2006 Nissan Maxima Se Sedan 4-door 3.5l on 2040-cars

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When public charging fails you and your EV

Think that owning and driving a plug-in vehicle in green-centric San Francisco is easy? You should probably think again. That's because a lot of other residents already have the same idea, and there aren't enough charging stations to keep up. A classic First World problem, for sure, but a problem nevertheless for at least one EV driver. A Wired reporter shares the experience test-driving a Nissan Leaf for a couple of days. The catch is that, like many of the city's residents, he's an apartment-dweller without a dedicated parking spot, meaning that he's at the mercy of publicly-accessible station availability. And that infrastructure, he writes, is "woefully inadequate" to handle the current crop of plug-in vehicle drivers in the San Francisco Bay Area The crux is that, while Nissan Leaf's navigation systems can direct a driver to the nearest stations, they neither say if the stations are occupied or if they're open to the public. The former issue is a major one because, unlike gas stations, a plug-in vehicle charging station can be occupied for hours instead of minutes. That means plug-in vehicle drivers without overnight charging access will likely constantly be on the hunt for unoccupied charging stations in the area until more stations are deployed. Read the details of Alex Davies' trying times here. Featured Gallery 2013 Nissan Leaf View 55 Photos News Source: WiredImage Credit: mayorgavinnewsom/Flickr Green Nissan Electric San Francisco

Nissan recalling GT-R, Infiniti crossovers over steering column issue

Nissan has discovered a problem with the steering column on some of its higher-end all-wheel-drive vehicles from a few years back, and has issued a recall in conjunction with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to address the issue. The issue revolves around the outer tube on the steering column, which may not be perfectly round. That would put extra stress on the upper steering bearing, which could cause it to fracture, disabling the car's steering ability and potentially leading to a crash. The problem affects Nissan's flagship GT-R supercar – specifically 2009 models manufactured between March 14, 2007, and April 25, 2008) as well as an array of Infiniti crossovers: namely the 2008 EX35 and the 2008-09 FX35 and FX45. In the case of the luxury crossovers, Infiniti dealers are being instructed to replace just the steering shaft, but Nissan dealers will have to replace the entire steering column assembly on the GT-R. All told, the recall is estimated to encompass 16,973 vehicles across the United States. RECALL Subject : Steering Column Tube may be Out of Round Report Receipt Date: FEB 02, 2015 NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V054000 Component(s): STEERING Potential Number of Units Affected: 16,973 Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc. SUMMARY: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2008 Infiniti EX35 vehicles manufactured June 29, 2007, to April 25, 2008, 2009 Infiniti FX35 and FX45 vehicles manufactured October 31, 2007, to April 16, 2008, and 2009 Nissan GT-R vehicles manufactured March 14, 2007, to April 25, 2008. The steering column outer tube may not be round, resulting in extra stress being applied to the upper steering bearing. This stress may cause the bearing retainer to fracture, creating extra play in the steering wheel or a possible loss of steering. CONSEQUENCE: Extra play in the steering wheel or a loss of steering may increase the risk of a crash. REMEDY: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering shaft on the Infiniti EX35, FX35, and FX45 vehicles, and will replace the steering column assembly on the Nissan GT-R vehicles, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule. Infiniti owners may contact customer service at 1-800-662-6200. Nissan owners may contact the GT-R hotline at 1-866-668-1487.

Nissan planning 90-second Super Bowl commercial, plus two debut cameos

The Super Bowl is still a few days away, but the big ads from several automakers for the game are already streaming online. Nissan is bucking the trend, though, and the Japanese brand is only releasing the first 10 seconds of its spot before the actual premiere. Much like one of Toyota's ads, Nissan is choosing to focus on fathers this year. The story of the commercial is about a racecar-driving dad balancing work and life with his new child, but despite the motorsports connection, the teaser shows cars for just a few seconds. Hopefully, setting the commercial to Harry Chapin's Cat's in the Cradle doesn't make the whole thing too maudlin. We'll be seeing even more from Nissan during the Super Bowl than originally thought, as well. The automaker will now be taking 90 seconds of ad time during the game, rather than the original plan for 60 seconds. Perhaps the extension will give the company even more time to show off its two surprise product cameos during the spot. One of them is rumored to be the first official glimpse at the GT-R LM Nismo LMP1 racer. Nissan lengthens Super Bowl commercial to 90 seconds, teases "With Dad" spot with release of brief clip Nissan back as Super Bowl advertiser after nearly two decades Releases first 10 seconds of its ad as a teaser Announces the in-game commercial has been lengthened to 90 seconds Story will depict the struggle of work-life balance facing many American families Iconic song "Cats in the Cradle" by the late Harry Chapin featured Two surprise products to make cameo appearances NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Nissan, which has been teasing its Super Bowl plans through a one-of-a-kind social media campaign using YouTube "content creator" videos and the hashtag #withdad, is giving the first hint of its in-game commercial by releasing a short preview of the spot today. Nissan previously announced it would feature a 60-second spot in the Super Bowl. The company has increased its stake in the game to a 90-second ad, which it says will tell a unique family story while maintaining a strong Nissan brand connection.