Volkswagen‘s Chattanooga manufacturing plant has become the first and only automotive manufacturing facility in the world to receive a Platinum certification from the US Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). From the onset, Volkswagen had designed their Chattanooga plant, where their popular Passat is produced, to be as green as possible and now they have something to show for it.

From the ground up, VW integrated various energy-saving technology into the plant, with its ultra-clean paint shop saving 50-million gallons of water in ten  years. Other features of the plant include superior insulation provided by six-inches of mineral rock wool that results in saving 720,000-kilowatts per year; green power from the local hydroelectric dam; LED lighting on the exterior results in 68-percent less energy used; rainwater is collected and reused to flush toilets and cool welding machines; the plant’s white roof membrane is highly reflective and helps minimize heat island effect by up to 50-degrees Fahrenheit; natural flowing creeks capture heavy rains and restore a natural habitat; low-flow water fixtures and no-touch sensors throughout the plant reduce water usage by 30-percent; and lastly, the plant was built on brownfield property with no destruction of untouched nature.

Infiniti has embarked on a one-off project, donating a 5.6-liter 400-hp engine from the full-size Qx56, to help students from a local community college build a luxurious boat.

Infiniti engineers are working with a team of automotive technical training program students from Tennessee Technical Center-Nashville and Nashville State Community College on the project.

The Infiniti boat project is well underway after the team extracted the QX engine and prepped it for marine use. “The genesis for the Infiniti QX-powered luxury boat project came about when a group of us were talking about our full-size SUV’s standing as the perfect luxury tow vehicle – capable of carrying tons of weight, and lots of people and their cargo, in style,” said Infiniti Americas Vice President Ben Poore.”

“It’s great to involve students from the local community in this project, especially since Infiniti QX engines are manufactured in nearby Decherd, Tennessee,” added Poore. “It’s our hope that someday students in these automotive programs who will learn from the Infiniti QX we donated to the Technical Center will go on to work at our company or Infiniti retailers’ service departments.”

Nissan has confirmed today, that starting in early 2013, the electric motor for the Nissan Leaf will be produced at the Decherd, Tennessee powertrain assembly plant.

Prepping the plant for the electric motor production has been facilitated by U.S Department of Energy Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Incentive Program loan funds. The Leaf motor will also create 90 new jobs and when the new assembly line is completed, the plant will have the capacity to produce up to 150,000 electric motors annually for the Nissan Leaf.

“Nissan’s Tennessee operations are paving the way to a zero-emission future for everyone,” said Bill Krueger, vice chairman of Nissan Americas. “By delivering motors for the first mass-produced electric vehicles manufactured in the United States, our Decherd plant will play a vital role in making zero-emission mobility a reality for American consumers.”

Volkswagen finally opened up their new factory in Chattanooga, Tennessee, which will employ 2,000 Americans and build up to 150,000 vehicles per year.

VW Chairman Dr. Martin Winterkorn and Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood were present to inaugurate the factory, as well as the governor of Tennessee and the Germany’s ambassador to the United States. The plant broke ground in 2009 and meets the latest Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards for environmental friendliness, including waterless auto painting, energy-efficient LED lighting, and rainwater collection. VW claims that the plant uses 20 percent less energy than a similarly-sized factory.

The plant will primarily build the Passat for US-specific consumption.

Volkswagen‘s new Chattanooga, Tennessee plant built its first car destined for a customer Wednesday, a dark Blue Passat 2.5L equipped with an automatic transmission.

The plant should reach full capacity in 2012, at which point it will produce 150,000 Passats annually. Volkswagen says that the plant will generate $12 billion in economic growth for the region, and 9,500 jobs related to the plant. Speaking to an assembled crowd, Volkswagen Chattanooga CEO Frank Fischer said “It has been an exciting challenge for all of us to build a new vehicle and a new plant at the same time, all while establishing new suppliers; but our team members have overcome those hurdles with a passion for details that has produced automotive excellence.”

Nissan‘s Leaf electric car has been in such high demand that the company is struggling to build them fast enough. It’s stopped taking new orders just to fulfill its current demand.

Out of 27,000 total orders so far from the United States, Japan, and Europe, it has only completed 10,000. The remaining 17,000 will be pushed back to the next fiscal year in April—enough time for the Oppama, Japan plant to reach its maximum capacity. It will be able to build 50,000 Leafs by then, and would be able to take 33,000 more orders from those clamoring to ride the lightning.

