Nissan has introduced the Townstar, a new commercial that will replace its e-NV200 in European markets. Actually, the Townstar isn’t new—Nissan neglected to tell us (but InsideEVs helpfully did) that it’s a rebadged and slightly modified 2021 Renault Kangoo that will be available with either a gas or electric powertrain. The Nissan Townstar EV, like… Read more »
Nissan and Waseda University are testing a jointly developed recycling process that recovers high-purity rare-earth compounds from EV motor magnets. Since 2010, Nissan has been working from the design stage to reduce the amount of heavy rare-earth elements (REEs) in motor magnets. Nissan is also recycling REEs by removing magnets from motors that do not… Read more »
In-Charge Energy, a provider of turnkey fleet EV infrastructure solutions, is working with Nissan North America to install charging hardware and software at more than 500 dealerships across the US. The upgraded chargers are part of the automaker’s preparations for the new 2022 Ariya electric crossover, which is scheduled to go on sale later this… Read more »
Nissan has become the latest automaker to say it would like to sell more EVs in the US. The automaker announced its “intention” to make battery-electric cars over 40% of its US sales by 2030 (in addition to sales of hybrids and plug-in hybrids). Nissan also said that “every all-new Nissan vehicle offering in key… Read more »
Electric utility EDF, in partnership with Nissan, has launched a new commercial charging service using vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology in the UK. The V2G technology developed by DREEV, a joint venture between EDF and V2G technology specialist Nuvve, allows bidirectional energy flow in order to recharge an EV’s battery at times of low energy demand and… Read more »
Many in the media have been asking two questions about Nissan. As its aging Leaf becomes a byword for EV obsolescence, will the company rejuvenate its once cutting-edge electrical efforts? And, amid the uncertainty following Brexit, will the automaker remain committed to its Nissan Motor Manufacturing plant in Sunderland, England, which employs some 7,500 workers?… Read more »
At Nissan’s Oppama plant near Tokyo, there are more than 700 automated guided vehicles, or AGVs, which deliver parts to workers in a car factory. Nissan, along with 4R Energy, is now repurposing used EV batteries, which no longer have enough capacity to provide sufficient EV range, to power its AGVs. The first-generation LEAF was… Read more »
Nissan was an EV pioneer with the LEAF, then became an EV laggard as the LEAF was superseded by more advanced models from Tesla, GM and others. Will the Japanese automaker regain relevance with the release of the upcoming Ariya? Nissan has now released some photos and specs for the new model, which it calls… Read more »
Redwood Materials, the battery recycling venture founded by former Tesla CTO JB Straubel, has signed an agreement to recycle scrap and defective battery cells for Envision AESC, which manufactures batteries for the Nissan LEAF in Smyrna, Tennessee. Recycling batteries is not only environmentally sound, but it may soon become an economic necessity, as demand for… Read more »