By Nissan Global Communications — August 7th 2018 at 21:09
Benedikt Helling has become our INFINITI Engineering Academy 2018 European winner at Silverstone ahead of the British Grand Prix 2018. Let’s take a look at what it took to get there.
270kph on the Autobahn – Kaz drives the Nissan GT-R NISMO
By Nissan Global Communications — August 7th 2018 at 20:59
During a recent trip to Europe, Kazunori Yamauchi, founder and CEO of Polyphony Digital, producer of legendary PlayStation racing game Gran Turismo, met with Nissan to enjoy the most current Nissan GT-R Track Edition and Nissan GT-R NISMO.
Zhengzhou Nissan’s Navara wins at Taklimakan Rally
By Nissan Global Communications — July 20th 2018 at 15:52
Zhengzhou Nissan’s tough Nissan Navara pickup won a difficult stage of the 2018 Taklimakan Rally, an extreme motorsports event in China. Three Navara trucks began the eight-stage rally in Urumqi, Xinjiang, in China’s far northwest. The trucks followed the old Silk Road for 2,769 km, including the blazing hot and technically challenging Gobi Desert. Of 90 automobiles taking part in Asia’s largest annual off-road endurance rally, only 59 could complete the entire challenge.
An Idea Coming to Life: Nissan GT-R50 by Italdesign
By Nissan Global Communications — July 19th 2018 at 16:27
From concept to reality in little more than a year, Nissan and Italdesign have created a new prototype vehicle – Nissan GT-R50 by Italdesign – in their first-ever collaboration to celebrate two golden anniversaries: 50 years of GT-R, in 2019, and 50 years of Italdesign, in 2018.
Insights on sustainable, multimodal mobility from the 2018 World Summit on Sustainable Mobility – by Denis Le Vot
By Nissan Global Communications — July 5th 2018 at 19:37
By Denis Le Vot Senior Vice President, Chairman of Management Committee, Nissan North America, Inc.; Chairman, Nissan North America
“Last week in Montreal, Canada, I was proud to represent Nissan at the Movin’ On 2018 World Summit on Sustainable Mobility. This gathering brought together more than 4,000 corporate, government, and media leaders to explore a central theme: ‘Bringing global, smart, sustainable and multimodal mobility to life.’
“During the summit, I participated in panel discussion with Dr. Peter F. Tropschuh, Head of Sustainability at AUDI AG; and Karim Zagib, Director General of Hydro-Québec’s Center of Excellence in Transportation Electrification and Energy Storage. The session was moderated by Alexis Gazzo, a partner in EY’s Cleantech & Sustainability division. During our conversation, we explored some of the ways that new technologies can minimize CO2 emissions. I was excited to discuss the ‘Nissan Intelligent Mobility‘ concept and share how Nissan’s focus on cutting-edge innovation is advancing our zero-emission and zero-fatality goals, particularly through the deployment of electric vehicle and autonomous drive technologies.
“As I stated during the session, I’m proud that Nissan has been a leader is introducing and advancing these technologies. We’re especially thrilled that, as the EV segment pioneer, Nissan has brought the benefits of the EV lifestyle – and a uniquely fun driving experience – to more than 300,000 customers worldwide.
“One key area Nissan intends to focus on is encouraging more cooperation with the public sector. For example, we have seen firsthand how important government action can be in encouraging the adoption of EVs.
“It’s no coincidence that LEAF sales are strongest in markets where governments are incentivizing EV use – in countries like Norway and Japan, and cities like San Francisco. In Canada, Quebec is a great example. Today, 48% of all LEAF sales take place in Quebec. That directly reflects the province’s efforts to grow its charging network – as well as the ZEV mandate that went into effect this year, and the fact that Quebec provides a considerable ($8,000) tax rebate on EV purchases. These kinds of government investments and public policies are critical to ensuring that consumer utilize technologies that reduce CO2 emissions.
“As we move forward, Nissan will remain committed to accelerating our technology development efforts, reducing the environmental impact of our products and operations, collaborating with public and private sector partners, and making the R&D investments necessary to lead the way toward a new era of more efficient, more sustainable, and safer mobility.”
