Posts Tagged ‘nissan news’
Maker lifted by weak yen but hurt by ongoing China problems.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on May.10, 2013

Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn at the 2013 NY Auto Show.
Nissan kept its balance sheet in the black for the just-ended fiscal year, but despite the lift it got from the weakening yen, the maker had trouble overcoming the ongoing problems it faces in China, as well as some unexpected setbacks in the U.S. market.
The second-largest Japanese maker’s modest 0.3% increase in a net profit of ¥342.45 billion, or $3.4 billion, comes in sharp contrast to the tripling in profits reported earlier this week by arch-rival Toyota Motor Co.

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The two automakers were both hurt by problems in China stemming, but Nissan had other issues to deal with, senior officials acknowledged, the company’s CEO Carlos Ghosn telling reporters that “It’s clear that several negative factors outweighed (the) positive contributions” of such things as the weakening yen.
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Tags: Carlos Ghosn, Nissan sales, auto news, car news, nissan altima, nissan china, nissan earnings, nissan exchange rates, nissan news, nissan profit, nissan us, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, thedetroitbureau, toyota earnings
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Smyrna plant supplying US version of Leaf electric vehicle.
by Joseph Szczesny on Apr.23, 2013

A Nissan Leaf rolls down the assembly line in Smyrna.
Nissan, true to the vision of its chief executive, remains upbeat on the prospects for sales of electric vehicles as its launches production of a revamped U.S. version of the Leaf.
After suffering unexpectedly slow sales last year, demand for the Nissan Leaf has picked up sharply in recent months – and the introduction of a lower-cost model is expected to boost sales even further. Nissan was able to drop costs, it says, by shifting Leaf production to it sprawling factory complex in Tennessee – where the maker is now producing the electric vehicle’s batteries, as well.

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The Nissan Battery Plant in Smyrna, Tennessee is the largest lithium-ion automotive battery plant in North America and the only plant controlled by a major auto manufacturer, giving Nissan complete control of the quality and the technology, representatives of the Japanese automaker, noted Mark Swenson, vice president of product engineering.
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Tags: Nissan electric vehicle, auto news, car news, joe szczesny, nissan batteries, nissan battery car production, nissan leaf, nissan leaf plant, nissan leaf plant tennessee, nissan leaf smyrna, nissan news, nissan smyrna, nissan us battery plant, thedetroitbureau
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But getting buyers back is a problem.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Apr.22, 2013

2013 Toyota Prius again dominated the hybrid and advance battery vehicle segment in 2012.
It’s Earth Day, and if you’re thinking about something more environmentally friendly when it’s next time to trade in, you’re not alone. While sales of “green” cars are often linked to the rise and fall of fuel prices, there’s been a slow but unmistakable increase in demand, especially for hybrids and other battery vehicles which set an all-time record in 2012.
Products like the ever-popular Toyota Prius accounted for 3.1% of the overall U.S. new car market last year, reports data tracking service Experian Automotive, a 49% year-over-year jump from the 2.2% market share in 2011. The downside is that only about one in three hybrid owners buy another gas-electric model when they trade in, according to other industry reports.

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“Hybrid vehicle owners have long been perceived as environmentally conscience consumers,” said Melinda Zabritski, Experian’s director of automotive credit. “While they may have made the vehicle purchase due to caring for the environment, our research shows that hybrid owners are economically minded as well. Hybrid owners tend to have outstanding credit histories, which also has enabled them to obtain financing at lower rates than typical consumers.”
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Tags: auto news, battery car sales, battery cars, car news, chevrolet news, chevrolet volt sales, electric vehicles, ev sales, gm news, hybrid sales, hybrid vehicles, hybrids experian automotive, nissan leaf sales, nissan news, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, plug-in sales, thedetroitbureau, toyota news, toyota prius sales
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Maker moves fast after Diaz defects to Nissan.
by Joseph Szczesny on Apr.15, 2013

Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne and new Ram Truck boss Reid Bigland.
After unexpectedly losing one of its top brand bosses to Nissan, the Chrysler Group is shaking up its executive lineup, putting new managers in charge at its Ram, Dodge and Fiat brands.
The quick switch following the loss of Ram chief Fred Diaz, appears designed to maintain momentum at a maker that has posted three years of month-over-month sales gains. But while Chrysler might be showing off the “depth of our talent pool,” the shake-up also reveals how a handful of top executives are each being asked to handle multiple assignments in an unusual lean corporate structure.

