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.

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.

The Renault-Nissan Alliance wants to make it easier for people to switch to zero-emission vehicles. The Alliance aims to help policymakers and civic leaders worldwide understand the technological, political and environmental benefits of EVs.

Inside the auditorium of the Edinburgh International Conference Centre, delegates to TED Global 2011 grapple with concepts such as ‘Emerging Order’, ‘Living Systems’ and ‘Everyday Rebellions’. Philosophers, historians, chemists and performers recruited from the interlinked fields of Technology, Entertainment and Design (TED) then brainstorm these key phrases gracefully into conversations and challenges- these will then continue to resonate within the relationships that we are all building within the TED universe.

Preparations for the Alliance participation in TEDGlobal 2011 conference in Edinburgh, UK are now complete and the critical things are all in place- the booth is set up (and our first visitors most impressed), Alliance video is looping on the screen, Nissan LEAF and Renault Twizy looking their best under the lights, and the most important element for a week long conference is assured: a reliable source of good strong coffee!