Nissan LEAF 2013 News

Flares have never gone out of fashion in Japan and the annual Tokyo Auto Salon shows why.

The electric dream is fast turning into a nightmare - Australian sales of electric vehicles have dwindled to a trickle.

A vote by 75 motoring journalists from 22 countries has awarded the compact prestige car the World Car of the Year award for 2015.It finished on top of a 24-car field and eventually beat the two other finalists, the Ford Mustang and Volkswagen Passat.The other big prizes for 2015, Green Car of the Year and Performance Car of the Year, went to the plug-in hybrid BMW i8 and the Mercedes-AMG GT coupe.The winners were announced at the New York Motor Show today at an event hosted by Bridgestone Corporation and Autoneum at the culmination of a six-month voting process.The C-Class delivers levels of refinement, luxury, safety, ride and handling that challenge best-in-class.The awards are in their 11th year and previous winners include the Audi A6, BMW 3 Series, Lexus LS460 and Volkswagen Golf, Polo and Up.To be eligible for the overall World Car award, candidate cars must have become available for sale on at least two continents between January 1, 2014 and May 31, 2015.The WCOTY wins by Mercedes-Benz follow its victories in the Green Car contest in 2007 with the E320 Bluetec and 2012 with the S 250 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY and its Luxury Car success with the S Class in 2014.“We are extremely delighted of winning the honour of World Car of the Year,” says the chairman of Daimler, Dr Dieter Zetsche.The WCOTY victory follows a similar success for the C-Class in the CarsGuide Car of the Year award.The WCOTY judging panel says: “Taking its design and technological cues from the S-Class, the C-Class employs an all-new aluminium/steel hybrid platform and updated rear-drive powertrains that delivers levels of refinement, luxury, safety, ride and handling that challenge best-in-class.” WORLD CAR OF THE YEAR AWARDS 2015Overall winner: Mercedes-Benz C-ClassGreen Car: BMW i8Performance Car: Mercedes-AMG GTLuxury Car: Mercedes-Benz S CoupeDesign: Citroen CactusPREVIOUS WORLD COTY WINNERS:2014: Audi A32013: Volkswagen Golf2012: Volkswagen Up2011: Nissan Leaf2010: Volkswagen Polo2009: Volkswagen Golf2008: Mazda22007: Lexus LS4602006: BMW 3 Series2005: Audi A6

THE Audi A3 small car -- which owes much of its DNA to the Volkswagen Golf -- has won the 2014 World Car of the Year, as voted by 69 jurors from 22 countries. The luxury hatch toppled the widely-tipped favourite, the Mazda3 from Japan, in the awards announced at the New York motor show today.The Audi A3 was among five German cars that took out a cleansweep of the 2014 World Car of the Year categories, and it was Audi’s second win in 10 years, having won the inaugural award. Indeed, German cars have won seven of the past 10 World Car of the Year awards, Japanese brands have won the remaining three.Accepting the award on behalf of the company, Audi's North America president Scott Keogh said: “The Audi A3 has only been on sale three weeks and already it’s off to a flying start.”Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management of Audi, said: “This major award win is an achievement that the whole company can celebrate.”The Audi A3 was among 24 finalists that included the BMW i3 electric car, which won the Green Car of the Year and the Car Design of the Year. The Mercedes-Benz S-Class was the Luxury Car of the Year while the Porsche 911 GT3 was awarded top performance car honours.But the Mazda3 had emerged as an early favourite for the outright World Car of the Year award following rave reviews globally since it went on sale late last year. The previous generation Mazda3 has been Australia’s top selling car for two of the past three years, and was the vehicle that ended the Holden Commodore’s record 15-years as the market leader, in 2011.The Mazda3 is returned to the top of the sales charts so far this year -- after being overtaken by the Toyota Corolla in 2013 -- and is likely to take out top-seller status this year buoyed by the new model which went on sale in January.World car of the year winners2014 – Audi A32013 -- Volkswagen Golf Mk72012 -- Volkswagen Up2011 -- Nissan Leaf2010 -- Volkswagen Polo2009 -- Volkswagen Golf Mk62008 -- Mazda22007 -- Lexus LS4602006 -- BMW 3 Series2005 -- Audi A62014 World Car of The Year category winnersGreen car of the Year -- BMW i3 electric carCar Design of the Year -- BMW i3 electric carPerformance Car of the Year -- Porsche 911 GT3Luxury Car of the Year – Mercedes-Benz S-ClassThis reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling 