“The car industry is becoming to the new rocket science.” – Denis Le Vot of @NissanUSA on the growing interest and passion from young scientists and university students. #MovinOnConf18pic.twitter.com/8Ams0mSqYe
Nissan envisions the future of motoring at innovfest unbound in Singapore
By Nissan Global Communications — July 5th 2018 at 18:53
SINGAPORE – Satoru Mizoguchi, Nissan’s senior vice president for research & development in Asia & Oceania, told an innovation conference that driving cars in the future will mean more electrification, more excitement and more connectivity.
Demand was already growing in South East Asia for more electric vehicles, as consumers in the region join a global trend for a cleaner and more efficient motoring future, Mizoguchi said in Singapore on June 5.
Speaking at innovfest unbound South East Asia’s largest innovation festival, Mizoguchi laid out Nissan’s vision for the future of driving: “We believe the near future of automotive is electric, also in South East Asia. There is a growing demand for cleaner and better powertrains.”
“But beyond developing new models and new powertrains, our R&D efforts are also focused on improving the electric vehicle ownership experience,” said Mizoguchi. “It’s about finding ingenious ways and delivering innovations to as many people as people. This includes raising energy density, reducing cost for affordable electric vehicles with long range as well as ensuring high reliability.”
By Nissan Global Communications — June 27th 2018 at 21:13
It has been just two months since I became Chairman of Nissan’s Management Committee for our China Operations. This has been one of the most thrilling times of my career at Nissan.
One of my first acts in this new role came at the Beijing Motor Show, where I was honored to announce our first electric vehicle developed and manufactured in China specifically for the Chinese market. The SYLPHY Zero Emission is Nissan’s second-ever passenger EV and one that’s built upon the best-selling Nissan model in China — SYLPHY.
China is one of the most exciting and dynamic markets in the world, especially when you look at the rapid growth in the EV segment. That’s why the SYLPHY Zero Emission is the first of 20 electrified models we plan to introduce in the next five years as part of our ambitious plan to be the number one EV automaker in China. As I said in Beijing, the new EV era for China has begun. We are proud to lead the way forward by providing high-quality EVs that are stylish, safe, and reliable.
But so far in my new role in China, I have done much more than just speak at motor shows. I’ve spent much more time traveling throughout the country to meet with a number of our partners who are key to our success moving forward in China.
They’re eager, as I am, to build momentum toward the goal of our China midterm plan: TRIPLE One. Part of that momentum is the expansion of all product lines, not only for Nissan and DongFeng but also for Venucia and Infiniti. Our goal is to sell 2.6 million vehicles across all four DFL brands. Our robust product mix already includes the new Nissan Kicks, the Nissan TIIDA, and the frame SUV, the Nissan Terra in China. The Terra features an impressive on- and off-road performance while still offering extreme comfort for passengers. We will meet the critical consumer demand in that segment just as we are doing on the EV front with the new SYLPHY Zero Emission and the new Nissan LEAF.
Earlier this month we also announced plans to manufacture batteries for the SYLPHY Zero Emission locally in China. Partnerships are vital in all of our markets. I see many future possibilities of joining with both established firms as well as newcomers to achieve our midterm goals.
Among all our partners, our dealer network is a major focus in China. I have already had the chance to send a lot of time speaking with our dealers in China. They have been very clear in expressing to me their desire to grow throughout the Nissan and Venucia networks. This is absolutely critical since growing the dealer network in China to achieve 8 percent of the market share is an important part of Nissan M.O.V.E. to 2022.
Nissan M.O.V.E. to 2022 is our global six-year plan to achieve sustainable growth and lead the technology and business evolution of the automotive industry. Growing our dealer network in China is also very important to achieving the goals of TRIPLE ONE, which is an ambitious plan to become the most sustainable brand in the market and the number one company for intelligent mobility technologies in China. Both in China and globally, we see tremendous growth opportunities in the areas of autonomous drive, electrification, and connectivity.
