U.S. should install electric car charging stations, Nissan says

NEW YORK (Bloomberg) -- The Obama administration's goal of putting 1 million hybrid and electric vehicles on U.S. roads by 2015 is "reasonable" if the government builds hydrogen fueling and electric-charging stations nationwide, a Nissan Motor Co. executive said.

"Carmakers can't go and put hydrogen fueling and charging stations throughout the U.S., but the government can," Andy Palmer, a senior vice president at Nissan said in an interview at a conference in New York Wednesday.

There are 722 electric car charging stations in the U.S., with 60 percent of those in California, according to the Energy Department. There are 58 hydrogen fueling stations in the nation, again with the most in California than any other state. U.S. sales of hybrid and electric vehicles could reach 1.6 million by the end of the decade, or 9 percent of all cars, Albert Cheung, a Bloomberg New Energy Finance analyst said in a presentation at the conference.

By 2030, sales could reach 4 million vehicles, he said. Models available today include Nissan's all-electric Leaf, and General Motors Co.'s Chevrolet Volt, which uses a gasoline engine to charge a battery. Ford Motor Co. makes the Transit Connect, an electric delivery van. U.S. government purchases accounted for about a fourth of the Ford and GM hybrid vehicles sold since President Barack Obama took office, according to government data.

Government purchases 

The U.S. General Services Administration, which runs the government fleet, bought at least 14,584 hybrid vehicles in the past two fiscal years, or about 10 percent of 145,473 vehicles the agency purchased in that period, according to sales data obtained by Bloomberg under a Freedom of Information Act request.

That's up from fiscal 2008 when hybrids accounted for less than 1 percent of government purchases, the data showed.

"Government fleets create momentum, but they're not the be all and end all," Palmer said. "The more vehicles you get out into customer hands, the more people start to understand that an electric car is not the same as a golf cart."

This is especially important as Japan's Nissan, GM and other carmakers developing hybrid and electric vehicles are looking for ways to further develop technologies. Longer-lasting batteries would increase product reliability and help make prices more attractive to consumers, he said. Hybrid and electric vehicle models purchased by the government ranged from $23,072 to $47,079.

The government paid an average of $5,281 less for its hybrid vehicles than sticker prices, according to a comparison of the GSA purchase data with prices collected by Edmunds.com, a consumer information Web site.

1996 Nissan Quest minivan

I'm driving to work, on a road that has been under construction. Most of it is smooth and new, but there is a short section that is very rough and bumpy. So I hit a bump in the road and the car stalls. I roll to a stop and then put it in park and turn the key. Nothing!

All the idiot lights come on, including "check engine." I had to have it towed. A mechanical friend came and checked it out. He said it isn't getting a spark, but he doesn't know why.

We checked wires for a short and fuses for one that is blown but didn't find anything. So now my van is sitting in my driveway for a week.

Anyone have something like this happen? If so, what was the cause and the fix?

Response:
1) Check your battery cable ends for losening or corpses turminals. Another place to look is where the wires connect to the starter. It is possible that those wire may be lose as well.

2) Check the ignition coil. That happened to me once.

3) No fuel pressure??

Nissan makes a play for Detroit's vans

Nissan North America took aim at another Detroit 3-dominated vehicle segment today when it began producing commercial vans at its plant in Canton, Miss.

Nissan's new 2012 NV will go on sale in late February, squaring off against the Ford E series and General Motors' GMC Savana and Chevrolet Express cargo vans, as well as the Freightliner Sprinter, which had been sold by Dodge but is now sold by Freightliner dealers.

Joe Castelli, Nissan North America's vice president for light commercial vehicles and fleet, acknowledged that the van faces a tough crowd for the Detroit-dominated product segment.

“We're going up against two formidable competitors who have 95 percent of the segment,” Castelli said of Ford and GM. “We're the new kids on the job site.”

But he called his new van a “segment buster.”

