2014 Nissan Maxima S on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2011-2012 Nissan Leaf class-action lawsuit finally settled

In 2012, a group of Nissan Leaf owners sued the automaker in a class-action lawsuit over the "wilting Leaf" issue. That describes the steadily decreasing battery capacity of the electric vehicle's battery pack, which didn't line up with drivers' expectations. At the time, Nissan said the lawsuit was without merit but the legal wranglings continued. A new, $24-million settlement will give Leaf owners a new (not repaired) battery if their current pack drops down to fewer than nine bars of energy capacity. There are also options for 90 days of free charging at some of the No Charge To Charge locations or, if they don't live near any of those, a $50 check. One of the main complaints of the lawsuit was that the initial ads for the EV were less-than-clear, telling people the car could go 100 miles when fully charged but, and here's the problem, the automaker recommended that Leaf owners not charge their cars up all the way in hot climates. The class action suit was filed on behalf of Leaf owners in California and Arizona. It reads, in part: Before purchase or lease, Nissan failed to disclose its own recommendations that owners avoid charging the battery beyond 80% in order to mitigate battery damage and failed to disclose that Nissan's estimated 100 mile range was based on a full charge battery, which is contrary to Nissan's own recommendation for battery charging. Following early reports of the wilting problem in warm climates and the initial filing of the lawsuit, Nissan upgraded its battery warranty. It also improved the EV's battery chemistry. The class action suit says that it's this new chemistry that needs to go into any "wilting Leafs" that are affected by the suit. There's more information at the class-action site. Nissan told AutoblogGreen it does not typically discuss litigation. Related Video: Nissan Leaf Battery Explanation 01:18 Embed 00:00 01:18 Play Mute Full Screen Visit AOL On Debug Info Featured Gallery 2011 Nissan Leaf View 20 Photos Government/Legal Green Nissan Electric battery lawsuit class action lawsuit

US-built Infiniti Q50 engines to go into Euro-only cars

Back in March, Infiniti announced that it would be adding a 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder to its Q50 line for European and Chinese buyers. Now, we know where that engine will be built.
Nissan's Decherd, TN facility will receive the $319-million investment, which will see a separate, dedicated line for the Infiniti engines. According to Automotive News, this is more than a line running alongside the Nissan operations - the Infiniti facility will sport its own unique architecture and interior lighting, in a bid to distinguish the premium line from its mass-market parent company.
The logistics of all this do seem, on the surface, quite screwy. Building a new engine on one continent for a car built on another that will eventually go on sale on a third doesn't seem too bright, although there is a catch here. The new engine will also find its way into the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, which will kick off production in Vance, AL later this year.

Nissan to pull out of venture fund with Renault in cost-cutting drive, insiders say

TOKYO — Nissan is likely to pull out from a venture capital fund it runs with alliance partners Renault and Mitsubishi Motors, as part of the Japanese automaker's drive to cut costs and conserve cash, two sources said. Nissan will formally take a decision on whether to leave the fund, Alliance Ventures, by the end of this month, the two Nissan insiders told Reuters, declining to be identified because the information has not been made public. The likely move comes after Nissan's junior partner, Mitsubishi Motors Corp, told an alliance meeting last week that it would no longer continue to inject money into the fund, one of the sources said. The decision to leave the Amsterdam-based fund was all but a done deal, the other source said, adding: "Of course we're out. The house is on fire." A Nissan spokeswoman said it was speculation and declined to comment. A Mitsubishi spokesman said no decision had been made. The move comes as Nissan — which has seen its earnings slump — is now facing a downturn in China, its biggest market, due to the impact of the coronavirus outbreak. China sales plunged 80% last month. It also highlights the extent of the automaker's cost-cutting under new CEO Makoto Uchida, who is under pressure for a quick turnaround. Alliance Ventures is aimed at finding "learning opportunities" for the alliance through investing in startups, and is supposed get up to $200 million (153.3 million pounds) a year from the three alliance partners, although it never achieves that full amount, the first source said. It was set up under former alliance head Carlos Ghosn, whose dramatic arrest in Japan culminated in an escape to his childhood home of Lebanon in December. Ghosn faces multiple charges in Japan, including of under-reporting earnings and misappropriation of company funds, all of which he denies. According to its website, the fund was set up with a $200 million initial investment and aims for up to $1 billion by 2023. Portfolio companies include WeRide, a Chinese robo-taxi startup and Tekion Corp, a cloud-based retail platform for cars. "It wasn't established by Ghosn as a way to make money. It was for those learning opportunities we get from investing in smart startups," the first source said. "But given the tough financial situation we are facing, we are looking at investment return." Reporting by Norihiko Shirouzu; Editing by David Dolan/Louise Heavens/Susan Fenton.