Cash for Clunker Update

President Obama signed the Cash for Clunkers bill today. It has also be officially renamed to "Car Allowance Rebate System" or "CARS". Officials say the bill should go into full effect sometime in late July and will end November 1st 2009.

We will keep you up to date on the progress of this bill and will be ready as soon as it goes into full effect.

Follow this blog for further details.

More details can also be found at http://www.cars.gov/.

Altima Police Cruisers???

Source: Consumer Energy Report

Nissan to make electric cars in Tenn. with fed help

Source: The Detroit News

Nissan Motor Co. will start making electric cars in the United States in 2012 with the help of a $1.6 billion loan provided by the U.S. government to encourage automakers to produce cleaner and more fuel-efficient vehicles.
Nissan plans to produce electric cars at its Smyrna, Tenn., assembly plant, powered by lithium-ion batteries that will be built at a new facility on the site.

The Japanese automaker plans to start selling electric cars in the United States next year and has lined up partnerships with several state and local governments and utilities to establish charging stations.
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Nissan will initially import electric cars from Japan, but expects to have the capacity eventually to make 150,000 electric cars a year in Tennessee, said Dominique Thormann, senior vice president for administration and finance at Nissan North America.

With two assembly plants in the United States, Nissan was eligible to apply to the Department of Energy's $25 billion loan program for manufacturers producing vehicles in the United States.

"This loan ... will help us put high-quality, affordable zero-emissions vehicles on our roads," Thormann said.

Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn wants the Renault-Nissan alliance to be a leader in offering zero-emission vehicles. Nissan has not shown the electric car it plans to sell next year but says it will seat five comfortably and run for 100 miles on a single charge.

Cash for Clunkers Info

Many people have been asking us about the "Cash for Clunkers" bill. I've decided to write this post to help answer the questions. For those of you who don't know, here's the low-down on the bill- It was designed for several reasons, 1) To help get gas-guzzling vehicles and older vehicles off the road to help reduce emissions and waste. 2) Decrease the U.S. demand for gasoline and oil, thereby decreasing the dependency on foreign oil. 3) To help boost the number of new vehicle sales in the struggling automotive industry. 4) To help consumers more easily purchase a new vehicle and get rid of their old car.

The "Cash for Clunkers" bill was passed by Congress on June 18th. At this time, we are waiting for the bill to be signed by President Obama. As soon as the bill is signed, it will take up to 30 days to take effect.

If you have questions regarding "Cash for Clunkers", you're welcome to contact me (Josh) through any of the following means.

Cell: (435) 705-9243
Email: joshm@stephenwade.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/StGeorgeNissan
Live chat: www.stephenwadenissan.com

The following information was taken from http://energycommerce.house.gov/Press_111/20090505/cashforclunkers.pdf

June 8, 2009
FACT SHEET: CASH FOR CLUNKERS
Committee on Energy and Commerce

The House of Representatives will soon consider Rep. Sutton’s CARS (Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save) Act (H.R. 2460). The legislation is based on an agreement reached by Reps. Waxman, Markey, Dingell, Sutton, Inslee, and Stupak that passed the Committee in May by a vote of 50-4 as an amendment to the American Clean Energy and Security (ACES) climate legislation.

Under the program, consumers may trade in their old, gas-guzzling vehicles and receive vouchers worth up to $4,500 to help pay for new, more fuel efficient cars and trucks. The program will be authorized for up to one year and provide for approximately one million new car or truck purchases. The agreement divides these new cars and trucks into four categories. Miles per gallon figures below refer to EPA “window sticker” values.

• Passenger Cars: The old vehicle must get 18 mpg or less. New passenger cars with mileage of at least 22 mpg are eligible for vouchers. If the mileage of the new car is at least 4 mpg higher than the old vehicle, the voucher will be worth $3,500. If the mileage of the new car is at least 10 mpg higher than the old vehicle, the voucher will be worth $4,500.

• Light-Duty Trucks: The old vehicle must get 18 mpg or less. New light trucks or SUVs with mileage of at least 18 mpg are eligible for vouchers. If the mileage of the new truck or SUV is at least 2 mpg higher than the old truck, the voucher will be worth $3,500. If the mileage of the new truck or SUV is at least 5 mpg higher than the old truck, the voucher will be worth $4,500.

• Large Light-Duty Trucks: New large trucks (pick-up trucks and vans weighing between 6,000 and 8,500 pounds) with mileage of at least 15 mpg are eligible for vouchers. If the mileage of the new truck is at least 1 mpg higher than the old truck, the voucher will be worth $3,500. If the mileage of the new truck is at least 2 mpg higher than the old truck, the voucher will be worth $4,500.