Nissan wants to get their international factories going to fulfill demand, which could see the electric car built in England as well as Tennessee. One possibility could be to open new assembly lines earlier than scheduled, but Nissan is also planning a new factory that can churn out lithium-ion battery packs, which won’t be ready if they do so.

[Source: Automotive News via Carscoop]

General Motors, recently announced that is preparing to invest $483 million and create 483 new jobs at it’s Spring Hill, Tennesse Powertrain complex, which currently builds Ecotec four-cylinder engines. Providing that state and local officials are in agreement, the investment should provide a major shot in the arm for the General, the Spring Hill area and also the United Auto Workers’ union, since the new jobs will be filled by workers laid off, in accordance with the UAW/GM National Labor agreement.

According to Mark Reuss; GM North America President; “The engines made in Spring Hill will drive the success of GM to meet our customer demands for advanced powertrains which offer high fuel economy without sacrificing performance.” He went on to say that, “this new commitment to the Spring Hill team will help GM almost triple its North American production volume of four-cylinder engines with direct injection by 2012.”

Included in the announced spending package is $23 million that will be used to add 30 hourly jobs in response to increased production of current generation Ecotec engines, beginning in the first quarter of 2011. The rest of the money and jobs are planned for development and production of the next generation of Ecotec engines, which are said to be significantly more efficient than those currently available in vehicles such as the Chevy Equinox, GMC Terrain, Buick LaCrosse and Regal.

When Volkswagen’s new mid-sized sedan arrives in 2011, there is a strong possibility that it will replace, rather than join the Passat, in the German automaker’s lineup. VW Group of America CEO Stefan Jacoby has said that the company is currently studying whether or not to keep the Passat, but all evidence points to its elimination.

Volkswagen has big plans to take on Toyota in the U.S. marketplace and to do so the company has finally admitted that its current lineup of European vehicles are just too small and too expensive for mainstream American tastes. That being said, if sales of the Passat are already not that great, offering a larger and less expensive vehicle certainly won’t help the car’s business case.

Last year VW sold just 30,034 Passat models, compared to a high of 96,142 in 2002. Sales for 2009 look even worse as the automaker has only managed to move 9,163, units so far. Volkswagen hopes to sell 100,000 units of the new mid-sized sedan initially with plans for increased market presence thereafter.

Currently the Passat sells from $27,695, while this new sedan is expected to be priced much closer to the $20,000-mark. The lower price comes as a result of the fact that VW will build the car in the U.S., at its Chattanooga, Tennessee plant.

[Source: AutoWeek]

While news and photos of the Nissan Leaf have been around for several months now, the electric car will get its official debut at the Tokyo Auto Show on October 21st. Nissan describes its functional five-door, five-seater compact hatchback as having a “high-performance, zero-emission” powertrain.

Output from the lithium-ion battery packs is rated at 80kW/280Nm, (107-hp and 207 ft-lbs of torque), which should make this sub-compact a sporty little car.

Nissan says it will be able to drive 100 miles on a single charge. The batteries will be able to be charged up to 80 percent in less than 30 minutes with a special quick charger, or in roughly eight hours through a standard 200V outlet. Nissan says that through extensive research the 100 mile range will be suitable for 70 percent of car buyers.

The fully-electric Leaf, which is set to go on sale in the U.S. next year, will be priced from $25,000 to $33,000.  Initially, 5,000 vehicles will be available in five U.S. markets: the Phoenix-Tucson region of Arizona, Oregon, San Diego, Seattle and Tennessee. Fleet sales will also be offered in 2010, while full retails sales are planned for 2012.

Ahead of its official debut, Nissan also released a full gallery of new photos of the Leaf (including numerous interior shots), so be sure to check them out below.

GALLERY: Nissan Leaf

The fully-electric Nissan LEAF, which is set to go on sale in the U.S. next year, will be priced from $25,000 to $33,000. Word comes from Nissan North America product VP Larry Dominique.

“Competitive pricing is going to allow mass-market appeal, which is going to set Nissan apart,” said Dominique, commenting that the LEAF will be less expensive to own and operate than a gasoline car, even if gas cost just $1.10 a gallon.

