Chairman Carlos Ghosn for alleged financial misconduct and Japanese media reported he been arrested, a shocking fate for a leader hailed for rescuing the company from close to bankruptcy. The Japanese automaker said Ghosn's alleged misconduct included personal use of company money and under-reporting how much he had been paid. Ghosn is also chairman and chief executive of Nissan's French partner Renault and one of the best-known figures in the global car industry, and his departure would raise question about the future of the alliance. Nissan said it launched an months-long investigation after a whistleblower tipped it off to wrongdoing by Ghosn and Representative Director Greg Kelly. "The investigation showed that over many years both Ghosn and Kelly have been reporting compensation amounts in the Tokyo Stock Exchange securities report that were less than the actual amount, in order to reduce the disclosed amount of Carlos Ghosn's compensation," Nissan said in a statement. It said CEO Hiroto Saikawa would propose that the Nissan board remove Ghosn and Kelly. Neither Ghosn nor Kelly could be reached for comment. Renault shares tumbled 11 percent in Paris to be among the worst performing stocks in Europe. Nissan's German-listed securities plunged 10 percent. French President Emmanuel Macron said the government, the French carmaker's top shareholder, will be vigilant about Renault and its alliance with Nissan. Cost cutter Known as "Le Cost Killer," Ghosn is credited for reviving the Japanese automaker and has remained popular despite the massive job cuts that he brought and recent controversy over his lucrative pay package. Japanese media reported that Ghosn had reported around 10 billion yen worth of compensation as around 5 billion yen. Ousting Ghosn, 64, is bound to raise questions about an alliance that he personally shaped and had pledged to consolidate with a deeper tie-up, before eventually stepping back from its operational leadership. "The initial share price reaction shows how pivotal he is," Citi analyst Raghav Gupta-Chaudhary said on Monday. The current alliance structure has long undervalued Nissan shares held indirectly by Renault investors, he added. "Ghosn is viewed as critical for value unlock." Renault owns 43.4 percent of Nissan, while Nissan owns 15 percent of Renault, with no voting rights in a partnership that began in 1999.

Ghosn's lawyers say he's 'happy' after days of French questioning

BEIRUT — Ex-Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn has answered hundreds of questions by French investigators over the past week in Beirut and was “happy and satisfied” to have had the opportunity to explain himself over accusations of financial misconduct, his lawyers said Friday. The 4 1/2 days of questioning marked the first opportunity for Ghosn, a French national, to defend himself against the French allegations — including spending on lavish parties and private planes — since his 2018 bombshell arrest in Japan and escape to Lebanon a year later. However, as Ghosn was being interrogated outside of French soil, it was unclear how he could, if at all, be handed down preliminary charges. His lawyers said they will now seek the right to ask for witnesses and expert testimony in the French investigation. Earlier, the auto magnate-turned-fugitive told The Associated Press that he has done nothing wrong and hopes the investigations are eventually dropped. He didn't speak to reporters throughout the Beirut interrogation, which began on Monday. It is an unusual move for French magistrates to question a suspect abroad. Ghosn, who was given sanctuary by Lebanese authorities, grew up in Lebanon and also has Lebanese citizenship. Lebanon will not extradite him. He is Brazilian-born. Ghosn was questioned about the financing of parties he threw at the Versailles Palace as the head of the Renault-Nissan car alliance. The French investigators, in cooperation with Lebanese judicial authorities, were also examining 11 million euros in spending on private planes and events arranged by a Dutch holding company, and subsidies to a car dealership in Oman. “It was his opportunity to explain his positions,” said Jean Yves Le Borgne, a member of GhosnÂ’ defense team. “It has now happened and he is satisfied and happy.” “Still unresolved, of course, is the problem of the next step in this procedure,” Le Borgne added. Ghosn has not so far been charged with anything in France, but could be, given preliminary accusations of fraud, corruption, money laundering, misuse of company assets, or aggravated breach of trust. Whether Ghosn could be charged or not by the French, Carlos Abou Jaoude, his Beirut-based lawyer, said Lebanese and French authorities have to determine what GhosnÂ’s “status” will be. Ghosn is campaigning to clear his name against multiple legal challenges in France after Japanese accusations triggered scrutiny of his activities there.