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Japan plans real-world diesel emissions test after companies fail

Japan's transport ministry plans to start real-world diesel emissions tests after an experiment found four models from Toyota, Nissan, and Mitsubishi that produced more nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions than the nation's rules allow, according to The Japan Times. Regulators there usually only perform emissions checks in the lab. The VW diesel scandal has everyone double-checking their figures. Diesel versions of the Toyota Hiace van, Land Cruiser Prado, and Nissan X-Trail produced up to 10 times more NOx than allowed. The Mitsubishi Delica D:5 was up to five times over the limit, The Wall Street Journal reports. There was no evidence of defeat devices in the vehicles. Mazda performed well in the experiment, though. The CX-5 passed with nearly the same results on the road and in the lab. The Demio, better known as the Mazda2, did nearly as well with only slighter higher figures in the real world than in the controlled setting. The experimenters theorized the reason for the excessive emissions was that cold weather caused the engines' software to shut off the exhaust gas recirculation to prevent damage, according to the WSJ. However, this behavior also increased NOx production. Toyota, Nissan, and Mitsubishi don't have to worry about punishment from the transport ministry because this check was just an experiment. Their models already passed the mandated lab tests, which was the only requirement, according to The Japan Times. As governments begin greater real-world emissions tests, the results suggests diesels aren't very clean. A recent check in France found models from Ford, Renault, and Mercedes-Benz that didn't perform up to the standards. Regulators in India conducted similar evaluations and ordered VW to recall over 300,000 vehicles. Related Video:

Nissan Leaf hits 3,000 sales in July, Chevy Volt climbs over 2,000

It was a good sales month for both the Nissan Leaf and the Chevy Volt, with the two 'elder statesman' plug-in vehicles reaching numerical milestones in July. The Leaf sold 3,019 units and the Volt crossed the 2,000 sales level for the first time in 2014, hitting 2,020 sales. With Tesla also announcing it is delivering around 2,500 Model S EVs a month (but that's globally, compared to the US-only numbers for the Volt and Leaf we're talking about here) and Ford's plug-in vehicles selling well, we are certainly in a golden moment for EV sales. The Volt was a bright spot for the Bowtie brand last month. For the Volt, the 2,020 units sold represents a 13 percent increase from July of 2013 even thought year-to-date sales are down 8.7 percent this year compared to last year. Overall, total Chevrolet deliveries for July 2014 were up eight percent compared to 2013, so the Volt was a bright spot for the Bowtie brand last month. On the Leaf front, this is only the second time that the EV has sold more than 3,000 units in a month (the other being in May of this year). The year-over-year increase for the Leaf was 62 percent in July and represents the 17th straight month of record sales, as Nissan is more than happy to report each month. Overall, Leaf sales are up 34.6 percent, year-to-date, and Nissan's director of Leaf sales and infrastructure, Brendan Jones, said in a statement that a free public charging incentive was responsible. "Since we launched the No Charge to Charge promotion in the first 10 markets, we've seen a surge in Leaf sales in those areas. Leaf sales in the northeastern US are also picking up with new tax incentives for Massachusetts and Maryland residents." With No Charge To Charge set to expand to 25 markets over the next year, we expect Leaf sales to continue to grow. We will have our monthly look at all green car sales available soon, so stay tuned. Green Chevrolet Nissan Electric PHEV ev sales

Recharge Wrap-up: Nikola One to debut in December, UK charging to outnumber gas stations by 2020

Nikola Motor Company plans to unveil its Nikola One electric truck prototype on December 2, 2016. The company, based in Salt Lake City, says it has "engineered the holy grail of the trucking industry," according to founder and CEO Trevor Milton. "We are not aware of any zero emission truck in the world that can haul 80,000 pounds more than 1,000 miles and do it without stopping. The Nikola One requires only 15 minutes of downtime before heading out for the next 1,000 miles." Nikola also has plans to build emissions-free power plants. Read more in the press release from Nikola, or at the company website. Nissan says EV charging stations will outnumber gas stations in the UK by 2020. The UK had just 8,472 gas stations at the end of 2015, down from 37,539 in 1970. Extrapolating that to 2020, the UK is expected to be home to fewer than 7,870 fuel stations. By then, and possibly much sooner, charging stations are expected to surpass 7,900, up from 4,100 in 2016. Growing interest in EVs, infrastructure expansion, and better batteries mean that "the tipping point for mass EV uptake is upon us," according to Nissan EV Manager Edward Jones. Read more from Nissan, or at Green Car Congress. BMW is expanding its ChargeNow service to 25 markets. In a partnership with EVgo, BMW i3 and i8 customers will have the option of an annual or pay-as-you-go ChargeNow membership with service in cities around the country, with "introductory pricing" available until July 31, 2017. For those i3 owners in California already enrolled in the DC fast charging program, their free access is expiring. See more details about the program and its locations in the BMW i forum, and read more at Green Car Reports. Featured Gallery Nikola One Electric Semi Truck Related Gallery BMW i3 Gesture Parking News Source: Nikola, Nikola, Nissan, Green Car Congress, Green Car Reports, The Circuit Green BMW Automakers Nissan Green Automakers Truck Commercial Vehicles Electric Future Vehicles recharge wrapup