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Nissan Leaf ends 2013 with best sales month ever, but can't catch Chevy Volt

Nissan and Chevrolet both ended 2013 with solid sales figures for their plug-in vehicles, the first two that were released (all the way back at the end of 2010) from major automakers. As has been the story for most of 2013, December sales for the Nissan Leaf and the Chevy Volt were roughly the same. When we left the year-to-date running tally at the end of November, the Volt was at 20,702, while the Leaf was at 20,080. As you can tell from the image above (if you've been noticing the trend in these EV sales monthly flash-reports), the Leaf outsold the Volt, but was it enough to put the Nissan on top for the year? In 2013, Nissan sold 22,610 Leafs, more than twice as many as in 2012. Almost. The Leaf made a valiant attempt, and did have its best month ever with 2,529 units sold. That means that for 2013, Nissan moved a total of 22,610 Leafs, more than twice as many as in 2012 (that year, Nissan sold only 9,819 Leafs in the US) and actually more than 2012 and 2011 Leaf sales combined (which was 19,493). Nissan continues to see the effects of its price drop and expanded sales areas, with Georgia rapidly becoming a Leaf hotbed. Nissan's Paige Presley said that Atlanta was once again the Leaf's number one market and that, "sales are expanding deeper into Georgia markets such as Macon and Columbus." The Volt saw a boost upwards from a November slump and sold 2,392 units in December. That puts the plug-in hybrid's annual total at 23,094, just down from the 23,461 sold in 2012. For all of 2013, though, the Volt outsold the Leaf by 484 vehicles. In a competition like this, we'll count that as a win for both sides. We will our more detailed monthly green car sales report, which covers more of the fuel efficient vehicles on the market, up soon. News Source: GM, Nissan Green Chevrolet Nissan Electric Hybrid PHEV ev sales hybrid sales

Recharge Wrap-up: Nissan Leaf brake investigation, EV market will grow in China

Electric vehicles are expected to significantly cut into the gasoline-powered vehicle market in China. According to analysts at Frost & Sullivan, gas vehicles will drop to 94.9 percent of the market, while EVs will reach 4.2 percent by 2020. China's EV incentives, as well as a push in technology innovations, are credited for the rising popularity of plug-in cars. Despite awareness issues and supply shortages holding EVs back, "the Chinese powertrain market will remain buoyant, with increased customer purchasing power and self-esteem needs triggering vehicle sales," according to Frost & Sullivan researcher Ming Lih Chan. The big winners in this equation will be the suppliers of EV components in China. Read more in the press release below. The Canadian government is investigating possible brake failure issues with the Nissan Leaf. The Transport Canada investigation will look at 2013 to 2015 models, which could be experiencing brake malfunctions in severe cold weather. In the US, drivers have reported problems such as aggressive response to driver input and jerky braking, with some problems going away when the weather got warmer. NHTSA hasn't begun an investigation of its own, so far. Read more at Hybrid Cars. Sunspeed Enterprises has started an Indiegogo campaign to fund the installation of EV chargers along the Pacific Coast Sun Trail. As part of creating a 700-mile network of EV Infrastructure along the Pacific Coast Highway, this particular campaign is helping pay for a charging hub powered by renewable energy at the Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo, California. Donors will receive rewards such as shirts and mugs, as well as charging credits and discounts. At the highest level, a $10,000 donation will net the donor free charging for life at any Sunspeed charging hub. Learn more at Indiegogo. Featured Gallery 2013 Nissan Leaf View 55 Photos News Source: Frost & Sullivan, Hybrid Cars, Transport Canada, Indiegogo Green Recalls Nissan Safety Electric recharge wrapup

Even Ferrari swept up in latest Takata recall expansion

The scope of Takata's deadly airbag problems continues to widen. Eight manufacturers announced recalls Friday that affect more than 12 million vehicles, according to documents filed with federal regulators. The automakers include Honda, which is recalling 4.5 million units, Fiat Chrysler with 4.3 million, Toyota with 1.65 million, and Subaru, which is recalling almost 400,000. Some of these cars include the Saab 9-2x and Pontiac Vibe that Toyota and Subaru made for General Motors. Mazda will recall 730,000 vehicles and Nissan has 400,000 affected units. The smallest numbers were posted by Mitsubishi, with 38,000 Lancers manufactured from 2006 to 2007, and as a noteworthy high-end manufacturer, Ferrari is calling back 2,800 vehicles. These are all US-market cars. Beyond America, the Japanese Transport Ministry has announced seven million additional vehicles will be recalled, which means 19.6 million vehicles across the globe are affected by recalls announced. The defects have been traced to an insufficiently manufactured airbag inflator, which lacks a drying agent that would prevent the inflators from deteriorating over time. Thirteen deaths have been linked to the faulty airbags, which have become unstable and are prone to exploding and showering vehicle occupants with lethal amounts of metal shrapnel. A private equity firm, KKR & Co., has been named in a possible buyout of the struggling Takata. Related Video: News Source: ReutersImage Credit: Shutterstock Government/Legal Recalls Ferrari Honda Mazda Automakers Mitsubishi Nissan Pontiac Subaru Toyota Saab Safety