The 2013 Nissan Leaf has finally been given official stats from the EPA, improving slightly over last year’s model with an estimated range of 75 miles and a combined MPGe rating of 115.

To achieve the boost in range, Nissan worked with aerodynamics, along with providing a wider range of regenerative braking and new energy management systems. Nissan has also improved charging times by fitting an on-board 6.6 kW charger that puts 220V charging time at around four hours.

Compared to the 2012 model, the Leaf has gained 2 miles of overall distance, and 16 MPGe of combined efficiency, but that’s not the whole story.

“For 2013, the EPA elected to use an average of Leaf’s two charging modes to generate the range calculation for the window label an 80 percent ‘Long Life Battery Mode’ and a 100 percent ‘Long Distance Modes,’” Brian Brockman, senior manager of Nissan Corporate Communications told Hybrid Cars. “In the past, the Monroney label displayed range based only on a fully charged battery.”

So the 75-mile range is actually an average between the 80 percent charge range and the 100 percent charge range. On a full battery, the EPA says the 2013 Leaf is capable of about 83 miles. If the test procedures had of stayed the same, the 2013 Leaf would have a full 14 percent more range than the 2012 model.

GALLERY: 2013 Nissan Leaf

[Source: Hybrid Cars]

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Almost two and a half years after the Nissan Leaf went on sale, the little electric car can count 25,000 sales in the U.S.

“With more than 25,000 LEAFs in the U.S. and 62,000 around the world, we’re seeing the adoption curve for EVs accelerate, and there is tremendous interest not only on the West Coast but in a number of new strongholds like Atlanta, Raleigh, Denver, Dallas, Chicago, St. Louis and many more,” Erik Gottfried, Nissan director of EV marketing and sales strategy said.

This year, and especially last month, Nissan reported strong sales increases for the Leaf. Those rising numbers can be most readily attributed to the huge price cut that came with the 2013 model year. But those numbers weren’t always gaining as rapidly as this year. Nissan originally planned to sell 10,000 of its pure electric cars annually, but fell short of that goal.

“We’ve also learned how infrastructure plays a role in a consumer’s decision to go all-electric,”  Brendan Jones Nissan director of EV infrastructure strategy and deployment said. “We already knew that areas with a higher concentration of EVs would require more charging stations, but trends show that the reverse is also true—a more robust charging infrastructure generates greater interest in EVs and stimulates more EV driving among EV owners.”

That charging infrastructure is still extremely limited and dwarfed by the number of gas stations. Earlier this year, the brand announced a commitment to triple the number of quick chargers in the U.S. from 200 to  600.

The Nissan Leaf enjoyed a second month of strong sales while the Chevrolet Volt fell 11 percent in April.

In April, Volt sales fell to 1,306 overall sales are up just 3.2 percent for the year. Leaf sales on the other hand has increased 420 percent over last April to 1,937. Despite the strong April, March was much better for the Leaf, when it moved 2,236 units.

SEE ALSO: 2013 Nissan Leaf Revealed with Improved Efficiency

This year, Nissan lowered the price of its base-model Leaf by 18 percent to $28,800, undoubtedly helping it increase sales the last couple of months. Leaf sales remain a disappointment for the Japanese automaker.

GM North American President Mark Reuss admitted last month that the Leaf’s price cut has impacted Volt sales. But the American automaker is making no excuses for the Volt’s drop in sales.

Both automakers agree on one thing though: there’s a lot of interest in EVs, just not enough buyers.

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Product placement in virtual worlds has been paying dividends for companies, and Nissan is looking to leverage Electronic Arts’ newest edition of SimCity by incorporating its Leaf EV into the game.

If you’re an avid gamer or SimCity fan, you’ve undoubtedly heard about the rough release of the always-online city builder, but that hasn’t stopped fans from building their virtual dream cities. Players will now be able to go green by creating EV-friendly cities starring the Nissan Leaf, the only electric vehicle in the game.

Players will also be able to install up to five Nissan-branded charging stations throughout their cities free of charge, which will give virtual city residents “EV smiles” as they drive around town.

“Nissan remains committed to finding innovative ways to promote the development of EV infrastructure and to bringing practical, affordable electric vehicles to markets throughout the United States,” said Jon Brancheau, VP of marketing, Nissan North America.

GALLERY: Nissan Leaf in SimCity

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President Barack Obama called for a 75 percent boost to the U.S. Department of Energy’s research budget today.

The increase would raise the DOE’s vehicle research budget to $575 million and would help fund the White House “EV Everywhere” initiative, which aims to make electric cars as convenient and available to average U.S. consumers as gasoline cars.

