2008 Nissan Sentra 2.0 on 2040-cars

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Ghosn: Nissan Leaf can sell 50,000 units in US a year

For the Nissan Leaf, last year was good. So far this year, not so much. In the future, possibly much better, with a little help from the public sector, Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn says. Speaking at the New York Auto Show earlier this month, Ghosn was bullish on potential US sales of the country's best-selling electric vehicle, saying they had the capacity to reach 50,000 units a year, according to Automotive News. The key, Ghosn said, is that federal and local governments will have to do a better job ensuring there is a sufficient network of plug-in vehicle charging stations. That would make the Leaf's 84-mile single-charge range far less of an issue than it appears to be now. It would also give Ghosn a better chance of a decent return on the $5 billion Nissan and sister company Renault have invested in electric-vehicle technology. Last year, Nissan boosted Leaf sales in the US by 34 percent to 30,200 units, and earlier this year surpassed the 75,000-unit threshold for Leaf sales since its late-2010 US debut. So far this year, though, things are slipping, as sales through the first quarter were down 21 percent compared to 2014 to 4,085 vehicles. That's an awful long way from 50,000, but Ghosh didn't say which year he expects Nissan to sell those 50,000 Leafs. Related Videos:

2014 Nissan 370Z Nismo

Michigan is one of those places where we can sub-divide the seasons into good and bad portions, with each producing a noticeable shift. The week prior to my time in the 2014 Nissan 370Z Nismo, it was 65 to 70 degrees and sunny, all week long. Anyone care to guess what the following week was like?
Windy, cold and damp weather typified my week in the Z, with temps hovering around 55 degrees and several days of showers. Yes, I got the first week of the bad part of fall. The Z was hardly happy during its time with me, but we both persevered, and I made a point of sprinting out to the garage anytime the ground seemed remotely dry enough to test this striking two-seater. That enthusiasm waned quickly, though, as the week wore on.
By all accounts, the Z is a car that I should like. It's an uncompromising sports car, but as I discovered during my travels, sometimes a little compromise is welcome, and living with a car like the Z - particularly the angrier, Nismo-tuned model - quickly becomes a case of too much of a good thing.

Nissan Sentra, Buick LaCrosse to headline LA Auto Show

We're less than a month away from the start of the Los Angeles Auto Show, and automakers have been lining up their debuts for the upcoming left-coast expo. The latest announcement comes from the show's organizers who are eager to tout the global debuts slated for next month. Chief among them will be new versions of the Buick LaCrosse and Nissan Sentra. So far all we've seen of the 2017 LaCrosse is a glimpse at the front grille, but it's already promising to bring elements of the Avenir concept to the street. The original LaCrosse was launched in 2004 and was replaced in 2010 with the current model. The Sentra nameplate has been around much longer, but the current model was launched more recently in 2013. The new version spied recently while undergoing testing is promised to be a substantial update on that model, not a complete replacement, bringing it up to speed with the latest equipment and revised styling. This represents the first official confirmation we've received of when Nissan will be unveiling the new Sentra. Mitsubishi will also be on hand with its new Outlander Sport, as well as the redesigned Mirage. They'll be joined as well by new versions of a couple of high-end models that promise to resonate with the local crowds in tinseltown. Land Rover has chosen the LA show as a suitable venue to unveil the production Range Rover Evoque Convertible that will drop the top on one of the most stylish luxury crossovers on the market. And Porsche, as we know, is gearing up to hit the track with the new Cayman GT4 Clubsport - a customer racing version of the company's little two-seat, mid-engined sports car that's been lightly modified for motorsport competition. Of course these won't be the only new metal on display at the Californian auto expo. They'll be joined as well by the likes of the new Infiniti QX30, Hyundai Elantra, Kia Sportage, and Jaguar F-Pace - many of which we've already seen. Meanwhile companies like Fiat, Ford, Mazda, Mercedes, Subaru, Volvo, Volkswagen, and Elio Motors are keeping their plans under wraps for the time being. But with mere weeks to go, it won't be long before we see what they've got in store as well.