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“These appointments are part of the Chrysler Group’s strategy to continuously reinforce its leadership ranks as we continue on our path to achieve our business targets,” declared Sergio Marchionne, chairman and chief executive officer of Chrysler Group LLC, in a statement issued Monday morning.
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Tags: Sergio Marchionne, auto news, car news, chrysler execs, chrysler management, chrysler news, chrysler shake-up, diaz nissan, dodge news, fiat news, fred diaz, joe szczesny, nissan news, ram news, reid bigland, thedetroitbureau, tim kuniskis
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Are further defections facing Chrysler’s overworked management team?
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Apr.15, 2013

Fred Diaz is shown here during the recent launch of the new Ram 1500 pickup.
Chrysler is scrambling to fill a big hole left in its senior management ranks following the unexpected defection of Fred Diaz, who had been running its fast-growing Ram truck brand. A 24-year Chrysler veteran, Diaz now becomes the new head of sales and marketing for the Nissan Brand in the U.S.
Considered one of the most influential Hispanic business leaders in the U.S., Diaz was one of a small cadre of close confidantes to Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne and helped the Ram brand generate a steady stream of month-over-month sales gains that outpaced the overall U.S. automotive recovery.

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Nissan now hopes that magic can rub off as it sets its sights on achieving a record 10% share of the U.S. market. The Japanese maker also hopes Diaz can help it finally pick up some traction in the light truck market when it launches an all-new version of the Titan pickup a little more than a year from now.
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Tags: Carlos Ghosn, Nissan Titan, Ram 1500, Sergio Marchionne, auto news, car news, chrysler news, diaz titan, fred diaz, fred diaz nissan, fred diaz ram, jose munoz, nissan news, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, ram news, thedetroitbureau
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Latest in series of steps due to defective airbags.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Apr.11, 2013

The 2002 Honda Civic is one of the models impacted by the maker's latest airbag recall.
In the latest of a series of steps that has plagued the Japanese maker for several years, Honda announced it will recall more than 470,000 sedans, minivans and crossover-utility vehicles due to defective airbag systems.
The problem could cause potentially serious injuries, the maker acknowledged, and has been linked to such incidents in the past in other vehicles the maker has had to recall for similar issues. In fact, Honda recalled 750,000 other vehicles due to airbag defects earlier this year.
Reports out of Japan indicate other manufacturer may have additional airbag-related recalls to announce this week, possibly covering as many as 3 million vehicles sold worldwide. That could involve Toyota, as well as Honda, according to a Japanese transport ministry official, though it is unclear if – or how many – additional vehicles sold in the U.S. might be impacted.

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The latest U.S. Honda recall covers approximately 426,000 subcompact Civic models sold during the 2001 to 2003 model-years, 43,000 CR-V crossovers offered in 2002 and 2003, and another 92,000 Odyssey minivans from the 2002 model-year.
“It is possible that the passenger front airbag inflators in affected vehicles may deploy with too much pressure, which may cause the inflator casing to rupture and could result in injury,” the maker acknowledged in a statement.
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Tags: Honda airbag recall, Honda recall, airbag recall, auto news, auto safety, car news, car safety, honda news, japan airbag recall, nissan airbag recall, nissan news, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, thedetroitbureau, toyota airbag recall, toyota news
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Nissan/Renault chief also sees strong U.S. recovery but more troubles for Europe.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Mar.28, 2013

Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn at the 2013 NY Auto Show.
Put on the defensive by the slow ramp-up of the maker’s battery cars, Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn put on a confident face during an appearance at the New York Auto Show and promised this will be a “milestone year” for the Leaf electric vehicle.
With the maker’s second battery-car plant now operating in Smyrna, Tennessee, the executive said inventory is up and demand rapidly growing.
Ghosn, meanwhile, offered a mixed assessment of the global automotive market, pronouncing a bright outlook for the U.S. but more troubles ahead for Europe. He also offered a cautiously upbeat outlook for China.