I spent much of my time at Nissan North America focused on dealer relations and aim to bring some of my learnings to this rapidly maturing market. For example, dealers in China are capitalizing on their finance and service departments as tremendous profit centers. This is similar to their counterparts in the U.S. and in other regions. I look forward to helping dealers in China uncover new ways to maximize these opportunities.
I want to thank all of our dealers for their time and feedback, along with everyone who has helped me transition into this new role. It has been a truly inspiring experience.
Most especially, I want to extend a special thank you to every single Nissan, Dongfeng, Venucia and INFINITI customer who has put their trust in us with such a significant purchase. Being the top Japanese brand in China is an honor that we don’t take for granted. Our goal is to exceed our customers’ expectations well into the future.
I could not be more excited about the road ahead in China.
Intelligent Emergency Braking, Vehicle Dynamics Control with traction control system functions and Hill Start Assist – previously available only on some two-wheel-drive van grades – are now standard on all NV350 models.
Intelligent Around View Monitor has been installed for the first time in small-size commercial vehicles in Japan, adding safety when parking in narrow spaces, or when cargo obstructs rear visibility.
Convenience features include the Back Door Auto Closer, which can fully shut the rear door without making a loud noise, while the Automatic Air-conditioner with Rear Cooler features a liquid-crystal display and large knobs to improve utility.
For more on NV350, watch this program, which features interviews with Chief Vehicle Engineer Yutaka Makita and others at the Hadano testing course. (English captions provided).
The Caravan is popular among business owners as well as private customers, who use it for hobbies and leisure, such as camping or surfing.
The exterior includes Nissan’s signature V-motion grille, and its LED head lamps and rear combination tail lights add to the strong design impression while aiding visibility for the Caravan.
By Nissan Global Media Center — July 3rd 2017 at 15:31
“Wheels of Innovation” sculpture displayed at Nissan Global Headquarters in Yokohama
YOKOHAMA, Japan – Nissan Chairman of the Board, Carlos Ghosn, Nissan President and Chief Executive Officer Hiroto Saikawa and other Nissan executives gathered at Nissan’s global headquarters in Yokohama on June 22, to unveil the “Wheels of Innovation” sculpture representing the company’s values and transformation over the past 17 years.
Chairman Carlos Ghosn, CEO Hiroto Saikawa and artist, Nadim Karam in front of the sculpture “Wheels of Innovation”
The sculpture was created by Nadim Karam, a Lebanese artist based in Beirut.
The 5-meter tall steel sculpture features five unique wheels that serve as representations for the drivers for Nissan’s growth: Globalization, Sustainability, Challenge, Alliance and Diversity.
“The power of Nissan has always and will always come from inside.” says Ghosn. “The Wheels of Innovations stands here as an external symbol of what that power can achieve.”
Nissan Chairman of Board Carlos Ghosn speaking at the sculpture unveil
By Nissan Global Media Center — June 5th 2017 at 07:50
Tochigi, Japan – Nissan’s Tochigi Plant is the largest of the company’s three main assembly plants in Japan, in terms of land area. It is about 100 km (62 miles) north of Tokyo. Established in 1968, the plant today largely turns out luxury vehicles and sports cars. A particular point of pride is the plant’s unique manufacturing process for the Nissan GT-R.
Nissan GT-R Polishing Section in Tochigi Plant
The GT-R, a legendary supercar, is known for its mastery at every touchpoint. The craftsmanship that goes into making the model is carried out with the utmost precision, with each part built and finished meticulously. At the Tochigi Plant, a master craftsman, called takumi, brings the GT-R’s polishing to the ultimate level, using sensitive hands and sharp eyes to inspect, check and then polish each coat to perfection. This story explains the discipline behind the polishing process for the model year 2017 GT-R*.
* The takumi hand-polishing process is limited to select colors of the 2017 Nissan GT-R, such as “Ultimate Metal Silver,” in the Japan region.
By Nissan Global Media Center — May 23rd 2017 at 06:43
What excites you the most?
Four different Nissan cars with different powertrains take on the race track in Sodegaura, Japan. Tackling the straights and corners in their unique ways, showcasing the driving performance of each powertrain.
