BOSTON (Feb. 9, 2010) - The Renault-Nissan Alliance
today announced that Nissan is entering into an agreement with the Commonwealth
of Massachusetts to advance zero-emission mobility throughout the state by
promoting the development of an electric-vehicle charging network and policies
to support widespread adoptions of electric cars. The announcement was made at
the Museum of Science in Boston, a stop on the Nissan LEAF Zero Emission Tour, and
helps pave the way for the 2010 introduction of Nissan LEAF, the industry's
first all-electric, zero-emission car designed for the mass market.
"The Renault-Nissan Alliance has committed to
becoming a global leader in zero emissions," said Carlos Tavares, Chairman,
Nissan Americas. "Zero-emission mobility is the ultimate solution for
addressing questions of climate change and energy independence. We applaud the
State of Massachusetts for leading the way for the reduction of greenhouse
gases. We are looking forward to bringing the Nissan LEAF, the only
mass-marketed all-electric zero-emission car at an affordable price, to Massachusetts."
As part of the agreement, Nissan and the State of
Massachusetts will develop plans to promote a charging infrastructure for
electric cars that encourages home and workplace charging, as well as a public
charging infrastructure. The partners will work to coordinate the establishment
of policies and help streamline charging infrastructure deployment. Nissan also
has agreed to make available a supply of electric vehicles statewide.
The agreement is part of the Commonwealth's broad
initiative to encourage development and deployment of electric-vehicle technology,
consistent with its leading commitment to greenhouse-gas emission reductions.
"Electric-vehicle technology is a significant way
to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions and expand our clean energy economy," said
Energy and Environment Affairs Secretary Ian Bowles. "We look forward to the
day when it's just as routine - or more so - to plug in the car for recharging
as it is to fill up the gas tank."
Nissan, along with alliance partner Renault, is the
only automaker committed to making all-electric vehicles available to the mass
market on a global scale. Nissan LEAF, a
five-passenger all-electric car, will be available for private and fleet
customers. It is being launched in the U.S., Japan and Europe in late 2010.
Nissan has spearheaded a holistic approach to
zero-emission mobility by working with states, municipalities, utility
companies and other partners, to prepare markets and infrastructure. Nissan has
formed more than a dozen partnerships in the United States, in areas including
State of Tennessee, the State of Oregon, Sonoma County, San Diego and San
Francisco in California, Phoenix and Tucson, Ariz., Washington D.C., Seattle, with
the City of Orlando and Orlando Utilities Commission, with Progress Energy in
Raleigh, N.C., and with the City of Houston and Houston-based Reliant Energy.
Nissan also is working with AeroVironment for the supply and installation of
home charging stations, creating a one-stop shop for the Nissan LEAF and its
charging equipment.
Through the 24-city Nissan LEAF Zero-Emission Tour,
which stopped in Massachusetts today, Nissan has been showcasing the electric
vehicle and battery technology as well as the company's zero-emission mobility
objectives.
Nissan North America
In North America, Nissan's operations include automotive
design, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing,
distribution and manufacturing. Nissan
is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program 2010,
whose key priorities are reducing CO2 emissions, cutting other emissions and increasing recycling. More
information on the Nissan LEAF and zero-emission mobility can be found at www.nissanusa.com/leaf-electric-car.
Renault-Nissan
Alliance
The
Renault-Nissan Alliance has begun zero-emission vehicle initiatives in Kanagawa
Prefecture and Yokohama in Japan, as well as in Mexico, Israel, Denmark,
Portugal, Monaco, the UK, France, Switzerland, Ireland, China and Hong Kong. The Renault-Nissan Alliance, founded
in 1999, sold 6,085,058 units in
2009.. The objective of
the Alliance is to rank among the world's top three vehicle manufacturers in
terms of quality, technology and profitability.
Nissan offers
top-quality navigation system for low price
Just a few years ago, I
would question the value of any navigation system. The cost didn't justify the
benefit. Why would anyone pay a few thousand dollars for a digital map --
especially when you could buy a high-tech, hand-held system for a few hundred
dollars or a paper one for 99 cents?
