Foster + Partners and Nissan to redesign electric car fuel stations

London architecture firm Foster + Partners is working with car brand Nissan to develop a concept for a charging station for electric vehicles.

Foster + Partners and Nissan are drawing up plans for a Fuel Station of the Future, to cater for the one million electric vehicles they estimate will be on the road by 2020.

The concept will investigate the impact of zero-emission vehicles on future infrastructure design, and the team has drawn up plans for an electric fueling hub it believes could replace petrol stations. The final concept will be revealed at the end of the year.

"The aim of our collaboration with Nissan is to highlight the magnitude of the challenge that we face in evolving our cities to meet change," said David Nelson, head designer at Foster + Partners. "New technologies, alternative forms of fuel and changing trends within our society are all having a huge impact on the way we get around."

"It seems to be clear that electric vehicles will be a major feature of the urban landscape and as a result this presents an exciting opportunity to rethink the fuel station for future generations."

Sales of the Japanese car brand's electric models grew by 33 per cent in 2014, and Nissan claims this growth pattern will accelerate. At the beginning of this year, its design for a electric version of London's infamous black cabs was approved for fare-paying passengers.

Numerous new electric and hybrid vehicles models were also launched at this year's Geneva Motor Show adding to the variety already available.

Pierre Diernaz, the director of Nissan's electric vehicle department, said that old-fashioned fuel stations must be adapted to accommodate this rising demographic.

"Our current refueling infrastructure model is out-dated and faces an uncertain future unless it rapidly adapts to support the changing needs of consumers," he said. "By 2020, there will be almost one million electric vehicles on the road, so it is imperative that there is an infrastructure in place to support this growth."

Tesla founder Elon Musk, whose company produces only electric vehicles, recently unveiled a pair of batteries designed to reduce the reliance on fossil fuels for generating electricity for homes and businesses. Apple is also rumored to be working on an electric car.

Foster + Partners is no stranger to designing for transport. Along with numerous airport projects, including terminals in Beijing, Kuwait and Amman, it was recently appointed to create an £8 billion transport system for the Saudi Arabian capital, Jeddah.

Source: http://www.dezeen.com/

Petrolicious uncages the Nissan Bluebird

With around 30 examples believed to be in the US, the Nissan Bluebird coupe is a very rare bird. Rather than keep it in a cage, owner Troy Ermish is happy to dump the clutch for a smoky burnout in the latest video from Petrolicious. This is definitely a man who's not letting a thing like the vehicle's scarcity affect his enjoyment.

Ermish is an expert on the Bluebird and its North American cousin, the Datsun 510. He started out racing them, then began dealing in parts, and now specializes in restoring them, particularly for motorsports. Ermish has owned a whopping 230 of them over the years – so many that he's stopped counting.

The opening that replaces one headlight is the first hint that Ermish's personal Bluebird is far from stock. Under the hood, the 1.6-liter engine remains, but it wears an aftermarket head and a set of massive carbs. The combo allows the little engine to howl as he brings the revs up. The interior is largely stripped out and replaced by two racing seats, a huge tach, and exposed wiring.

Ermish's shop is like a 510 graveyard on the outside. However, it's closer to a museum dedicated to Datsun on the inside. There are beautiful examples packed in wherever you look, and all of them appear ready to take to the track at any moment.

Source:  autoblog.com

Nissan bringing Qashqai, Rogue hybrid to US

Nissan will be expanding its crossover range here in the United States, introducing the popular European-market Qashqai, alongside a hybridized version of the Rogue. Nissan's Kyushu, Japan factory, meanwhile, will churn out 100,000 gas-powered Rogues to capitalize on hot demand here in the United States. The Kyushu move, at least, seems like a smart one, considering just how hot the compact Rogue is.

"We haven't hit the ceiling [on Rogue] yet. We have more opportunity there if we can get our dealers more," Fred Diaz, Nissan's senior VP of sales and marketing, told Automotive News. Amping up production in Kyushu will finally mean the end of the first-generation Rogue, though, now known as the Rogue Select. Somehow, we doubt many tears will be shed.

AN cites "two sources familiar with Nissan's future product" in its report on the Qashqai and Rogue Hybrid, although both moves are a bit strange at first glance. Both vehicles play in the same part of the market, and are both based on the Renault-Nissan Common Module Family platform. As for the Rogue Hybrid, well, we know what happened the last time Nissan tried to add an electric motor and battery pack to one of its crossovers. Plus, we've heard this rumor before.

Nissan, though, seems to think both moves make a lot of sense. While the Qashqai and Rogue are closely related, the Euro-market model is smaller – 10 inches shorter and two inches narrower – making it less versatile, and it wears more handsome sheetmetal. Expect Nissan to field it as such, aiming at buyers that want a CUV for the lifestyle, rather than the versatility, Automotive News reports.

There's a lot less information on the Rogue Hybrid, aside from AN reporting that it will hit the market next year. As for potential powertrains, mum's the word. The gas-powered Rogue uses a 2.5-liter four-cylinder, which is the same size as the gas-engine found in the dead-but-still-warm Pathfinder Hybrid. While we doubt it's as simple as a drag and drop, it seems like Nissan's most recent hybrid powertrain is the obvious choice for the upcoming Rogue.