• Work Trucks: Under the agreement, consumers can trade in a pre-2002 work truck (defined as a pick-up truck or cargo van weighing from 8,500-10,000 pounds) and receive a voucher worth $3,500 for a new work truck in the same or smaller weight class. There will be a finite number of these vouchers, based on this vehicle class’s market share. There are no EPA mileage measures for these trucks; however, because newer models are cleaner than older models, the age requirement ensures that the trade will improve environmental quality. Consumers can also “trade down,” receiving a $3,500 voucher for trading in an older work truck and purchasing a smaller light-duty truck weighing from 6,000 – 8,500 pounds.

Nissan Plans $1 Billion Electric Car Plant in U.S.

Quoted from Bloomberg.com:

By Yuki Hagiwara and Alan Ohnsman

June 20 (Bloomberg) -- Nissan Motor Co. and NEC Corp. may invest as much as $1 billion in a U.S. electric car plant, to tap government loans for environmentally friendly vehicles, Nikkei English News reported.

The Japanese automaker will tie up with NEC to produce lithium-ion batteries at the factory in Smyrna, Tennessee, Nikkei said, without giving any source for the information. Annual production capacity at the site may reach as many as 100,000 vehicles by 2012, the report said.

Nissan has applied for a loan under the U.S. government program to support fuel-efficient cars, said Fred Standish, a spokesman at the automaker’s U.S. headquarters in Franklin, Tennessee. He declined to comment further on the Nikkei report. Sadayuki Hamaguchi, a spokesman at Nissan’s Tokyo headquarters, declined to comment on the report.

2009 Nissan NISMO 370Z prices and info...we have it and more

Quoted From Examiner.com:

Nissan announced pricing on the hot 2009 Nissan NISMO 370Z, the second generation of higher-performance versions of the carmakers sports car prepared by Nissan’s Specialty Vehicles Group in conjunction with Autech Japan, Nissan’s longstanding conversion partner.

The 370Z NISMO will have a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price of $39,130.

For that price, the NISMO-equipped Z-car will be fully equipped for high performance driving, with only three accessories offered, NISMO carpeted floor mats, illuminated kick plates on the door sills and a carpeted trunk mat.

Not surprisingly, the NISMO Z’s version of the 3.7-liter V-6 engine’s output will be bumped from the standard coupe’s 332 horsepower to 350 horses, which Nissan credits “in part” to a special free flow dual exhaust system and muffler tuning, and tweaks to the engine control module.

The only transmission offered will be a close-ratio 6-speed manual gearbox with the SynchroRev Match, the electronically-controlled rev matching synchronized downshift matching system that will shave years from learning to heel-and-toe, mainly because it doesn’t need to be done anymore.

Sports cars are supposed to go around corners and the NISMO 370Z better than ordinary Z’s, so Nissan’s primo sports car complies with a reinforced strut tower brace and a pair of "performance body dampers." These latter are horizontal transverse tubes, one lows in front of the radiator and the other by the rear suspension pickups. With the magic of pistons and hydraulics, the dampers compensate for road-input vibrations and add stability, performance feel and are said to improve turn-in.

Beyond that, the NISMO-turned suspension has its own springs, shocks and anti-roll bars, plus the obligatory bigger wheels and tires. Nineteen-inch RAYS forged-aluminum alloy wheels are wider than the standard wheels and a have a skinny spoke design that are the rolling stock equivalent of a thong: they get the job done but really do a good job of showing what’s beneath. The round and black that come with them are Yokohama ADVAN Sport Y-rated high performance tires. Tire sizes are staggered—wider at the rear than front. The numbers on the sidewall read 245/40R19 front and 285/35R19 rear.

Nissan Sport Brakes and a viscous limited-slip differential are also part of the NISMO modifications to the Z.

The NISMO 370Z will be easy to spot. Instead of the hyper-decorations of its predecessor, the second generation is plainer for improved aerodynamics. The changes from the standard 2009 370Z include and extended nose with a canard design at each corner to increase downforce, plus a chin spoiler integrated into the design. New side sills and an alteration to the rear fascia improve airflow under the Z. And it wouldn’t be a NISMO Z without a magnum-sized rear wing.

The interior reminds the driver even before pushing the start button that it’s the NISMO edition of the Nissan 370Z with NISMO embroidered in red and white on the fabric sport seat seatbacks which are accented with red stitching. Red stitching also is used on the leather steering wheel. The shifter is leather covered as well, the instrument panel has an exclusive NISMO tachometer and the NISMO Z gets aluminum trimmed pedals.

And for bragging rights and a form of ensuring authenticity, every Nissan NISMO 370Z has a serially numbered identification plate on the bulkhead behind the seats.