Nissan Intelligent Power makes driving more exciting for drivers while continuing to reduce emissions and increase fuel efficiency. Nissan is developing a variety of powertrain technologies to suit different market segments and regions around the world.
Nissan Intelligent Mobility is Nissan’s direction for developing and offering autonomous drive, electric vehicle and connected car technologies while making driving more enjoyable.
New Nissan X-Trail with Intelligent Mobility: Auto Shanghai 2017
By Nissan Global Media Center — April 26th 2017 at 11:44
April 26, Shanghai – Nissan showcases the new X-Trail SUV with innovative technologies and design at Auto Shanghai 2017, bringing Chinese customers a range of different vehicles to meet their diverse needs.
New Nissan line-up at Auto Shanghai 2017, China
The updated X-Trail with advanced safety features brings Nissan Intelligent Mobility to customers in China.
Nissan Intelligent Mobility is Nissan’s direction for developing and offering autonomous drive, electric vehicle and connected car technologies while making driving more enjoyable.
“It’s a very popular model and a very important model for our brand in China.” said Daniele Schillaci, Nissan’s executive vice president for global marketing and sales.
“We are confident that the new Nissan X-Trail, will meet the diverse needs of our customers in China and help make driving safer and more exciting for them.”
New Nissan X-Trail
New Nissan X-Trail introduced at Auto Shanghai 2017
The X-Trail is one of Nissan’s best-selling SUVs in China. The new X-Trail’s refreshed exterior reflects a high sense of style. The interior features a new D-shaped steering wheel and optimized space, including a flexible 5-seat/7-seat configuration.
This popular SUV delivers an outstanding, sporty drive.
The new X-trail debuted in China on April 6 and is scheduled to be sold in about 150 markets.
For more about Nissan at Auto Shanghai 2017, please go to our global newsroom.
Nissan Electric Vehicles for a more resilient world
By Nissan Global Media Center — March 10th 2017 at 12:41
March 10 – When a natural disaster occurs, one of the first things you’ll miss having is electricity. Nissan’s electric vehicles are more than cars. They have the ability to supply power at times of emergencies when it is needed most.
LEAF to Home system
While the world is faces challenges such as natural disasters and climate change, Nissan EV’s can play a key role in responding to crises, like the major earthquake and tsunami that Northern Japan experienced six years ago.
Nissan e-NV200
The LEAF and e-NV200, not only can it be a from of transportation taking people in and out of disaster areas but it can also become a power source. Re-establishing electricity and access to much needed daily necessities like food, hot water and connectivity.
Nissan is committed to being part of the solution with its 100% electric LEAF and e-NV200, focusing on the Nissan Intelligent Mobility vision.
By Nissan Global Media Center — February 9th 2017 at 08:06
YOKOHAMA, Japan – Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. today announced financial results for the nine-month period to December 31, 2016.
“In the first nine months of the fiscal year, Nissan generated an operating profit of 503.2 billion yen, which represents a 6.1% margin on net revenues of 8.26 trillion yen,” said Carlos Ghosn, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “Although these results reflect continued currency headwinds, we remain confident of achieving our fiscal year guidance.”
“On a constant currency basis, operating profit rose 30.1% to 764.6 billion yen, equivalent to an 8.1% profit margin. Our underlying performance was enhanced by solid product demand in the US, China and Western Europe, along with the continued benefits of our strict cost controls and synergies from our Alliance strategy.”
Fiscal Year 2016 Nine-Month Financial Highlights
The following table summarizes Nissan’s financial results for the nine-month period to December 31, 2016, calculated under the equity accounting method for the Group’s China joint venture.
On a management pro forma basis, which includes the business results of Nissan’s operations in China, FY16 nine-month net revenue was 9.01 trillion yen. Operating profit was 601.9 billion yen. The operating profit margin was 6.7%.
On a constant currency exchange rate basis, pro-forma net revenues were 10.34 trillion yen and operating profit was 882.2 billion yen, equivalent to a profit margin of 8.5%.
