2021 Nissan Altima 2.0 Sr on 2040-cars

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Pickup sales may hit 2M units for first time since 2007

Even as fuel prices creep back up, trucks are still a hot item among new-vehicle shoppers. To see how popular pickup trucks still are, you don't have to look any further than how much effort automakers put into the continual one-upmanship of their trucks. Backing this fact up, USA Today is reporting that the segment could top two million sales this year - a total not matched since 2007, though still far from the pre-recession, three-million-unit levels.
Through August, the Ford F-Series continues to be the segment leader with almost 500,000 units sold, but the Chevy Silverado (328,269), Ram 1500 (234,642), GMC Sierra (122,232) and Toyota Tacoma (110,293) are all seeing at least 20-percent sales increases, helping to account for around 1.44 million truck sales so far this year - not including possible outliers like the Suzuki Equator and Chevy Avalanche.
This year alone, General Motors has completely redesigned its fullsize trucks, Ram and Toyota have significantly updated their offerings, the next-gen Ford F-150 will be out next year and Nissan is promising an all-new Titan around the same time with an eventual Cummins diesel under the hood. It would seem, then, that truck sales are poised to continue their upward trend.

Recharge Wrap-up: Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive goes on sale in Europe, Spain gets Nissan Leaf taxis

The new Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive goes on sale in Europe on November 3, with deliveries starting before the end of the year. Developed with the help of Tesla, the new electric B-Class offers more than 132 kilowatts (177 horsepower) and 250 pound-feet of torque. It features Economy Plus, Economy and Sport driving modes. An optional radar support system uses the collision prevention assist sensors to help make smarter decisions about when and how to use the regenerative braking. The B-Class Electric Drive also offers an optional Range Plus button, which can unlock more battery capacity when charging for the occasional longer drive. Learn more in the press release below. Racing returns to the streets of Miami for the first time in more than a decade for the Formula E Miami ePrix on March 14, 2015. Formula E has revealed the track layout, which takes the race around the Miami Heat's home court, American Airlines Arena, along the Biscayne Bay. "This event will help to make Miami more of a sports city," says Mayor Thomas Regalado. "In addition, we will show the younger generations that you may have motor racing without noise or pollution." Read more about the event at the Formula E website and see the track layout in detail here. Hyundai has delivered the first ix35 Fuel Cell vehicles to customers in the UK, including clean energy company ITM Power. ITM is responsible for three of the hydrogen refueling stations being built around the EU as part of the Hydrogen For Innovative Vehicles project - the same project that helped bring the Hyundai ix35 (also known as the Tucson) Fuel Cell to Europe. ITM's 700-bar hydrogen stations will be built in London by Spring 2015, each with its own electrolyzer system on site. In the meantime, ITM will use the ix35 for commutes between London and Sheffield, refueling at a site that uses wind-generated electricity from an on-site turbine to power the electrolyzer to make the hydrogen. Learn more in the press release below. Demand for aluminum is expected to climb as China builds more electric cars. Aluminum supplier Novelis says demand will likely increase 30 percent annually for the next 10 years in China, Japan and Korea, and possibly more depending on how China's plan to increase EV use and decrease air pollution shakes out. Read more at Bloomberg. Barcelona and Madrid have received their first all-electric taxis in the form of Nissan Leaf EVs.

2015 Nissan Murano: Introduction [w/video]

Right as winter turned to spring, a 2015 Nissan Murano was added to the Autoblog long-term test fleet. And while we'd like to report that it's been nothing but smooth sailing, the truth is, as we wrote this, the Murano was undergoing its second stint in the service bay at Suburban Nissan in Troy, MI. It only had 2,400 miles on the odometer. In fact, that's part of the reason why it's taken us so long to introduce this new member of the long-term fleet. After driving the new, third-generation Murano late last year, where we learned that Nissan thinks of its stylish crossover as the flagship for the brand, we decided to order one for a full year's worth of testing at Autoblog HQ. Right from the start, our Murano had problems. At 227 miles, the Check Engine Light illuminated. With no warning messages displayed in the car's onboard infotainment system, we took the Murano to the dealer, where a diagnostic check revealed a faulty O2 sensor. A new part was ordered and we were sent on our way. The Murano went back to the dealer, and now, that issue has been resolved. About 100 miles after the O2 sensor failed, the small storage cover on the center console broke. We aren't really sure how, since this small cubby hasn't had a whole lot of use. Rather than explain it in words, see what's going on in the video below. That's not the only issue we've had with the interior, either. We sort of expected the light, almost white leather to show signs of age during the year-long test, but even after just 2,400 miles, the seats are starting to look worn, with obvious discoloration showing on the driver's seat. What's interesting is, we never had this problem with the light-colored leather on our long-term 2013 Pathfinder. Beyond that, parts of the Murano's interior generally feel poorly put together. The door panels pull away upon light tugging (while closing the door, for example), some of the plastics creak, and we've noticed a few small rattles. Some of this is pretty alarming, especially considering the low mileage of our test car. But it stands to reason that these problems could've been baked in from the start. We're told our car had a couple of issues prior to delivery, and we've heard rumblings from other journalists that their test Muranos haven't been up to snuff. Our early impressions of the Murano were generally positive.