Calendar

Amsterdam - In the European capital estimated to have more bicycles than people, Amsterdam’s zero-emission push is finding a 21st Century foothold: electric taxis.

Last November, private company TAXI-E began service of a green fleet of 10 Nissan LEAFs in the city called “The Venice of the North”.

Each one of Amsterdam’s 3,000 taxis normally emits up to 35 times more carbon dioxide than a regular car.

And that, to TAXI-E founders Ruud Zandvliet and Edvard Hendriksen, signaled a green-field opportunity.

“Funny enough, we saw the Nissan LEAF entering the market and that was, for us, the moment we thought it’s probably possible to start a successful taxi business using electric cars powered on green energy, and we can greenify a traditionally polluting market,” said Zandvliet.

He visited us at the Hub Pavilion in Davos last year… and he’s been back for more this year. In 2010, Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, showed great interest in our EVs, asking many questions about Nissan LEAF.

This year, Boris was tempted back to the Pavilion by a cup of hot chocolate. Hobs under the vast pans of cocoa are heated by Nissan’s innovative LEAF-to-Home technology which harnesses energy stored in Nissan LEAF’s battery to power domestic appliances.

Over a warming cuppa, the Alliance’s Matt Loader was able to tell Boris about e-LCV prototype, our battery-powered van currently undergoing trials with FedEx in London. Our LCV, NV200, is also available as a passenger vehicle, of course, so maybe we should built an electric version for the extended Johnson family!

And the chocolate? “An absolutely splendid idea,” said the Mayor.

Jan. 20 — Shibetsu, Hokkaido — Auto journalists put the all-electric Nissan LEAF through its paces on three powdery test courses in Shibetsu, Hokkaido, this week, in the freezing temperatures of northern Japan.

Some 230 meters above sea level, media gathered to assess the LEAF’s driving performance and handling in extreme weather conditions, icing any concerns that wintry weather could drastically reduce battery performance.

The innovative Nissan e-NV200 Concept makes its world debut at the 2012 North American Auto Show in Detroit and serves as more evidence of the Renault-Nissan Alliance’s leadership position in the zero-emission auto market. Based on the popular Nissan NV200 multi-usage vehicle, which is available in Japan, Europe and China, the Nissan e-NV200 Concept previews a near-future production version of a full electric vehicle. It is designed to provide businesses or families with flexible, roomy interior space, while achieving a dramatic CO2 footprint reduction.

Dec. 20 –The Mayor of Boulogne-Billancourt Pierre-Christophe Baguet and Carlos Tavares, Chief Operating Officer of Renault, today opened the Renault ZE (Zero Emission) Centre in Boulogne-Billancourt, the first such center to be opened in Europe by a vehicle manufacturer. The center aims to share the ZE experience with all visitors by demonstrating Renault’s EV offering and its ambitions in electric mobility.

Dec. 19 — Wuhan — There’s a new vehicle on the road in Wuhan, a key city in central China, where traffic density is among the nation's highest.

Joule is an electric prototype car from a South African startup, and it's on display at the Climate Change Response Expo at COP17.

Powered by large-cell, lithium-ion batteries, this EV has a top speed of 140 km/h and an estimated range of  230 km (NEDC).

"The five-seater is expected to go into production in 2015, making it the first electric vehicle to be mass produced in the country", says Jaco van Loggerenberg, communications manager at Optimal Energy, the company behind Joele.

By Rakesh Nair, corporate planning, Nissan International

The lyrics ‘When I get older, I will be stronger. They’ll call me freedom, just like a wavin’ flag’ are blaring impetuously from a characteristically modified 80’s Nissan bakkie when it is suddenly overshadowed by The Moses Mahbida Stadium. An irrepressible sight it is, one that beholds and singularly showcases the grandeur the city hosted during the 2010 World Cup. Months have passed since, but the Spirit of Africa remains in every person you meet here.

The most pleasant of smiles, sincerest care, and the loudest of ‘house music’ fills the air as thousands throng the city to conjoin in unison for a positive declaration regarding climate change.

The Climate Change Response Expo is completely dominated by images of the future depicting impact of climate deterioration, showcasing growing needs and deteriorating timelines for developed and fast-developing nations to adhere to a common response to reduce the impact on the environment. It is evident that the change is not for the future but for the present and that is simply the motto of the Renault-Nissan Alliance marquee.

All multinational corporations have had their share of crises in the past three years -- particularly those with a substantial footprint in Asia.

In a keynote address to the Japan Society in New York last week, The Renault-Nissan Alliance CEO Carlos Ghosn described what he’s learned in wake of the global liquidity crunch that began with the Lehman Brothers collapse in 2008; the March 11 earthquake and tsunami; Thai floods; the relentless strength of Japan’s currency; and Euro zone financial turmoil.

The critically acclaimed movie “Revenge of the Electric Car” debuts in Europe this week as a featured documentary in the Festival du Cinéma Américain de Deauville.  (Click here for the full schedule.)

“Revenge” follows Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn and other protagonists in their quest to commercialize electric vehicles. The crew gained unprecedented access for three years inside Nissan, from the board room to the factory floor as engineers, executives and assembly workers brought the Nissan LEAF from concept to reality.

In preparation for the 2011 TEDGlobal conference- as conference sponsors- Alliance activities gather pace this weekend. We have come to Edinburgh to join what is one of the most prestigious conferences for thought-leaders and creative thinking.

Winning an award is always good news for a vehicle manufacturer. So does that mean that winning two important awards in the same year for the same car is twice as good? No, this year I think it's much more significant than that.

As we all know, the Nissan LEAF was voted European Car of the Year 2011 at the end of last year and this was followed, at the recent New York Motor Show, by the car being pronounced World Car of the Year.

Deep beneath the earth, 100 miles south east of Nashville, Tennessee, lies a marvel of nature. The Cumberland Caverns, which stretch for more than 27 miles/43 km, are among the largest caves in the world. And now they’ve become the latest proving ground for Nissan LEAF.

Carved out by nature over the past three million years, the Caverns are a mecca for visitors, adventurers… and for music fans from all over America.

He runs two Fortune 500 companies and travels more than 150,000 miles per year. But we caught up with Renault-Nissan Alliance CEO Carlos Ghosn between sessions this week at the 2012 World Economic Forum in Davos.

Mr. Ghosn stopped by the Renault-Nissan Alliance pavilion, which showcases innovative Nissan technology called LEAF-to-Home. The system uses the electric vehicle’s battery to power household appliances. In Davos, LEAF-to-Home powers a hot chocolate stand – a popular attraction for delegates and tourists on Davos’ main street.

After a meeting with Mexican President Felipe Calderon to announce a $2 billion Nissan manufacturing facility in Mexico, Mr. Ghosn talked to Matt Loader of the Renault-Nissan Alliance communications team about the Alliance’s focus on zero-emission transportation and emerging markets.