Seamless Autonomous Mobility: The Ultimate Nissan Intelligent Integration
By Nissan Global Media Center — January 7th 2017 at 22:25
Jan. 6 – Advances in artificial intelligence are making vehicles smarter, more responsive, and better at making decisions in a variety of driving environments. But we are still not at a point where autonomous vehicles can know exactly how to handle unpredictable situations. This is one of the roadblocks to realizing a fully autonomous future for driving. The solution is Nissan’s Seamless Autonomous Mobility system or SAM.
During CES, Nissan conducted a live demonstration of the system in operation using a link-up to our Silicon Valley Research center. The demonstration of the drive showed just how SAM will work in reality.
Maarten Sierhius, Director of Nissan Research Center
SAM will ensure a seamless mobility system in which millions of autonomous cars can operate safely and smoothly. SAM can help cars to navigate unforeseen situations that occur on city streets, such as accidents, road construction, or other obstacles.
Here’s how it works: imagine an autonomous vehicle is moving through city streets and comes across an accident, with police using hand signals to direct traffic, perhaps across double yellow lines and against traffic lights. The vehicle cannot and should not, reliably judge what to do by itself.
Vehicle sensors (LIDAR, cameras, radars) can tell the car where obstacles are, the traffic light state, and even recognize some hand gestures, but human judgment is required to understand what other drivers and pedestrians are doing and decide on the appropriate course of action.
A Mobility Manager maps a new path for the AD
With SAM, the autonomous vehicle becomes smart enough to know when it should not attempt to negotiate the problem by itself, as in this instance. Instead, it brings itself to a safe stop and requests help from the command center. The request is routed to the first available mobility manager – a person who uses vehicle images and sensor data (streamed over the wireless network) to assess the situation, decide on the correct action, and create a safe path around the obstruction.
The mobility manager does this by “painting” a virtual lane for the vehicle to drive itself through. When the policemen wave the vehicle past, the manager releases the car to continue on by itself along the designated route. Once clear of the area, the vehicle resumes fully autonomous operations, and the mobility manager is free to assist other vehicles calling for assistance.
As this is all happening, other autonomous vehicles in the area are also communicating with SAM. The system learns and shares the new information created by the Mobility Manager. Once the solution is found, it’s sent to the other vehicles.
As the system learns from experience, and autonomous technology improves, vehicles will require less assistance and each mobility manager will be able to guide a large number of vehicles simultaneously. There are several factors that will determine how many managers are necessary: for example, how busy the zone is, and what service the vehicle is providing, whether it’s for robo-taxis, robo-shuttle, or a robo-delivery vehicle.
Live demonstration from the NASA Ames Research Facility
NASA’s Visual Environment for Remote Virtual Exploration (VERVE) software, used to visualize and supervise interplanetary robots, was the starting point for Nissan’s SAM platform. NASA’s robots use autonomous technology to avoid obstacles and calculate safe driving paths through unpredictable and uncertain environments. Where the environment makes autonomous decision-making difficult, NASA supervisors draw the desired route and send to the robot for execution.
Back on Earth, SAM is not for just Nissan vehicles, but for all vehicles.
By Nissan Global Media Center — December 14th 2016 at 01:18
December 13 – Yokohama – Nissan Motor recently announced the introduction of Intelligent Vehicle Towing (IVT), a fully automated vehicle towing system, at its Oppama Plant.
Nissan has worked on making the relationship between people, cars and society more exciting under its Intelligent Mobility vision, a framework for how cars will be driven, powered, and integrated into society.
This new project, which utilizes mapping and communication technologies to link an intelligent and all-electric car to infrastructure, is a step towards the realization of Nissan Intelligent Integration.
The IVT system uses a modified Nissan LEAF to autonomously tow trollies carrying finished vehicles between designated loading and unloading points at the plant.
Unlike conventional automatic guided vehicle systems for transporting parts, which often require the installation of rails or extensive use of magnetic tape, this system does not need any special infrastructure to operate.
The towing car is equipped with an array of cameras and laser scanners that detect lane markings, curbs and potential obstacles or hazards around the vehicle. By cross-referencing this information with map data, the towing car calculates its own location, negotiating the route to its destination unaided.