He said Nissan plans to reach commercial van customers -- such as home builders, plumbers, house painters, florists and shuttle operators -- by offering a more modern vehicle. The NV boasts pickup-style front seats. It offers a tall-roof option that lets users walk around in the cargo area. And it provides pre-drilled cargo mounts in the vehicle body -- an innovation that will make it easier and less expensive for van up-fitters to install racks and shelves.

North American entry

Carlos Tavares, chairman for Nissan Americas, said the innovations will help establish Nissan in the segment.

“The NV brings innovation into a segment that hasn't seen much in decades,” Tavares told workers at the Canton plant this afternoon.

Globally, Nissan Motor Co. markets a large portfolio of commercial vehicles, including moving vans, specialty trucks and taxis. The production launch in Mississippi represents the first salvo in Nissan's entry into the commercial business in North America.

Other commercial vehicles will follow the NV, including a compact cargo van that will go against the small Ford Transit Connect. Nissan also will sell an electric version of that van.

Dealership changes

The NV will retail for $25,570, including dealer delivery. Castelli said about 250 of Nissan's 1,100 U.S. retailers have opted to sell the commercial van. To add the line, Nissan dealers had to agree to make dealership changes, including installation of more heavy-duty vehicle lifts, a designated service lane, larger service shop doors in some cases, and sales and technical training to handle commercial customers.

“As the economic recovery is just beginning to take hold,” Castelli told workers, “we're in a prime position to capture that tremendous pent-up demand for long overdue replacement vehicles.

“This is just the starting point for Nissan commercial vehicles in the United States,” he said. “We plan on becoming a major player.”

2004 G35 inspected yesterday. A code P 21.35 came up on the computer

2004 Infiniti G35

Question: I had a 2004 G35 inspected yesterday. A code P 21.35 came up on the computer check. when I left the garage the car wouldn't respond when I pressed the gas pedal. I shut the engine off and restarted the car and the car accelerated again. This is a used car I am interested in purchasing.Is this a costly problem to repair. Also when the car was on the lift the rubber was corroded on the torque arm mounts and needs replacing. What cost is that repair. I took the car for a test drive it worked fine. I took a second test drive this week to the mechanic. He found code p21.35 was off. When I tried to leave the mechanic the car would only go 5 miles per hour. The mechanic shut off the engine and restarted the engine and the car would now accelerate but the engine light now says it needs service. Answer: Code p2135 is simply the throttle position sensor, call around to your local parts stores and get some quotes on the part. You should be able to install it yourself in a few minutes.

I want more power and was told to get a supercharger

Question: Where can I get a super charger for my 2002 Nissan Maxima ? I want more power and was told by several of my friends and several mechanics that I should get a super charger. Where can I find more information on turbochargers for my Audi and where can I get one. Answer: I would have to agree with your friends and the mechanics that you have spoken to that a supercharger is the best way to go for more power. Since you are looking for a Nissan Supercharger I would recommend checking out superchargerpros.com for more information and purchasing your supercharger. They have a Toll Free number and staff standing by ready to assist you. And the pricing is comparable to others. I am considering installing a pontiac supercharger on my firebird.

I was driving and all of a sudden the car started to shake violently.

QUESTION: 1997 Nissan, I was driving and all of a sudden the car started to shake violently.The car started to reduce speed to about 20mph even though my foot was on the accelerator the car would not go over 2000 rpm's and would not go over 20mph. I have visually inspected the timing belt and there seems to be no rip or tears on it. I tried to add oil just in case the car was running low on oil. ANSWER: If your car has a timing belt, it is enclosed within the timing covers and you would not be able to see it. Most Nissan's have timing chains, so I don't think you saw the belt. Being said, I don't think you have a timing issue. I think you have a misfire on one or more cylinders giving this reduced power and violent shaking. If a check engine light has come on, you have to find out what codes are in memory. That is the first step. That will lead us to the offending cylinder if this is due to a misfire. Once we find the bad cylinder, we have to confirm, spark, fuel and fuel injector pulse, along with compression. One of these things is missing causing the misfire.