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Worker killed at Nissan Tennessee plant

A worker has died at the Nissan assembly plant in Smyrna, TN following an accident. According to The Detroit News, the tragedy happened Thursday and involved a large electric panel that fell while it was being moved. The victim was not a Nissan employee, he was a worker for Michigan-based supplier Complete Automation.
Nissan has not released the name of the deceased, but has vowed to cooperate with the authorities investigating the accident. The Murfreesboro Post notes that this is the second death at the plant in recent years - in 2012, a transport truck driver was killed after his rig rolled forward, crushing him between his cab and trailer.

Carlos Ghosn appears in court: 'I am wrongly accused'

TOKYO — Former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn told a Tokyo court on Tuesday that he was innocent, defending his honor in his first public appearance since he was arrested on Nov. 19 and charged with false financial reporting. "Your honor, I am innocent of the accusations against me," Ghosn told the judge, speaking firmly and calmly as he read from a statement. "I am wrongfully accused." Prosecutors have charged Ghosn, who led a dramatic turnaround at the Japanese automaker over the past two decades, with falsifying financial reports in underreporting his income by about 5 billion yen ($44 million) over five years through 2015. They also say he is suspected of having Nissan temporarily take on his investment losses from the financial crisis. Seen for the first time since his November arrest, Ghosn was wearing a dark suit without a tie, and plastic slippers, and looked thinner and with gray hair. He rebutted the allegations against him point-by-point and said he had the option to leave Nissan but had decided to stay on. "A captain doesn't jump ship during a storm," he told the court in a strong voice. The veteran auto executive, a familiar face at the World Economic Forum and other elite gatherings, was handcuffed and led into the courtroom with a rope around his waist as the hearing began. Officers uncuffed him and seated him on a bench. Presiding judge Yuichi Tada then read out the charges and said Ghosn, a Brazilian-born Frenchman of Lebanese ancestry, was considered a flight risk — he was arrested on his arrival in Tokyo by private jet — and might try to hide evidence. In Japan, suspects are routinely held without bail, often due to fears about evidence tampering. During Tuesday's hearing, Go Kondo, one of Ghosn's lawyers, argued he was not a flight risk. "He's widely known so it's difficult for him to escape. There is no risk that the suspect will destroy evidence," he said. Facing the courtroom, Ghosn spoke proudly of the automaker's — and his own — achievements, such as reviving iconic models like the GT-R and the Z, expanding operations in China, Russia, Brazil and India and pioneering electric cars and autonomous driving. "I have a genuine love and appreciation for Nissan," he said. Ghosn has been held in spartan conditions at a Tokyo detention facility since he was taken into custody. In keeping with Japanese regulations, he has been allowed visits only from his lawyers and consular officials.

Nissan plans to have 1,700 CHAdeMO chargers by April, 2016

Grab a bite, charge your Leaf. That's sort of the premise behind quick chargers that provide about 80 percent of single-charge driving range in about a half hour of charging. And Nissan says it's doing its part to expand the number of those stations to please its growing list of constituents. The first 160 quick chargers using the CHAdeMO standard were installed in the US three years ago and that number totals about 800 today. About 300 more will be added by April 1, and by April 1, 2016, the number of quick chargers could reach about 1,700. Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles and San Francisco are among the cities leading the way in quick-charger availability. The Japanese automaker, which started selling the Leaf in the US in late 2010, is doing other things to make it easier for Leaf owners to recharge, whether through quick chargers or standard ones. Last summer, Nissan launched its "No Charge to Charge" program that gives new Leaf buyers free charging at participating public charging stations for two years. A 34-percent jump in Leaf sales, which is what Nissan recorded in the US last year, will do that to a company. For some more specifics of the quick charging contingent, take a look at Nissan's press release below. Fact Sheet: Nissan's commitment to EV quick charging for LEAF drivers Since the launch of the Nissan LEAF in late 2010, Nissan has reinforced its commitment to zero emission mobility with investments in EV charging infrastructure to serve the needs of LEAF drivers in markets across the U.S. Nissan has a multi-pronged strategy to invest with charging partners to install quick charging for owners in the communities where they live and work, as well as at corporate workplaces and Nissan dealerships. Timeline of (CHAdeMO) quick charging rollout: - January 2013: Approximately 160 CHAdeMO chargers installed nationwide. - January 2015: More than 800 total U.S. quick chargers installed and active. - April 1, 2015: 1,100 quick chargers expected nationwide. - April 1, 2016: 1,700 quick chargers projected. "Access to quick chargers that can provide about 80 percent charge to a Nissan LEAF battery in less than 30 minutes has proved to increase our owner satisfaction and get more buyers to consider the benefits of an all-electric car," said Brendan Jones, Nissan's director of Electric Vehicle Sales and Infrastructure Deployment.