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Recharge Wrap-up: Nissan Leaf brake investigation, EV market will grow in China

Electric vehicles are expected to significantly cut into the gasoline-powered vehicle market in China. According to analysts at Frost & Sullivan, gas vehicles will drop to 94.9 percent of the market, while EVs will reach 4.2 percent by 2020. China's EV incentives, as well as a push in technology innovations, are credited for the rising popularity of plug-in cars. Despite awareness issues and supply shortages holding EVs back, "the Chinese powertrain market will remain buoyant, with increased customer purchasing power and self-esteem needs triggering vehicle sales," according to Frost & Sullivan researcher Ming Lih Chan. The big winners in this equation will be the suppliers of EV components in China. Read more in the press release below. The Canadian government is investigating possible brake failure issues with the Nissan Leaf. The Transport Canada investigation will look at 2013 to 2015 models, which could be experiencing brake malfunctions in severe cold weather. In the US, drivers have reported problems such as aggressive response to driver input and jerky braking, with some problems going away when the weather got warmer. NHTSA hasn't begun an investigation of its own, so far. Read more at Hybrid Cars. Sunspeed Enterprises has started an Indiegogo campaign to fund the installation of EV chargers along the Pacific Coast Sun Trail. As part of creating a 700-mile network of EV Infrastructure along the Pacific Coast Highway, this particular campaign is helping pay for a charging hub powered by renewable energy at the Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo, California. Donors will receive rewards such as shirts and mugs, as well as charging credits and discounts. At the highest level, a $10,000 donation will net the donor free charging for life at any Sunspeed charging hub. Learn more at Indiegogo. Featured Gallery 2013 Nissan Leaf View 55 Photos News Source: Frost & Sullivan, Hybrid Cars, Transport Canada, Indiegogo Green Recalls Nissan Safety Electric recharge wrapup

Is the skill of rev matching being lost to computers?

If the ability to drive a vehicle equipped with a manual gearbox is becoming a lost art, then the skill of being able to match revs on downshifts is the stuff they would teach at the automotive equivalent of the Shaolin Temple. The usefulness of rev matching in street driving is limited most of the time – aside from sounding cool and impressing your friends. But out on a race track or the occasional fast, windy road, its benefits are abundantly clear. While in motion, the engine speed and wheel speed of a vehicle with a manual transmission are kept in sync when the clutch is engaged (i.e. when the clutch pedal is not being pressed down). However, when changing gear, that mechanical link is severed briefly, and the synchronization between the motor and wheels is broken. When upshifting during acceleration, this isn't much of an issue, as there's typically not a huge disparity between engine speed and wheel speed as a car accelerates. Rev-matching downshifts is the stuff they would teach at the automotive equivalent of the Shaolin Temple. But when slowing down and downshifting – as you might do when approaching a corner at a high rate of speed – that gap of time caused by the disengagement of the clutch from the engine causes the revs to drop. Without bringing up the revs somehow to help the engine speed match the wheel speed in the gear you're about to use, you'll typically get a sudden jolt when re-engaging the clutch as physics brings everything back into sync. That jolt can be a big problem when you're moving along swiftly, causing instability or even a loss of traction, particularly in rear-wheel-drive cars. So the point of rev matching is to blip the throttle simultaneously as you downshift gears in order to bring the engine speed to a closer match with the wheel speed before you re-engage the clutch in that lower gear, in turn providing a much smoother downshift. When braking is thrown in, you get heel-toe downshifting, which involves some dexterity to use all three pedals at the same time with just two feet – clutch in, slow the car while revving, clutch out. However, even if you're aware of heel-toe technique and the basic elements of how to perform a rev match, perfecting it to the point of making it useful can be difficult.

L.A. Auto Show: Genesis X Convertible, Toyota Prius and more | Autoblog Podcast #756

In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder. The Los Angeles Auto Show wrapped up this week, and we talk about some of the highlights from the show, and the events surrounding it, like the new Toyota Prius, Genesis X Convertible concept, new Lucid Air trims and the Lucid Gravity SUV. John talks about traveling to Sweden for the reveal of the Volvo EX90. They also talk about the cars they've been driving, including the Nissan Leaf, Nissan Kicks, Mercedes EQB and Jeep Wagoneer. They also shoot the breeze about late fall beer, courtesy of an email from a listener. Send us your questions for the Mailbag and Spend My Money at: Podcast@Autoblog.com. Autoblog Podcast #756 Get The Podcast Apple Podcasts – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes Spotify – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast on Spotify RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown 2022 L.A. Auto Show 2023 Toyota Prius Genesis X Convertible concept Lucid Air Pure and Touring Lucid Gravity SUV Volvo EX90 Cars we're driving Nissan Leaf Nissan Kicks Mercedes-Benz EQB 300 Jeep Wagoneer Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts Autoblog is now live on your smart speakers and voice assistants with the audio Autoblog Daily Digest. Say “Hey Google, play the news from Autoblog” or "Alexa, open Autoblog" to get your favorite car website in audio form every day. A narrator will take you through the biggest stories or break down one of our comprehensive test drives. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.