The towing car travels within the speed limits of the factory, and automatically stops if it detects an obstacle or hazard ahead, before setting off again when it has determined that the road ahead is clear.
The towing route can easily be altered to accommodate changes in production processes or vehicle transport routes. All driverless towing cars are connected to a central traffic control system, which can monitor the location, driving speed, remaining battery and operational status of each vehicle.
When two driverless towing cars meet at an intersection, the control system’s algorithm determines which car should be given right-of-way, and in case of emergency, the system can stop the vehicles remotely.
By Nissan Global Media Center — November 8th 2016 at 00:42
Yokohama – Nov. 7 – Nissan Motor announced financial results for the six-month period to September 30, 2016 that showed an operating profit of 339.7 billion yen, a 6.4 percent margin on net revenues of 5.32 trillion yen.
On a constant currency basis, operating profit rose 31.5 percent to 519.5 billion yen, equivalent to an 8.5 percent profit margin. This reflects demand for core products, particularly in North America and benefits of continued cost-discipline, on-going product introductions and Alliance strategy.
“These solid results were achieved despite recent currency headwinds and continued challenges in Japan and emerging-markets,” said Carlos Ghosn, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
In the first half of the fiscal year, Nissan’s total unit sales were 2.61 million units.
In the U.S., Nissan’s sales rose by 3.7 percent to 783,000 units, equivalent to a market share of 8.7 percent, amid strong demand for the Altima, the Rogue and the Maxima.
Nissan unit sales in China, which reports figures on a calendar year basis, rose 3.8 percent to 610,000 units, equivalent to market share of 5.0 percent. In Europe, excluding Russia, Nissan’s sales rose by 4.4 percent to 319,000, which resulted in a market share of 3.6 percent. The Qashqai SUV and X-Trail helped drive demand in the region.
Nissan’s performance in these key markets helped compensate for a decline in the Japanese market where Nissan was impacted by the suspension of Dayz/Dayz Roox minicar sales.
Total unit sales in the quarter for Japan were 211,000 units, representing a market share of 9.2 percent. In other markets including Asia and Oceania, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa, Nissan’s sales decreased 4.9 percent to 382,000 units.
Nissan Makes CDP “A-List” for Climate Change Efforts
By Nissan Global Media Center — October 25th 2016 at 07:39
Yokohama – Oct. 25 – For the third consecutive year, the CDP has included Nissan in a select list of companies receiving top-tier “A-List” ranking in its annual Climate Change Report. Nissan finished ahead of thousands of other international businesses in the CDP’s assessment.
Established in 2000, CDP (formerly known as the Carbon Disclosure Project) is an influential U.K.-based NPO representing 822 institutional investors, which annually rates corporations for their management of climate change based on a combination of survey data and publicly available information.
Nissan was selected for A-List ranking for transparency in disclosing environmental information and for a plan to reduce well-to-wheel CO2 emissions from new vehicles by 90 percent by the year 2050 from levels in the year 2000.
Nissan was also recognized for pioneering the world’s top-selling zero-emission vehicle, enabling Nissan LEAF owners to power their homes from their vehicles during peak power usage times, and for partnering with companies and local governments to grow vehicle charging infrastructure.
“At Nissan, we take sustainability very seriously through the vehicles that we produce but also through reducing our carbon footprint throughout our entire business operation. I want to express Nissan’s gratitude to the CDP for recognizing our efforts by including us in their prestigious report for the third consecutive year, said Hitoshi Kawaguchi, Nissan Senior Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer.
“As a large global company based in Japan, we recognize that our work in this area can have a great impact, so we are committed to leading by example to reduce CO2 emissions even further in the years ahead.”
Nissan announced in June that it had shrank its CO2 emissions by 22.4% over the past decade.
These efforts to reduce Nissan’s corporate carbon footprint have been spearheaded by the recently established Nissan Energy Saving Collaboration (NESCO), which measures energy loss at the company’s plants worldwide.
These activities are part of the company’s third generation environmental action plan, the Nissan Green Program 2016.
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