What do you think? Will the Qashqai be as big of a hit in the US as it is in Europe and Australia? Is a Rogue Hybrid such a smart move considering the tremendous failure of the Pathfinder Hybrid?

Source: autoblog.com

Nissan rolls out updated Juke-R 2.0 at Goodwood

If you thought the original Nissan Juke-R was nice, just check out this latest version. Called the Juke-R 2.0, it's making its debut as promised this weekend at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, packing a series of upgrades to make it even more potent than the original version. And not the least of those is a new, 600-horsepower engine.

For those who don't recall, Nissan first launched the Juke-R four years ago – the year after the production Juke first hit the market. The idea was to cross-breed the little crossover with a GT-R and create what was billed as the world's first crossover supercar. Version 2.0 takes the idea even further.

In place of the 545-horsepower twin-turbo V6 from the GT-R available at the time it was built, the Juke-R 2.0 packs the upgraded 600-horsepower engine from the GT-R Nismo. It also incorporates the enhancements applied to the facelifted Juke revealed last year, including its revised lighting and bodywork. Only the Juke-R 2.0 also features entirely new bumpers front and rear, wheel arches, side sills, and more, all crafted from carbon fiber and coated in matte black.

Nissan isn't saying exactly what she'll do. Considering, however, that the existing version could sprint from a standstill to 60 in three seconds flat, the added power could only make it even quicker. Le Mans driver Jann Mardenborough will be driving up the hill at Goodwood, and we doubt it'll take him much time at all to reach the top.

Source: autoblog.com

Worldwide, Nissan Leaf has outsold next two competitors combined

Nissan may not be meeting some of the more optimistic prognostications with sales of its Leaf electric vehicle, but it's certainly kicking the competition's butt. EV Sales is tracking global sales of plug-in vehicle models and estimates that Nissan has sold almost 172,000 units of the Leaf worldwide. That's more than the two next-best-selling plug-ins combined.

Globally, EV Sales estimates, the Chevrolet Volt extended-range plug-in has moved about 88,000 units, while Toyota has sold about 71,000 of its Prius Plug-in Hybrid vehicles worldwide. Fourth-place Tesla Model S is close behind at about 66,000 units.

Among automakers, Nissan is also by far the lead dog, but Mitsubishi has leapfrogged Chevrolet among plug-in vehicle makers, as the Outlander Plug-in Hybrid continues to sell well. Impressively, the relatively new BMW i3 has moved almost 23,000 units since its debut in Germany last year.

As for Nissan, company chief Carlos Ghosn said at the New York Auto Show earlier this month that the company could sell as many as 50,000 units a year of the Leaf in the US, provided that charging infrastructure throughout the country improves. Earlier this year, cumulative US Leaf sales moved past 75,000 units since its late-2010 launch.

All-new Nissan Titan | Nissan 422 of Limerick

The Nissan Titan has grown long in the tooth over its decade on the market, especially against major competitors on the truck scene like the latest Ford F-150. Not for long, though, because the next-generation Titan is expected to debut at the upcoming auto show in Detroit in January.

Ahead of that big unveiling, the Japanese brand is launching what it calls the Nissan Titan Truckumentary, a series of videos delving into what it takes to engineer a fullsize pickup. The first teaser clip is already online and shows the next-gen Titan wearing camouflage amidst engineering snippets. Hopefully, future releases starting in mid-December will give an even better look.

Until now, Nissan has kept Titan development a guarded secret, but it did reveal that a 5.0-liter diesel V8 from Cummins with claims of over-300 horsepower and around 550 pound-feet of torque will be part of the powertrain range. The truck was has also been rumored to offer a wider range of models than before, including the possibility of a regular cab version and a V6 engine option. Earlier spy shots have given an even clearer view than this video, showing a pickup with headlights pushed out to the corners.

Check out the video above to hear what Nissan engineers have to say about developing the new Titan, and read below for the automaker's announcement of the Truckumentary series.

New Nissan Kicks Concept | Nissan 422 of Limerick

The Sao Paulo Motor Show only comes around once every other year, and Nissan – an automaker deeply vested in the Latin American market – isn't missing out on the opportunity to showcase a new crossover concept.

Called the Kicks concept, the crossover seems to slot in size-wise in between the Juke and the Rogue. Nissan isn't saying much about it, though, aside from its having drawn its inspiration from Brazil with a "satin titanium" finish and bright orange trim – the former taking its cues from Sao Paulo and the latter from Rio.

While emphasizing its Brazilian character, Nissan also stresses that the concept's creation was "a product of global collaboration." So while it isn't saying anything about production feasibility, it is seemingly suggesting that if it were put into production – and as we stated previously, we think it just might – it could stand to be a global model and not confined strictly to South America.

About Nissan 422 of Limerick | Nissan 422 of Limerick PA

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Nissan 422 of Limerick has an experienced and reliable Service and Parts departments that are open extra hours to help fit our customers' hectic schedules, and as always, Nissan 422 of Limerick offers competitive pricing for your automotive maintenance needs. Customer satisfaction is our highest priority, and our staff is committed to achieving this goal in every aspect of our business. Please feel free to reach us at (888) 418-7764 if you have any questions or comments.