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European new car sales drop nearly 8% in first half of 2019

PARIS — European car sales dropped 7.9% in June, led by bigger declines for Nissan, Volvo and Fiat Chrysler (FCA), according to industry data published on Wednesday. Registrations fell to 1.49 million cars last month from 1.62 million a year earlier across the European Union and EFTA countries, the Brussels-based Association of European Carmakers said in a statement. Calendar effects resulted in two fewer sales days in most markets, accentuating the decline. Registrations for the first half closed 3.1% lower, ACEA said. For European carmakers, weakening demand at home compounds the pressure from a sharper contraction in China and emerging markets that may yet bring more profit warnings. NissanÂ’s aging model lineup contributed to a 26.6% June sales slump while Volvo Cars, owned by ChinaÂ’s Geely, saw deliveries tumble 21.7%. Registrations also fell 13.5% last month at FCA, 10.1% at BMW, 9.6% at Volkswagen Group and 8.2% for both Mercedes parent Daimler and FranceÂ’s PSA Group. The Peugeot makerÂ’s domestic rival Renault suffered less, posting a 3.9% decline. By the Numbers BMW Chrysler Fiat Nissan Volkswagen Volvo Peugeot Renault

Nissan's Le Mans-bound ZEOD RC electric racecar nearing completion [w/video]

Nissan is working away on its ZEOD RC (Zero Emission On Demand Racing Car) which is still on pace for a Le Mans arrival in 2014. As of right now, the DeltaWing-shaped car's carbon-fiber tub and chassis have been completed. The next step will be installing the twin electric motors and fitting the seat of driver and GT Academy winner Lucas Ordóñez. If the current schedule sticks, the zero-emissions racer will hit a UK track for test laps in September.
But while those initial shakedown laps will be under full electric power, it's unclear whether the setup fielded in the UK will survive until Le Mans. Nissan itself says that it will be testing a number of "electrified" drivetrains ahead of the 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans, which is a significant departure from race car design - usually, the teams know what's powering their car before they start building it.
"Just developing a single powertrain option in only 12 months would be a mammoth task but we're looking to carefully examine a number of options to ascertain which will be best suited for Le Mans," said Darren Cox, Nissan's global motorsport director. Take a look below for a video and press release from Nissan documenting the ZEOD RC's build process.

Nissan transforms NV200 into part-e-Van [w/video]

Following its earlier BBQ van conversion, Nissan is demonstrating once again the flexibility of its NV200 van by rolling out this mobile party on wheels. Based on the battery-powered e-NV200, the "part e-Van" packs an array of upgrades to give it everything you'd need to turn any parking lot into a club. It's got a DJ booth on the roof, a 1,400-watt sound system, wireless headphones for silent-disco capability, a solar-powered disco ball that feeds juice back into the system, an alcohol-free bar dispenser, an LED dance floor, and a 20-foot-tall light-up canopy. There's even a drone that can deploy to capture the party scene, and a monitor hooked up online to share it all via social media. The party wagon is set to debut outside the Olympiastadion in Berlin for the UEFA Champions League final (that's a soccer game for those of us unfamiliar), and will then hit the road on tour – with its next stop scheduled for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Party On! Nissan turns 100% Electric e-NV200 into the ultimate part e-VAN - Vehicle unveiled ahead of the UEFA Champions League Final - Zero Emission vehicle will be displayed outside The Olympiastadion ahead of kick-off - One-off vehicle's key features include a disco ball solar array which feeds power to some of the van's elements - Watch the PART e-VAN in full swing here: https://youtu.be/gdTew0hZ_Rs Nissan has transformed its all-electric e-NV200 into the ultimate party on wheels. The vehicle - called the PART e-VAN and powered by the 100% electric e-NV200 - will charge into Berlin for its inaugural reveal tomorrow night ahead of Saturday's UEFA Champions League Final, before exciting fans outside The Olympiastadion prior to kick-off. Some of the unique van's standout attributes include a dazzling disco ball solar panel array on the roof which absorbs daylight to power some of this one-off vehicle's features, an augmented reality system where users will be able to jump into their own party scene before sharing it with friends on social media and a custom-made sound system capable of throwing the best silent disco party.