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Nissan working on unspecified improvements to Carwings in Leaf EV

Fly a little higher, Carwings. Nissan has been using the communication system as a way for drivers of the battery-electric Leaf to do things like use a smartphone start the charging process remotely, check the charging status or find nearby charging stations. The service was one of the tools Nissan was offering to newbie drivers of the first US mass-produced electric vehicle to better familiarize themselves with ideas like recharging your car from miles away. Now, three-plus years into the model's lifetime, Nissan is looking to get more out of Carwings, Wards Auto says, citing Nissan North America executive Robyn Williams. Specifically, Nissan is hoping Carwings will eventually be able to communicate information about the battery's health, or lack thereof (i.e. degradation) to the driver. That issue was made clear a couple of years ago when Leaf drivers in hot-weather locales such as Arizona said their batteries were losing capacity at a faster rate than advertised. Nissan North America spokesman Brian Brockman, in an e-mail to AutoblogGreen, would only say that the automaker "is always working to determine ways to offer more value to customers via telematics systems like Carwings," but declined to be more specific about any particular technological advancements. Nissan debuted Carwings in late 2010, and, among other things, the concept was novel because it let Leaf drivers compare driving efficiency with other Leaf drivers (think of it as a real silent hypermiling contest). The feature had been used as a telecommunications system on a number of Nissan models in Japan for years before being introduced on the Leaf.

Nissan previews Juke-R Nismo for Goodwood debut

Nissan has another trick up its sleeve. The teaser image above gives us our first peek at the Juke-R Nismo which the Japanese automaker is set to unleash at the Goodwood Festival of Speed later this month. The Japanese automaker hasn't provided much in the way of details at this early stage, but there's plenty we can infer from the nameplate. As you may recall, the original Nissan Juke-R hit the scene several years ago, packing the powertrain from the GT-R into the compact form of the Juke. The result was a monster of a little crossover that could run to 60 in three seconds flat and put most any performance-oriented SUV to shame. The addition of the Nismo name to the end would ostensibly suggest that Nissan is preparing an even more extreme version with all the muscle of the GT-R Nismo. That would give it 600 horsepower (instead of 545) and an even meaner disposition backed by even more extreme performance capabilities. Though the image is deliberately obscured, it clearly packs even more aggressive aero than the existing Juke-R. But Nissan isn't saying yet whether this will be a strict one-off or be offered for sale like its predecessor. "Using the latest technology, styling and running gear from NISMO products," Nissan promises a "supercar beating crossover". We'll have to hold on to find out more, but we won't have to wait long as it'll be unveiled at the British automotive celebration on June 25. THE NISSAN JUKE-R IS BACK – AND NOW WITH ADDED NISMO The original was the world's first supercar crossover. Now, Nissan is set to unleash its latest evolution... the Nissan Juke-R NISMO. Using the latest technology, styling and running gear from NISMO products, the supercar beating crossover will be unveiled and unleashed at Goodwood Festival of Speed (UK) on June 25th.

How Nissan's NYC Taxi of Tomorrow has turned into a nightmare

"Why can't we have competition? Why did the city think there had to be exclusivity?" – Taxi Association Nissan's takeover of the lucrative New York City taxi market hasn't exactly gone according to script. An agreement that should have seen the company become the exclusive supplier of taxis for the next ten years has resulted in nothing but headaches, controversy and legal challenges, despite the $1 billion deal between the Japanese marque and the Big Apple. The opposition to the Nissan deal has been fierce since day one, Automotive News reports in a sweeping writeup of the Taxi of Tomorrow saga, with the Greater New York Taxi Association – which represents nearly a third of the city's taxi owners – putting up a fight against the new van cabs. Whether it's the monopolistic nature of the Nissan deal – as we said, under the terms of the deal Nissan would become the sole distributor of taxis for New York cabbies – the NV200 taxi's limited reliability record, or concerns over the company's ability to supply the cabs, the Taxi Association has fought tooth and nail against the so-called Taxi of Tomorrow, AN reports. "Look, Nissan is a good company. And the NV200 is not a bad car. If it turns out that people like it, then great – they should be able to sell them here," Ethan Gerber, an attorney for the Taxi Association told Automotive News. "But why can't we have competition? Why did the city think there had to be exclusivity? It stifles competition and stops innovation." "Why couldn't we just have standards for the taxi, and if Toyota and Ford wanted to offer an identical vehicle that might be somehow better or more competitive, why can't they?" Gerber asked. "Obviously, there is always disappointment, but I trust that there is fairness." – Carlos Ghosn The biggest source of opposition, though, focused around how the NV200 was approved in the first place, because it doesn't subscribe to one of former Mayor Michael Bloomberg's requirements for the next-generation taxi – that it would be available as a hybrid. It was that last point that initially got Nissan in trouble with the courts. In May 2013, New York County Supreme Court Justice Peter Moulton ruled the deal void, declaring that cab operators were free to shop for non-Nissan hybrids, though cab owners still had to go through Nissan if they wanted a standard, gas-powered taxi. Or, they would have.