This isn’t Obama’s first gung-ho approach to green transportation. He also called for putting 1 million plug-in electric cars on roads by 2015, but has since backed off the goal.

Pumping money into green transportation has been a source of controversy as companies like A123 Systems, which took $249 million in federal grant money, went bankrupt and was bought by Chinese firm Wanxiang.

SEE ALSO: A123 Systems Sale to Wanxiang Group Approved by U.S. Government

But building up incentives for EV purchases is proving to be a successful plan in other parts of the world. For example, Norway doesn’t levy import taxes on electric cars which helps reduce their price significantly. Not only that, but EV drivers enjoy free city parking and access to bus lanes to avoid heavy traffic.

Most recently, Nissan reported Leaf sales booming in Norway. Sales of its little electric car account for 1.7 percent of the total market – a massive margin compared to the U.S. where only 50,000 plug-in vehicles have been sold since 2011.

Then again, that success is based on encouraging people to buy electric cars, and the Obama plan gives money to the DOE’s research budget. Does plugging more money into making EVs translate to stronger green car sales? Not necessarily.

Automakers are asking big premiums for electric cars and plug-in hybrids. Nissan smartened up with the 2013 Leaf by dropping its price to $28,800. In 2012 they started at $35,200. The revised sticker combined with federal and state tax incentives mean the Leaf can come in under the $20,000 mark – a huge milestone for what many consider to be the industry benchmark in electric cars.

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An undetermined number of Nissan Altimas, LEAFs, Pathfinders, Sentras, as well as the Infiniti JX35 built in 2013 are being recalled over a defect which can cause the airbag to not go off in the case of an accident. 

The issue is with the passenger seat detection sensor, which may incorrectly suppress the airbag from activating in an accident.

SEE ALSO: Honda Civic, Mazda6 and More Recieve IIHS Top Safety Pick +

Nissan is going to be contacting owners and will determine if the sensor needs to be replaced. Any replacements will be installed free-of-charge. Nissan is expecting to start the recall in April.

Owners are encouraged to contact Nissan Customer Service at 1-800-647-7261 for more information.

At the 2013 Geneva Motor Show, Nissan will have the global debut for the new Note that will be competing in the B-segment in Europe.

Joining the European Note will be the Japanese automaker’s Resonance concept, which previews the future of Nissan’s crossover design. The new European-built Leaf will also be on display, showcasing its engineering improvements for the new model year. The Juke Nismo will share the stage with the 370Z Nismo, which will be making its world debut to the public. Lastly, the Geneva Motor Show will also play host to the European debut of the 2013 model year Nissan GT-R.

SEE ALSO: 2013 GENEVA MOTOR SHOW PREVIEW

Nissan will also be expanding its Juke range by adding a new n-tec model to the lineup. It will feature more innovative technology and a striking design package.

GALLERY: Nissan 2013 Geneva Motor Show Preview

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Electric cars are often viewed as the personal transportation solution for the future, though a team of researchers at the University of Oxford in the UK is looking beyond that, to vehicles that drive themselves. And they’ve come up with a prototype that costs far less than you might expect.

While automakers like Audi and tech giants like Google have already publicized efforts in autonomous driving, this research team has matched their billion dollar resources with a “bolt-on” solution that costs just $7,600.

Taking the fully-electric Nissan Leaf, already a futuristic vehicle, the Mobile Robotics Group (MRG) from the university’s Department of Engineering Science has fitted lasers, cameras and sensors to an onboard computer that can read the car’s road and surroundings. The team believes that, “GPS does not offer the accuracy required for robots to make decisions about how and when to move safely.”

Instead, this system works by essentially memorizing a drive route by a human, then copying it, while the car’s censors watch for objects that need to be avoided autonomously.

Engaging the autonomous driving function in the RobotCar Leaf, as it’s known, is as simple as hitting a few buttons on a dash-mounted iPad, while the driver can take back control of the car at any time by tapping the brake pedal – as one would to disengage cruise control.

The goal, according to the Mobile Robotics Group, is to develop a driverless car so that, “we are not condemned to a future of congestion, accidents and time wasting.”

Built for 7,600 on top of the price of a Leaf, the team believes that by 2030 such technology could be installed in the factory for as little as $150!

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The Nissan Leaf is bringing a name on board to its options list that might make your ears perk up: Bose.

For 2013, customers will be able to specify a special six-speaker Bose stereo for their new electric car.

Due to the Leaf being all-electric, the stereo setup was designed to be considerably more efficient than most high-quality stereos. Fitting the sub-woofer into the small rear cargo area was also a challenge for Nissan, solved by using a 4.5-inch woofer in a 6.2-liter custom-engineered Acoustic Waveguide bassbox.

