
House & Home, Technology, Tourism ,Cars & Motorbikes, Cars ,Transport ,Environment,electric cars , Nissan, Renault , Volkswagen , Leaf Acenta+ Grade , telematics system, Carlos Ghosn , Renault-Nissan , Bild, Martin Winterkorn , National Bureau of Economics,CityLab, (Relaxnews) – Demand for the current crop of plug-in electric cars may still be weak but Nissan, Renault and Volkswagen are all confident that a mass-market electric car is just around the corner. This week Nissan added a new model to its range of Leaf electric cars. The Leaf Acenta+ Grade adds special 17-inch alloy wheels and a 6.6kW charger as standard, meaning that it can be recharged in just four hours. And these practicality features come on top of a telematics system, reversing camera and cruise control and speed limiting system. The extra creature comforts will go some way to attracting new customers to the electric car market. However, the trickle of new customers won’t turn into a stampede until the Leaf’s range — 124 miles (200 km) — can be improved. It’s an issue that the Renault-Nissan Alliance’s head, Carlos Ghosn is fully aware of. Speaking toThe Guardian at the formula E championships on Wednesday, he said: “If there’s a price penalty, they just don’t buy. If there’s range anxiety, they just don’t buy.” However, as demand for electric cars increases, their cost will come down. And, as for driving range, Renault-Nissan is confident that within five to 10 years thanks to on-going research and development, range will be extended significantly Read More …