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Nissan-Dongfeng JV reveals Venucia VOW concept in Shanghai

Among the dozens of automakers pouring in to the Shanghai Motor Show this week to showcase their latest wares, this one comes from a brand you may never have heard of. It's called Venucia, and it's the product of a joint venture between Nissan and Chinese automaker Dongfeng. Today Venucia has unveiled the VOW Concept, a sporty-looking crossover designed to appeal to young Chinese buyers and previewed in a teaser rendering last week. The design is said to have been inspired by the Salar de Uyuni plateau in the Bolivian Andes, but reminds us a bit of the Lamborghini Urus and Mitsubishi XR-PHEV concepts. And that's no bad thing. Technical details are few and far between, but the name VOW apparently stands for "Venucia Over Wonder," that brand name itself having been derived from the Roman diety Venus. Beyond that we couldn't tell you any more, but even if the VOW concept gets put into production, the chances are slim to none that any version would ever reach a showroom on our side of the pond in the foreseeable future. Venucia debuts VOW Concept at Auto Shanghai 2015 SHANGHAI, China – Venucia, a local brand by Dongfeng Nissan Passenger Vehicle Company (DFL-PV), the passenger vehicle business unit of Nissan's joint venture in China, unveiled the VOW Concept at Auto Shanghai 2015. VOW Concept, a brand new trendy sport crossover concept by Venucia, was developed for the young generations. VOW is the abbreviation of "Venucia Over Wonder," meaning a complete breakthrough in excellence. The forward thinking and bold design is paired with a bright blue body inspired by Bolivia's Salar de Uyuni, a high plateau near the crest of the Andes Mountains with captive fresh and saltwater lakes and the world's largest salt flat. VOW Concept conjures up a new balance of dynamic excellence and elegance. "With the VOW Concept, Venucia is going directly to the young generations and listening to what they have to say about their futures, their hopes and what inspires them. We are determined to bring forward a young and fresh brand that continues to challenge the status quo," said Zhou Xianpeng, DFL-PV deputy managing director. "We believe Venucia will lead future trends as an influencer, and enhance its place in the automotive market in China." About Dongfeng Nissan Passenger Vehicle Company (DFL-PV) Dongfeng Nissan Passenger Vehicle Company is a business unit of Dongfeng Motor Co., Ltd., Nissan's joint venture with Dongfeng Motor Group Co., Ltd.

These are the 'Greenest' and 'Meanest' cars in 2015

As has become tradition, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) has come up with a ranking of what it refers to as the "greenest" cars of 2015, and, by way of contrast, a list of the so-called "meanest" cars, so those who value eco-friendliness over all else can choose which vehicles they should or should not consider buying. As you may expect, electric cars make up the majority of the greenest cars on the list, but, perhaps surprisingly to many, the Tesla Model S didn't make the cut. It's worth noting, too, that where the electricity an owner uses to charge their electric vehicle has a big impact on its overall environmental impact. "A car that is charged using electricity generated from natural gas or renewables is going to have significantly less impact on the environment than one charged on a coal-heavy grid," says ACEEE lead vehicle analyst Shruti Vaidyanathan. The ACEEE's list for 2015 looks very different than it did in 2014. It's an interesting collection, though – and we're sure this goes without saying, really – we'd recommend doing a bit more research into each vehicle and how it might fit into your daily life before making any purchase decisions. Click here to see the ACEEE's list of the Greenest and Meanest vehicles sold in the United States in 2015. Green Bugatti Chevrolet Fiat GM GMC Mercedes-Benz Nissan RAM smart Toyota greenest greenest cars

Nissan files civil suit against Ghosn, seeking $91 million in damages

TOKYO — Nissan filed a civil suit Wednesday seeking 10 billion yen ($91 million) in damages from the Japanese automaker's former Chairman Carlos Ghosn. Nissan filed the case in Yokohama District Court to recoup some of the monetary damages suffered, it said, “as a result of years of misconduct and fraudulent activity" by Ghosn. The claim was calculated by adding the costs from what Nissan called Ghosn's “corrupt practices,” such as rent for overseas property, use of corporate jets and payments to Ghosn's sister, as well as costs for the internal investigation into Ghosn's alleged wrongdoings. Representatives of Ghosn said in a statement they couldn't comment as they had yet to see the legal documents. “Nissan's maneuvers continue,” they said, while noting Nissan had claimed larger damages before. Ghosn, who led Nissan for two decades and saved it from near-bankruptcy, was arrested in Japan in November 2018, and charged with underreporting his future compensation and breach of trust in diverting Nissan money for personal gain. He was awaiting trial but skipped bail and showed up in Lebanon late last year. Japan has no extradition treaty with Lebanon, and he's unlikely to be arrested. A date had not been set for his trial, and Ghosn has said he was worried his ordeal would never end and he would not get a fair hearing. The bail conditions also barred him from seeing his wife. He has repeatedly lashed out at Japan's judicial system, where the conviction rate is higher than 99%. Japanese authorities recently issued an arrest warrant for Ghosn and three Americans, accused of helping his escape. Separately, they issued an arrest warrant for Ghosn's wife on suspicion of perjury. Ghosn has repeatedly said he is innocent, saying that the promised compensation had never been decided, and all the payments were for legitimate services. Wednesday's lawsuit by Nissan comes on top of the civil case Nissan filed against Ghosn in the British Virgin Islands in August last year. It alleged unauthorized payments, sought to regain a luxury yacht and pursued other damages, according to Nissan. Yokohama-based Nissan, which makes the Z sportscar, Leaf electric car and Infiniti luxury models, is also facing trial in Japan as a company in relation to Ghosn's scandal. It has indicated it will agree to any penalties. Nissan's reputation has been sorely tarnished over the Ghosn fiasco, and its sales have dropped. Nissan reports financial results Thursday.