The Bose stereo option will be part of the premium package which can only be had on the two top trim Leaf models, which are SV and SL.

Leafs are available in SV trim starting from $ 31,820, while the top-spec SL trim starts at $ 34,840. Currently, the premium package tacks an extra $1,050 to the price.

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Arguably electric cars are the future of the automotive industry. They promise smooth, quiet, pollution-free driving, but are they ready for primetime? If recent news is any indicator, the answer is a resounding “NO!”

Like a battery-powered, four-wheeled Jesus, the electric car has been hailed as the planet’s salvation. Environmental evangelists and eco-loving governments alike are pushing for the widespread adoption of EVs. In the United States automakers are basically forced to build these amped-up autos because of regulations, but don’t think this is only a federal issue. States are throwing their weight around as well… make that state.

Last year California updated its long-standing Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) law, which dates back to 1990. The changes made in 2012 push for significant reductions in smog-forming pollution and greenhouse-gas emissions. But the big story, and the most damaging bit of legislation for automakers, is an electric-vehicle mandate. The law requires that by 2025, 15.4 percent of new vehicles sold in the Golden State feature zero-emission or plug-in hybrid drivetrains.  That’s one out of every seven cars and trucks!

Of course the legislation paints a rosy picture in other areas as well. Its creators at the California Air Resources Board (CARB) estimate that drivers in the state will save a total of $5 billion in 2025. They also estimate it will create 21,000 jobs.

If automakers fail to meet the ZEV mandate they face some hefty consequences. Distilling the legal gibberish down to something understandable, if an automaker does not follow the rules they will be fined $5,000 for each vehicle they sell that’s not in compliance with the law. That civil penalty is identical to what they pay if a vehicle fails to meet state emissions standards.

This law has basically forced automakers to spend billions upon billions of dollars developing electric vehicles, which has not been a sound investment, especially in such a fiercely competitive market. To date EVs are a blunder of Edsel proportions; really they’re this century’s automotive white elephant.

For example, Ford’s electric Focus hit on the market last May. In the seven months following its introduction dealers delivered a grand total of 693. For a little perspective, the company sold nearly 246,000 Focuses in the U.S. last year. Electric models amount to a raindrop in the ocean.

Likewise, Honda has been no more successful with its Fit EV. Just 93 were sold in 2012.

Naturally, automotive executives are not oblivious to the problems facing electric cars; they just rarely mention them publicly. One of the most eye-opening admissions came from Chrysler and Fiat’s unusually frank CEO, Sergio Marchionne, a man who’s known for dropping provocative quotes from time to time. Reportedly he said they will lose 10 grand on every single Fiat 500e they sell, a car slated to arrive at dealers this spring.

Making the situation even more disheartening, electrified Cinquecentos will supposedly sticker for $45,000. That’s about $6,000 greater than the much more sophisticated Chevrolet Volt, which is known as a “range-extended electric” because it features an onboard gasoline engine that allows the car to be driven when the battery is depleted. The prices mentioned above exclude a $7,500 federal tax credit.

SEE ALSO: Chrysler Will Supposedly Lose $10,000 on Every Fiat 500e it Sells

In an effort to move the metal, automakers are slashing prices and losing even more money in the process. A terrific example of this is what ford recently did with the Focus Electric. Just a few days ago the Dearborn, Mich.-based automaker announced it was lopping nearly 11 grand off the sticker of the battery-powered hatchback. This reduction brings the car’s MSRP down to a less excruciating $29,245, including destination and delivery charges, excluding the aforementioned federal tax credit.

Buyers interested in Ford’s latest electric have until April 1 to take advantage of that substantial discount. Lease pricing is supposedly $285 per month on a 36-month term. Still, that’s a lot of hard-earned buckaroos to shell out for a Focus, a car that starts at about $17,000 for a stripped-down sedan model (including destination and delivery charges).

SEE ALSO: Ford Focus Electric Discounted $10,750

Nissan got in on the discount game late last year when it adjusted pricing of the all-electric Leaf. In an effort to unload leftover 2012s some dealers were allowed to slash $10,000 off the price for lease customers. All told the automaker moved just shy of 10,000 examples last year.

Boosting its versatility, the 2013 model has gained a 14 percent increase in driving range, bringing the total to 83 miles in EPA testing. Engineers were able to deliver the improvement through a 180-pound weight reduction and the implementation of more aggressive regenerative braking. Unfortunately this is just a baby step toward making EVs a useful alternative for people.