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“This is going to be a milestone year for Leaf,” Ghosn said, maintaining the positive outlook that has positioned him as the most upbeat of the industry’s top executives when it comes to the prospects for vehicle electrification. He continues to forecast that up to 10% of the vehicles sold by decade’s end will use some sort of battery power.
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Tags: 2013 ny auto show, 2013 nyias, Carlos Ghosn, auto news, car news, china car sales, exchange rates, ghosn ny, japan car production, nissan altima sales, nissan leaf, nissan leaf sales, nissan market share, nissan news, nissan ny, nissan profits, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, thedetroitbureau, yen exchange rates
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Increases emphasis on electric vehicle operations.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Mar.11, 2013

Nissan Chief Operating Office Toshiyuki Shiga with the maker's Townpod EV concept.
Nissan Motor Co. has become the latest of the major Japanese automakers to announce a global realignment of its management team.
More than a dozen ranking executives will be shuffled, see their duties increased – or retire. The moves cover a wide range of operations at Nissan, from marketing to supply chain management to communications, but the maker appears to have put a significant emphasis on its electric vehicle operations.

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NMC’s Chief Operating Officer, Toshiyuki Shiga, will now directly overseas planning and strategy for the global battery business unit, an operation Nissan has already invested several billion dollars in, with a second assembly plant for its Leaf battery car recently going into operation in Smyrna, Tennessee.
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Tags: auto news, car news, japan auto industry, jeff kuhlman, nissan battery, nissan electric, nissan leaf, nissan management, nissan news, nissan shake-up, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, simon sproule, thedetroitbureau, toshiyuki shiga
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Renault/Nissan CEO remains strong battery car proponent.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Mar.05, 2013

Don't expect much improvement in the European car market until at least 2016, warned Ghosn.
The slump in the European market continues to worsen, exceeding even the most gloomy forecasts, cautioned Carlos Ghosn, the CEO of the Renault/Nissan Alliance, and it is likely to take at least three years before things start to rebound, he said during a media roundtable at the Geneva Motor Show.
In a wide-ranging conversation, the Brazilian-born executive said that despite slow sales he remains a strong proponent of battery power. He also said that global corporations should take a hint from the ballot initiative approved by Swiss voters last weekend and put executive salaries up for shareholders to decide.

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European car sales plunged to the lowest level in nearly two decades last year and Ghosn, like many other observers, had been forecasting demand would slip another 3% to 5% as the Continent continued to struggle with a massive debt crisis that nearly shattered the European Union. But based on the results of the first two months of the year, the car market could post as much as an 8% drop for 2013, with little sign that the situation is ready to bottom out, warned the executive.
“The only question is whether it will be bad or very bad” in 2013, said Ghosn, adding that, “I don’t think anybody is forecasting a pick-up of the European market for the next three years.”
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Tags: Carlos Ghosn, auto news, car news, carlos ghosn europe car sales, europe auto sales, european car market, european car sales, executive pay, ghosn battery cars, ghosn electric vehicles, ghosn geneva motor show, ghosn on exec pay, nissan leaf, nissan news, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, renault news, swiss executive pay, swiss vote exec pay, thedetroitbureau
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Performance brand will anchor Japanese maker’s return to Le Mans in 2014.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Feb.25, 2013

The 2014 GT-R will provide the foundation for Nissan's next NISMO model.
Nissan plans to rapidly ramp up its line-up of high-performance models under the NISMO brand, with a new version of the GT-R sports car to join the Juke and 370Z NISMO models the maker unveiled earlier this month at the Chicago Auto Show.
Originally intended to serve as the Japanese maker’s racing arm, NISMO will now get its own headquarters and a plant specifically earmarked to produce its performance street products.

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During a news conference in Japan on Tuesday morning, Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn also outlined an expanded role for NISMO in the maker’s global motorsports program, with Nissan planning to field a car for the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2014 that will be based on the revolutionary DeltaWing project it sponsored during the 2012 running of the grueling endurance race. While details have yet to be released, the new Le Mans car will make extensive use of electric propulsion, as well as advanced aerodynamic design.
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Tags: 370z nismo, auto news, car news, delta wing, deltawing, nismo, nismo gt-r, nismo juke, nissan deltawing, nissan gtr, nissan news, nissan performance, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, thedetroitbureau
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