Having just driven the standard 2009 Nissan 370Z equipped with sport package—expect a full review soon—we’re looking forward to sliding behind the wheel of the NISMO Z as well. We’ll keep you posted.

Nissan cube Named a '2009 Top 10 Coolest New Car Under $18,000' by Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com

Quoted From Market Watch:

FRANKLIN, Tenn., June 19, 2009 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- The all-new 2009 Nissan cube, (which went on sale at Nissan dealers nationwide in May, has been named a "2009 Top 10 Coolest New Car Under $18,000" by Kelley Blue Book's kkb.com.

In selecting the new cube in its first year of eligibility, the editors from Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com stated:
"High fashion and a low price make the Nissan cube an excellent choice for buyers who want to look cool on a budget. The cube takes the compact box concept and elevates it with distinct details like asymmetrical rear styling and a supremely roomy and flexible interior."

The 2009 Nissan cube has a starting Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $13,990 for the cube 1.8 equipped with a 6-speed manual transmission. Available cube technology includes the Nissan Intelligent Key with Push Button Ignition, Bluetooth Hands-free Phone System, Rockford Fosgate subwoofer with six upgraded speakers, XM Satellite Radio (XM(R) subscription required, sold separately) and Interface System for iPod.

"The cube(R) was designed to stand out in a crowd offering unmistakable style, a unique interior, over 40 available accessories, all at a great value. From the cube(R) 1.8 to the cube(R) Krom(TM), Nissan has proven that a box can definitely still be cool," said Al Castignetti, vice president and general manager, Nissan Division, Nissan North America, Inc. "The Kelley Blue Book kkb.com accolade is a great way to kick off the summer and adds strong validation of cube's fun factor."

Along with the cube 1.8, three other models are also offered: cube 1.8 S, cube 1.8 SL, and cube 1.8 Krom, which offers an exclusive integrated body design, 16-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, sporty interior treatment, Rockford Fosgate subwoofer and more.

The new cube is available with more than 40 individual accessories, ranging from a unique 20-color interior illumination kit and "shag dash topper" to aerodynamic body kits and custom 16-inch aluminum-alloy wheels - allowing cube owners to personalize their vehicles to reflect their own tastes and personalities.

Motor Trend First Drive: Nismo 370Z

Quoted From Motor Trend:

First Drive: 2009 Nissan Nismo 370Z
C'mon, Try Me: From Boy-Racer to Ground-Effects Track Car

By Scott Mortara
Photography by Julia LaPalme

Everything about the all new Nissan NISMO 370Z is better: interior, exterior, and especially the performance. Horsepower and torque have been bumped up a bit. The NISMO gets 18 more horsepower than the 370 sport, along with 400 more revs, while the torque is up by six pound-feet.

But the real story is how different this car feels from its predecessor, the NISMO 350Z. The crisp turn in is still there, but now you get good rotation as well. Going into a corner, the front end bites hard just as the rear starts to come around letting you get through and out of the turn even better. This new feel gives you amazing confidence, really letting you push the car hard. All this is possible due to the new suspension tuning: The front spring rate has been increased by 15 percent, rear by 10, front stabilizer rate is up 15 percent, rear 50, and the front damping factor is up 40 percent with the rear up a considerable 140 percent, all of which increases roll stiffness by 15 percent. These adjustments have made the NISMO an incredible track car.

The exterior has significant changes as well. Gone are the boy-racer looks and front fangs, replaced with a much more subtle yet equally effective ground-effects package.

The front appears similar but the rear is completely different than the NISMO 350Z's. The large, square tail and rear diffuser have been replaced with a much cleaner, more integrated rear end. The diffuser is still there, but it doesn't stick out as much, giving the car much sleeker look.

As for the interior, changes are not as drastic, just a bit of decoration. Nissan has adorned the seats and tachometer with the NISMO name and added a numbered NISMO plaque between the seats. Additional NISMO emblems are found on the strut tower brace, each wheel, the rear hatch, the exhaust finishers, and the dampers -- that's 16 in all.

It's nice to see a company evolve its product, taking something that was good and making it better. That's exactly what Nissan has done with the new NISMO 370Z.

Renault-Nissan Electric Vehicles to Feature Swappable Batteries

From The Motor Report:

THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE REVOLUTION is well under way.

To bolster its position as one of the leaders of the emerging propulsion technology, Renault-Nissan has announced the first details of the recharge system to be used on its forthcoming electric vehicle range.
When Renault’s first EV goes on sale in Europe in 2011, owners will be able to recharge their cars in one of three ways. Regular and quick recharges will be available by simply plugging the car in whilst parked, for those in a real hurry though a complete battery swap will also be available in under three minutes.
A regular charge will see a depleted battery fully charged in between four to eight hours, depending on the outlet voltage.
Quick charging the battery will restore 80 percent of the batteries charge in just 20 minutes.