Nissan has unveiled a sportier version of the LEAF electric vehicle that may appeal to more people at the Tokyo motor show. Called the Nissan LEAF Aero Style it has the same all-electric powertrain but gains some visual enhancements that Nissan says give it a special feel and enhanced attractiveness. The car features a new look front bumper with built-in LED daytime running lights, side sill protectors and a rear air diffuser. It also adds new look 17-inch aluminium-alloy wheels with a special blue accent to give the car a unique feel. Nissan's executive vice president Takao Katagiri said the car's popularity had been extraordinary since its launch, with global sales already topping 83,000 units. "We hope you look forward to the introduction of the Nissan LEAF Aero Style that will retain all the important virtues of the cutting-edge LEAF, but adds a high level of excitement that will surely satisfy all of our customers," he said. The Tokyo show car was finished in a dark metal grey colour, designed to accentuate its stylishness. Nissan says LEAF Aero Style will appeal to customers who want to add an individual touch to their car. The car is set for release in Japan this month but there's no word if and when we can expect to see it (maybe when they've cleared the backlog of LEAFs sitting in showrooms around the country). While the Leaf has been popular in other markets, it has failed to excite buyers here. So far Nissan has sold 161 electric LEAFs this year. _______________________________________  

But do we really care more about volts and hertz than kiloWatts and Newton-metres?

Australia has stalled on the electric vehicle starting grid and will miss out on the new wave of cars coming from Volkswagen, as the carmaker's local operation says there is insufficient demand.The German giant rolled out its first battery cars, the e-Golf and e-Up, at the Frankfurt motor show this week and set a bold goal of being market leader in electric mobility by 2018. With Volkswagen due to have 14 pure electric or hybrid cars on sale by next year, "no other automaker can match the broad range we have to offer", said chief executive Martin Winterkorn.It was starting its push "at exactly the right time" because the technology was mature. "The electric car cannot be a compromise on wheels; it must convince customers in every respect," Mr Winterkorn said.Australians, however, are unconvinced, according to Volkswagen's local arm, which will not import either electric cars or hybrids. "The market hasn't embraced these technologies and until there is sufficient demand we don't plan to offer them," said spokesman Karl Gehling.It was still early days for recharging infrastructure and the lack of government incentives for EVs was also "part of the challenge". Volkswagen already makes hybrids but Mr Gehling said they had been ruled out because they could not compete with the brand's efficient diesels.Only three carmakers have offered electric vehicles here and all have struggled to gain acceptance. Since 2010, when Mitsubishi was first with its iMiev runabout, just 602 EVs have been bought, with the overwhelming majority going to fleets.The high cost of the technology has deterred buyers, with the Nissan Leaf at $39,990 drive away the most affordable of the three after the company was forced to slash thousands off its price to stimulate demand. 

The idea is good, and the green power pluses are mostly fine, but no-one wants to pay to play this way.Global sales of plug-in cars are currently little more than a trickle, even if Tesla of America is currently trumpeting a showroom success - thanks to massive government subsidies across the Pacific - that means its Model S outsold the about-to-be-replaced Benz C-Class last month in the USA.Here in Australia, Nissan has slashed the price of its plug-in Leaf by $7000 and has an $85-a-week repayment plan to try and entice buyers.But the numbers are not good and even Carlos Ghosn, global boss of the Nissan-Renault alliance that leads the mainstream conversion to battery power, says it's going to take time - and large-scale conversion work in China - to turn electric power into anything beyond an oddity.We're expecting the Renault Zoe in 2014 and it drives well and looks good, but Renault Australia has effectively cancelled its plan for a Fluence electric car because Better Place - the start-up energy company that's in all sorts of trouble - cannot deliver on its plans for battery-swap stations across Australia.But there is something new that could also help and it plugs into one of the oldest maxims in the car business - Racing improves the Breed.This tagline is mostly applied to V8-powered racers that have fuelled our appetite for V8 muscle cars, but it applies just as well - or better - to a new category called Formula E. Think of it as F1 with batteries.The plug-in racers are set to run in 2014 in a new world championship that's also intended to take the whisper-quiet contenders into the hearts of some of the world's biggest and best-known cities, including Rome, Rio, London and even Bangkok. The organisers are planning for 20 cars in 10 teams.Not surprisingly, Renault is an early adopter for Formula E and will supply cars and power packs, while TAG-Heuer wants to time the action and get a nice green rub-off for its watch business.“We believe that motorsport is an efficient manner to promote the efficiency of new technologies, and we’re eager to use that single-seater in FIA Formula E championship to show our technology is the best,” says Patric Ratti, managing director of Renault Sport Technologies.But the key to Formula E is huge support from Paris, and the global headquarters of the FIA. The French organisation is responsible for overall governance of world motorsport but is taking a growing role in road safety and the future of the automobile, including its electrification.It believes Formula E can be a powerful tool to drive electric power forward, as well as showcasing the advantages of plug-in power and the performance potential of battery cars.The conversion plan looks shakier in Australia, because we rely on dirty coal combustion for almost all our power, but it still has plenty going for it.A bunch of high-tech single seaters will highlight the latest developments in electric power and, provided no-one runs out of zap, it's a formula for potential success that could revive another of those hoary old slogans from the past.You know it - Win on Sunday, sell on Monday.This reporter is on Twitter: @paulwardgover 