The only benefit to
some of those navigation systems the hand-helds didn't offer was a backup
camera. And while I like the next gadget, how often would I even use it? I know
where I work, where I live and the location of most of the places I go, a nav
system seemed extravagant and expensive.
However, navigation
systems today offer a slew of features that forced me to re-evaluate their
benefits. These systems are much more than mere glowing electronic maps mounted
in your dashboard, they are personal assistants with the potential to read your
text messages, find the cheapest gasoline and route any vehicle around traffic
bottlenecks.
Easy to connect other
devices
Now, Nissan Motor Co.
will begin offering a navigation system for a few hundred dollars this January
on some of its high-volume, low-price cars. Call it Navi for the masses.
During a quick test of the system in a Nissan Sentra, I
found it on par with some of the most expensive systems available. The 5-inch
touch screen and intuitive instructions meant I could do everything I needed
without ever consulting the owner's manual or calling Nissan's public relations
department on how to connect the phone or find a specific function.
The system, developed
by Bosch and Nissan, mounts directly into the dash and comes complete with a
host of features such as Bluetooth connectivity for your phone, USB connections
for your personal music device, easy operation of your iPhone, XM satellite and
XM Traffic NavTraffic. It's complete, simple and 400 bucks.
This thing changes the
equation completely on weighing costs and benefits. When it's priced on par with
some of the top-of-the-line hand-held navigation systems, I would much rather
have it mounted directly in the dash. Sticking something to my windshield can
only lead to it falling off and the annoyance of cords mucking up the clean
lines of the dash.
Better yet, the system
was easy to connect with my iPhone and tuck away in the center console and jam
tunes. Additionally, when you arrive at your destination, you can disconnect a
fully charged iPhone and head out. If you choose to leave the device in the car,
it is out of the way. Other windshield mounted devices have to be stowed and
that takes a few minutes. Today's savvy crook also may know a few things about
cars and could still bash out your window if he sees that tell-tale suction cup
mark on your windshield -- even if the device is out of sight.
The Bluetooth
connection with the phone also works very well. A button on the steering wheel
allows the driver to answer and hang up, and connecting the phone to stereo
means when the phone rings, you don't have to reach for the volume before
answering the call. Actually, the moment the volume drops on the stereo, you
know a call is coming your way. Additionally, the system downloads your phone's
contact list and call register to make finding the right number on the touch
screen very easy.
Perhaps the only
serious drawback is the screen's size, which at 5 inches gets very crowded with
information.
Best deal
around
The color LCD screen
can provide mapping views from straight above the point or a three-dimensional
view that looks as if you're viewing yourself from an airplane. I prefer this
view as it seems to provide better context to the map and where you're headed.
If you have XM
satellite, you'll have easy touch-screen access to the multitude of channels
ranging from pop music and talk radio to lifestyle shows and crass comedy
channels. The XM NavTraffic also will keep you updated on specific problems in
your area and, if you ask it to, route you around a troubled, slow-moving area.
This system also will
create an Eco-Route, which is a greener way of driving. The system calculates
the best route to save fuel and cut CO2 emissions. I don't blame Nissan for
adding this feature because a lot of consumers seem to want it, but that doesn't
mean it's not silly.
What's not silly is
this unit's low price. When it arrives in January, it's a feature customers will
certainly enjoy. The only other company with an inexpensive navigation device on
its vehicles is Suzuki Motor Co., which offers a Garmin GPS navigation device on
the SX4 crossover. That system adds the advantage of portability because the
Garmin unit can be pulled out of the Suzuki and taken with the driver; the
Nissan unit cannot.
However, Nissan
provides one feature Garmin doesn't: The new unit also can be connected to a
backup camera.
While the new Nissan
navigation system feels like a breakthrough with all of its features and low
price, I wonder how long it will last. The advent of smart phones seems to
undermine many navigation systems and as soon as someone invents a backup camera
app, it will hurt them even more.
But until then, dollar
for dollar, the new Nissan system is one of the best deals around.