Battery swapping would be done in a fully automated process as displayed by the likes of Better Place, who is currently in talks regarding the setup of a network of recharge points and swap stations along Australia’s East Coast.
While customers would own their vehicles, Renault-Nissan would own the high-cost battery packs which will be leased to vehicle owners.
Public and private business will provide recharge and battery swap facilities which would be billed on a similar system to a mobile phone. A fixed fee for a set distance with the option to add additional kilometres to the traveling range as required.

Renault will have its first electric vehicle, a production version of the Kangoo ZE concept ready for sale by 2011. Nissan will offer an EV of its own in Europe the following year.

Nissan Australia confirmed to The Motor Report that its first EV model will also arrive in Australia in 2012.
Subaru’s All-Electric Stella and Mitsubishi’s i MiEV electric vehicles have already hit the roads in Japan and Mitsubishi has complied the i MiEV with Australian Design Rules, pending head office approval of the vehicle for sale in Australia.

While there is no word yet on how replaceable the batteries of those models are, both could potentially be launched here soon and with the help of re-charge suppliers, the electric dream may not be far off becoming a reality in Australia.

Nissan GT-R SpecV shows that it can deliver more power

From 4WheelsNews.com:

Judging from the recent available photos that contrasts both Nissan models, it seems that the assumptions, that the SpecV model would not be receiving any significant power upgrades over the standard GT-R, but would instead focus on improving driving dynamics through weight reduction and handling modifications, were not accurate.
It shows that the exhaust wheel of the new SpecV is larger than the regular Series II GT-R and comes with a flatter blade, indicating that the new model will come with a different turbocharger. This is good news to tuners since they can expect to squeeze out more power from it before it maxes out. However, the important discovery here is that the SpecV will overshoot the regular GT-R’s 485hp (362kW). This further explains why the pricing for individual parts of the SpecV shows the turbochargers as a separate part and priced higher than the standard GT-R model. This is not the first time that Nissan has underrated the power yield of its GT-Rs. Because of the voluntary power limit of 276hp (206kW) in Japan, this has become a common practice for versions of the preceding R34 model. Photo after the jump!

Nissan Unveils "By Wire" EA2 Concept

From Edmunds Inside Line:

The mock-up of the Nissan EA2 concept is done on the-first generation Murano chassis. (Photo courtesy of Nissan Motors Corporation Inc.)

(Photo courtesy of Nissan Motors Corporation Inc.)

With the center console out of the way, passengers can move easily between the two front seats. (Photo courtesy of Nissan Motors Corporation Inc.)

The drive-by-wire EA2 offers a fold-up center console and column-less steering. (Photo courtesy of Nissan Motors Corporation Inc.)

CASCAIS, Portugal — Imagine a small car with the elbow room of a midsize sedan, or a short SUV with ample room for seven. Designers and engineers at Nissan Motor Corporation have, and the resulting concept vehicle was unveiled in Cascais, Portugal today as the automaker kicked off a show and tell of its global product line for North American journalists.

Thinking behind the "EA2" Concept isn't revolutionary: Eliminate a lot of the plumbing and mechanical linkages that make brakes, steering and transmissions in today's cars work and you free up tons of space for designers to work with.

The EA2, built on the first-generation Murano crossover SUV platform, does all that, and more.

Replacing the conventional braking system with one that's electronically actuated and replacing conventional steering with a wheel that sends steering input signals via electrical wires rather than a solid steering shaft have enabled Nissan to increase interior length by 110 millimeters, or 4.33 inches — room enough for a third row of seating.

The by-wire steering also helps improve ingress and egress through the use of a smaller-diameter yet still easy-to use steering wheel.

Replacing mechanical transmission linkage with a shift-by-wire system permitted designers to use a movable center console that, Nissan says, makes it "easier to move between the driver and front passenger seats."

That's while the vehicle is parked, we hope.

Replacing all those pumps and mechanical links with wires also results in a considerable weight reduction that could make it possible to use smaller, more fuel-efficient engines to provide the same level of performance in new, "skinnier" by-wire models of various cars and trucks.

And fuel efficiency is the auto industry's grail these days.

What this means to you: Lighter, quieter, more spacious cars and trucks, possibly even slightly more fuel-efficient, starting in the luxury segments but moving down to everyman territory if there's sufficient demand. — John O'Dell, Senior Editor, Edmunds' Green Car Advisor