But anyone who bought one has just had thousands of dollars wiped from the value of their vehicle.  Japanese car maker Nissan has slashed the price of its slow-selling Leaf to $39,990 drive-away, less than 12 months after it went on sale in Australia. The new RRP equates to $36,000 before on-road costs are added, which makes the Nissan Leaf at least $15,000 cheaper than the $51,500 price it was introduced at locally in July 2012.Nissan Australia then dropped the price of the Leaf to $46,990 in December last year, but that too failed to spark sales.In a last ditch effort to get Australians to buy a car that runs purely on electricity and has a maximum driving range of 160km, Nissan has gutted the price to within $3000 of a Toyota Prius petrol-electric hybrid (which starts at $33,990 but stretches beyond $40,000 on some models)."We want to sell more," said Nissan Australia spokesman Peter Fadeyev. "We want to stimulate the market."However the 116 pioneer buyers who paid full price and have already taken delivery of a Nissan Leaf may not be so happy about the price cut because it will immediately affect their car's already weak resale value."Early adopter" customers will not be reimbursed the price difference, Nissan says. When asked if those Leaf customers brave enough to take an early punt could look forward to a cheque in the mail, the Nissan spokesman said: "No. New car prices change. We reserve that right like all car makers."Electric cars were hailed as the saviour of the automobile with their reinvention in the modern era five years ago, with some companies claiming up to 10 per cent of all new cars sold by 2020 would run on electric power.But the limited driving range and high cost of the battery technology -- which has pushed up the price of electric cars -- have blunted their appeal in Australia and overseas. And the most informed forecasts are now at less than 2 per cent by 2020.The car industry now says electric cars with "range extending" petrol engines are the next phase of hybrid cars and will find broader appeal.Vehicles like the Holden Volt can be driven a distance of up to 88km on electric power alone before a petrol motor takes over, to give an overall driving range of about 400km. But for all its tech savvy, the Volt's local appeal is limited somewhat by its $60,000 price.Mitsubishi and others have adopted a similar plug-in hybrid philosophy with their new generation hybrid cars.Toyota, the world's biggest seller of hybrid vehicles, also has plans to introduce a plug-in version of its Prius that can travel 20km on a single charge before switching to petrol power.  Today's Prius can drive about 1km on battery power alone. The plug-in Prius has been sold in limited numbers locally and overseas but should reach the mainstream when the new model arrives in three years.This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling

In a solid sign that Australia is turning its back on emission-free electric cars, Nissan has slashed $17,000 off the price of its Leaf hatch. It chops the hi-tech, all-electric car's price to $29,818 plus GST for government and no-for-profit organisations, and $31,818 for fleet buyers. Private buyers will pay $39,990 drive away or $85 a week making it the cheapest volume electric car on the market following the withdrawal from the market in January of the Mitsubishi i-MiEV. It is the second price reduction for Nissan's Leaf since December when the price dropped $10,000 to $46,990. Carsguide finds the price reduction of the car - up to yesterday a $46,990 drive away vehicle - is caused by Nissan trying to push the electric car message but also by the disinterest of motorists in electric vehicles. Nissan has sold only 36 Leafs this year and Australian sales of all-electric vehicles to private buyers totals only 16 to the end of March. This compares with about 3300 sales of the Nissan Pulsar and 124 for the Toyota Prius hybrid. Australia now has three all-electric cars available - the Nissan Leaf, Mitsubishi i-MiEV, and Holden Volt, though the latter technically has a supporting petrol engine. The Volt, which costs $60,000, has sold 24 units this year, and the customer order-only $48,800 i-MiEV just three examples.