Importantly, this price comes before any government tax incentives, which are certain to reduce the total cost by several thousand dollars.

Comparatively, the 2010 Toyota Prius starts at just $22,000.

The LEAF is powered by an electric motor and lithium-ion battery packs. Nissan says it will be able to drive 100 miles on a single charge. The batteries will be able to be charged up to 80 percent in less than 30 minutes with a special quick charger, or in roughly eight hours through a standard 200V outlet. Nissan says that through extensive research the 100 mile range will be suitable for 70 percent of car buyers.

Output from the lithium-ion battery packs is rated at 80kW/280Nm, (107-hp and 207 ft-lbs of torque), which should make this sub-compact a sporty little car.

Sales of the LEAF will begin next year with 5,000 vehicles available in five U.S. markets: the Phoenix-Tucson region of Arizona, Oregon, San Diego, Seattle and Tennessee. Fleet sales will also be offered in 2010, while full retails sales are planned for 2012.

[Source: Automotive News]

Before sales of Nissan’s new electric car go full-tilt in the U.S., the Japanese automaker will start with 5,000 units in five different markets. The targeted areas include the Phoenix-Tucson region of Arizona, Oregon, San Diego, Seattle and Tennessee.

Nissan’s product planning boss Mark Perry says that this is just the first step in a larger plan.“This is not a test to determine whether or not it’s going to work. This is the beginning of mass marketing,” he said.

Full retail sales are planned for 2012, but Perry says they will begin sooner if a market has the infrastructure ready to support the vehicles. Nissan also plans to offer the LEAF for fleet sales in 2010.

An infrastructure network of 12,500 recharging stations will be built throughout the five markets by Phoenix-based Electric Transportation Engineering Corp., which has received a $99.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy. An additional $199.6 million necessary to built the infrastructure will come from the individual cities and states.

Owners of the first 5,000 cars will be able to purchase the at Nissan dealers but will have to sign on to allow Nissan to monitor the car’s performance over the first two years. Nissan says it wants to see how electric vehicle recharging habits play out in the real world. Owners will also be “chosen” by Nissan as the automaker wants to make sure the information it obtains is relevant. “We don’t want these first cars going to somebody who commutes 150 miles a day or who lives a great distance from a recharging station,” he said.

As for the price, Nissan hasn’t release specifics but did say that it would be comparable to a fully-loaded compact car.

[Source: Automotive News]

Nissan has just unveiled a new zero emissions vehicle that is slated to go on sale in Japan, Europe and the United States next year. Called the LEAF, this C-segment (sub-compact) car is powered by an electric motor and lithium-ion battery packs. Nissan says it will be able to drive 100 miles on a single charge. The batteries will be able to be charged up to 80 percent in less than 30 minutes with a special quick charger, or in roughly eight hours through a standard 200V outlet. Nissan says that through extensive research the 100 mile range will be suitable for 70 percent of car buyers.

Output from the lithium-ion battery packs is rated at 80kW/280Nm, (107-hp and 207 ft-lbs of torque), which should make this sub-compact a sporty little car.

Pricing has yet to be released but Nissan aims to give the LEAF an MSRP competitive with well-equipped C-segment cars. That should put it near the $20,000 mark. The car will also qualify for government rebates and tax incentives desigend to help promote the sale of fuel-efficient cars.

“Our car had to be the world’s first, medium-sized, practical EV that motorists could afford and would want to use every day. And that’s what we’ve created. The styling will identify not only Nissan LEAF but also the owner as a participant in the new era of zero-emission mobility,” said the LEAF product boss Masato Inoue.

The first LEAFs will be built at Nissan’s plant in Oppama, Japan with plans to also start production soon at the company’s Smyrna, Tennessee plant. The LEAF is the first of three electric vehicles that Nissan plans to launch in the next few years.

 ”The Nissan LEAF is a tremendous accomplishment – one in with all Nissan employees can take great pride,” said Nissan President Carlos Ghosn. “We have been working tirelessly to make this day a reality – the unveiling of a real-world car that has zero – not simply reduced – emissions. It’s the first step in what is sure to be an exciting journey – for people all over the world, for Nissan and for the industry.”

GALLERY: 2010 Nissan LEAF

Official release after the jump:

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Nissan is preparing to debut three electric vehicles on August 2nd, one of which is expected to be a made-in-the-USA crossover. Nissan has already said that it plans to build an electric car at its Spring Hill, Tennessee, assembly plant in the near future.

