2012 Nissan Pathfinder Silver Edition on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Renault COO Tavares dreams of running GM or Ford

What do you do if you're in a job with no upward mobility? Admittedly, most of us just stick it out while secretly hoping our boss is sacked for all those paperclips he's been swiping, netting us a nice, shiny promotion. Then again, most of us aren't the number two at Renault, like Carlos Tavares.
Tavares is the right-hand man to Renault CEO, Carlos Ghosn, and like a lot of us, he's ready for another challenge. As Ghosn is only 59 years old and doesn't have a boss to fire him for paperclip theft, though, it's pretty unlikely that he'll be going anywhere anytime soon. Tavares doesn't seem too concerned, based on an interview he gave to Automotive News. "We have a big leader and he is here to stay," Tavares told AN.
What's surprising is where Tavares wants to go, "Why not GM? I would be honored to lead a company like GM." The Renault exec also mentioned Ford, and as AN points out, both organizations make a lot of sense. Both are led by CEOs that are approaching or are already past retirement age, and should be looking for dedicated replacements in the not-so-distant future. That doesn't mean Tavares is a shoe-in, though.

Kaz and Shiro talk Gran Turismo 7 details, Titan Nismo and more in AMA

One of the greatest innovations to come about thanks to the gigantic popularity of Reddit is the Ask Me Anything (AMA) question and answer format. The AMA becomes especially worthwhile, of course, when the person(s) answering the questions have detailed information or insight on products we love.
So, in the case of the recent AMA session with Gran Turismo creator and mastermind Kazunori Yamauchi (above), and his buddy and Nissan chief designer Shiro Nakamura (right), it was basically must-read stuff.
The pair really lived up to our expectations, too, with Kaz offering a lot of useful information about the future of the Gran Turismo franchise (especially the upcoming GT7 for Playstation 4), and Shiro promising to bring some interesting new ideas back to his colleagues at Nissan.

Nissan Leaf's No Charge To Charge now available in Boston

Depending on where you buy your all-electric Nissan Leaf, there's a pretty sweet deal attached. In some parts of the US – most recently, now also in Boston, MA – new Leafs come with the "No Charge To Charge" program, which allows drivers to recharge their batteries at some public charging stations for free. Today's announcement that Boston will join the program brings the total number to 17 area, and Nissan has said it will eventually expand No Charge To Charge to at least 25 markets in the US by the end of the year. As Nissan representatives explained when the program was first announced at the 2014 New York Auto Show, there are limits on the program. Without paying, you can plug your new Leaf into a public CHAdeMO DC fast charger for a maximum of 30 minutes and just one hour at Level 2 stations. You can find a list of No Charge stations from companies like ChargePoint, Blink, AeroVironment, and NRG eVgo here. Related Video: CALLING ALL BOSTONIANS: NISSAN'S "NO CHARGE TO CHARGE" PROGRAM ARRIVES IN BEAN TOWN BOSTON (July 6, 2015) – Nissan is launching its "No Charge to Charge" promotion for Boston-area Nissan LEAF buyers, providing two years complimentary public charging with the purchase of the all-electric car from LEAF-certified dealers in the Boston market. "Nissan LEAF is an attractive option for Boston car buyers because it is fun to drive and offers significantly lower operating costs when compared to a gas-powered car," said Andrew Speaker, director, Electric Vehicle (EV) Sales & Marketing, Nissan. "EV charging infrastructure continues to grow in Boston, and access to free public charging for new LEAF buyers helps make owning an all-electric vehicle even more cost-effective and convenient." "No Charge to Charge" launches at Nissan LEAF dealers in the Boston market on July 1. The promotion includes access to fast chargers that can charge a LEAF battery pack from empty to 80 percent in about 30 minutes, as well as level 2 (240V) chargers spread throughout the Boston area. Nissan now offers "No Charge to Charge" in 17 U.S. markets, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego, Fresno, Seattle, Portland (Oregon), Chicago, Atlanta, Indianapolis, Nashville, Phoenix, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Houston, Denver and Washington, D.C. Nissan plans to offer the "No Charge to Charge" program at LEAF dealers in a total of at least 25 U.S. markets later this year.