SEE ALSO: 2013 Nissan Leaf Gets Longer Range, Lower Price

Even Toyota, the industry’s undisputed champion of electrified vehicles is backing away from pure EVs. Instead, it’s focusing energy on conventional and plug-in hybrids. The company’s chief of research and development, Takeshi Uchiyamada said “The current capabilities of electric vehicles do not meet society’s needs, whether it may be the distance the cars can run, or the costs, or how it takes a long time to charge.”

And that pretty much sums up the problems with today’s electrics. They’re generally too expensive, lack sufficient range and take forever to charge.  Additionally, the availability of public recharging stations is far too limited.

SEE ALSO: Toyota Betting on Hybrids, Not EVs

Mainstream electric vehicles have pretty much been a failure, but arguably they make more sense at the premium end of the market. Profit margins on top-dollar vehicles are much higher, meaning Cadillac makes more money selling an XTS than Hyundai does from an Accent.

Audi’s e-tron concepts are a perfect example of electrifying premium vehicles. The luxury brand has been teasing us for years with the idea of a battery-powered performance machine. So far the German company has released several different concepts wearing the name, many of which resemble the magnificent R8 supercar.

But this may just be another automotive bridge too far. Audi executives had planned to launch the R8 e-tron this year, but as of last October it was reported the project had been put on hold and was under review, practically a death sentence in automotive terms.

SEE ALSO: Audi R8 e-tron Might Still See Limited Production

However, conflicting reports indicate development is still going forward but that the car will only be offered in tiny numbers. Mark Dahncke, Product and Motorsports Communications Manager for Audi of America said “The R8 e-tron project may still be continued in a very small volume of cars that has yet to be decided. What has been decided is that it will not be executed on a large-scale production basis.”  There may still be hope for a top-shelf performance EV from Audi.

At the end of the day electric vehicles are simply too expensive and too limited for most drivers. Car companies are only offering them because they’ve been forced to by California’s ZEV mandate. Until automakers can increase range and lower prices, electric vehicles will continue to be little more than a footnote at the bottom of sales charts.

GALLERY: Electric Vehicles

Towards the end of last year, Nissan announced its plans to expand its NISMO performance sub-brand and there’s no better way to garner attention among young enthusiast buyers than to display those vehicles at the 2013 Tokyo Auto Salon.

Both cars on display, the Juke NISMO and Leaf NISMO, are not new to our eyes but both will help usher in a new era for NISMO. The Japanese automaker is planning a full-force initiative this year and it looks like the Juke NISMO and Leaf NISMO will be the first of many.

SEE ALSO: 2013 Tokyo Auto Salon Coverage

The Juke NISMO, as we’ve seen in the past, features 10 hp more than the factory model, making it good for 197 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque. Most of its changes come with styling accessories and interior changes including black suede and red stitching for the seats. The front bumper is slightly changed to be more aggressive while a split rear spoiler increases downforce.

While the red accents remain on the Juke, the Japanese automaker shed those on its Leaf in exchange for carbon fiber pieces with blue accents. Much of the rest remains the same as we’ve seen in the past, which means both models are what we can expect when dealerships start stocking the NISMO Performance Packages.

GALLERY: Nissan Leaf NISMO

GALLERY: Nissan Juke NISMO

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Nissan unveiled the newest iteration of its Leaf electric car today, saying that it will have improved efficiency and faster charger times.

This year the Leaf’s range improves thanks in part to tweaked aerodynamics. A wider range of regenerative braking has been added, and new energy management systems have been put in place. To help save time while charging, the Leaf has been fitted with an on-board 6.6 kW charger that puts 220V charging time at around four hours. Nissan says the overall range of the car will be improved, though the EPA has yet to release the official numbers.

Also on tap for the 2013 Leaf is a new base “S” trim, which should bring down the starting price of the car. The Leaf is also offered in SV and SL trims, the latter of which gets new standard equipment for 2013 like a leather wrapped interior and 17-inch aluminum alloy wheels. Rear cargo space has now been expanded to 24 cubic feet, thanks to the relocation of the on-board charger.

SEE ALSO: 2013 Nissan Leaf Getting Longer Range, Lower Price Tag

Other enhancements coming to Nissan’s EV are the addition of a hybrid heater system that will help the car retain power in the cold, a new drive mode that increases regenerative braking during deceleration, and a new charge port release button added to the key fob along with a new charge port lock and light. A new Eco-route function has been added to the Leaf’s navigation system to help the car pick the most fuel-efficient route.

Nissan also announced that the 2013 Leaf has just started production at its Smyrna, Tenn. plant.

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