According to the usually-reliable folks at Japan’s BestCar magazine, the crossover is to be capable of a range of 100 miles on a single charge and be slightly smaller than the current Rogue.

As for the design of the vehicle, it is likely to take inspiration from the Qazana concept (pictured above) that debuted at the Geneva Auto Show earlier this year.

The remaining two electric vehicles are expected to be small cars, with a strong possibility that one will be a mini-car that will compete with Mitsubishi’s i-MiEV, while the other would be a sub-compact along the lines of the Nissan Versa.

Nissan expects to sell as many as 5 million EVs by 2012.

[Source: BestCar via LeftLaneNews]

A U.S. government initiative that would see low-interest loans granted to automakers who build environmentally-friendly cars in the U.S. appears to have one taker – Nissan. The Japanese automaker will spend anywhere from $500 million to $1 billion to update its Smyrna, Tennessee plant to build a green car and produce lithium-ion batteries.

While no specifics have been given the environmentally-friendly car is expected to be an electric vehicle based on an existing Nissan small-car platform. That leaves either the Versa or the new third-generation Cube. Nissan is currently testing an electric powertrain in a second generation Cube.

The Smyrna, Tennessee plant will be able to produce anywhere from 50,000 to 100,000 of the electric vehicles annually by 2012. Nissan will begin electric car production in Japan in late 2010, with an expected annual production of 50,000 units.

[Source: Reuters]

We’ve known for some time now that Volkswagen is planning to build a new mid-size sedan, but as details of the German automaker’s future product lineup emerge, it appears as though VW isn’t just interest in taking on the Camry, but the entire Toyota lineup.

Volkswagen has the potential to overtake Toyota as the world’s largest automaker, but first it must crack the North American market. The new mid-sized sedan will be the first step in that direction, but after it will come a competitor for the Highlander.

Apparently Volkswagen is finally ready to abandon its European philosophy and sell Americans what they want – big cars. “U.S. customers look at size and engine displacement. They won’t pay an extra dollar for a Passat over a Camry just because of its finesse and attention to detail,” said a VW representative to the staff at Car & Driver.

So what we can expect from the upcoming sedan is essentially just a larger and less expensive version of the Passat, with what will most likely be a more progressive (CC-esque) design. The VW rep’s comments about engine displacement also draws into question previous reports that the upcoming sedan will be powered by VW’s 2.0 TFSI and 2.5-liter engines.

The release date for the upcoming Volkswagen family sedan has also been moved up to 2011, most likely to take advantage of the struggling U.S. automakers.

It, as well as the Highlander-competitor, will both be assembled in the Unites States at Volkswagen’s new Chattanooga, Tennessee facility.

The new bigger-is-better philosophy at Volkswagen will also spill over to the Polo. Apparently it will still hit our shores but not until 2012 and in a larger format than in Europe and as a sedan.

According to C&D, VW’s future vehicles for the U.S. include the BlueSport Roadster (which has been temporarily placed on hold) as well as a second generation of the hugely unsuccessful Phaeton.

[Source: Car & Driver]

In an exclusive interview with Automotive News, Volkswagen North America CEO Stefan Jacoby let slip precious few details about the secret new sedan that is slated for production. But he did admit its existence, even saying that the final design of the vehicle had been agreed upon in just the past few weeks in Wolfsburg.

Whether it will look anything like the sketches that leaked out in February (pictured above), has not been confirmed.

What else we do know is that the vehicle will use VW’s 2.0-liter and 2.5-liter engines and will cost a very-reasonable $20,000.

The vehicle is slated to be produced in VW NA’s new Chattanooga, Tennessee plant with sales beginning in the Spring of 2012.

As for what else will be built at the plant, there is the possibility of a VW version of the upcoming Audi Q3 – although that may no longer be likely after VW announced a “project” had been put on hold in the U.S. after it decided to award the SEAT facility in Spain the contract to build the Q3.

Most likely to be built at the new facility are the two new Polo models that Jacoby has already confirmed are coming. With the current Euro-spec Polo deemed too small for the U.S. market, VW plans to bring a sedan and hatchback version of the Polo, but not until 2011. And where better to build a North American spec vehicle than in North America.

[Source: Automotive News via Autoblog]