Gov Rell Linda and Jon Grossman
Connecticut will be ready for the leaf
Monday, December 20, 2010
Friday, November 12, 2010
Friday, October 1, 2010
Lance Armstrongs Nissan Leaf
Lance Armstrong Receives Nation’s First Nissan Leaf Filed under: cars-houses, transport — Michael dEstries @ 11:13 am
October
1st
2010
Lance Armstrong took to Twitter yesterday to announce that he had received his brand new all-electric Nissan Leaf — and he threw a photo up to prove it.
The seven-time Tour de France winner is the official spokesperson for the Leaf — and believes it to be an evolution of the car industry.
“Anytime you talk about technology — if it’s a computer, or if it’s a phone, or if it’s a bicycle — you always talk about next level,” he said earlier this year. “Like, what’s next level? Next level is the stuff that just blows you away. To me, the Leaf was just really, in my opinion, what I would call next level.”
Nissan expects to start selling the vehicle in limited quantities to the public in about three months. For more information, hit the official site here.
October
1st
2010
Lance Armstrong took to Twitter yesterday to announce that he had received his brand new all-electric Nissan Leaf — and he threw a photo up to prove it.
The seven-time Tour de France winner is the official spokesperson for the Leaf — and believes it to be an evolution of the car industry.
“Anytime you talk about technology — if it’s a computer, or if it’s a phone, or if it’s a bicycle — you always talk about next level,” he said earlier this year. “Like, what’s next level? Next level is the stuff that just blows you away. To me, the Leaf was just really, in my opinion, what I would call next level.”
Nissan expects to start selling the vehicle in limited quantities to the public in about three months. For more information, hit the official site here.
State of Connecticut and CL & P Supports Nissan Leaf by auto-mobi.info
Gov. Rell, CL&P Welcome Nissan LEAF All-Electric Car to Connecticut
Friday, 01 October 2010
Signaling the state’s readiness for environmentally clean transportation, Governor M. Jodi Rell today welcomed the all-electric Nissan LEAF to Connecticut with the signing of a collaborative agreement to help advance electric vehicles in the state.
With Connecticut Light & Power (CL&P) President and Chief Operating Officer Jeff Butler and representatives of Nissan North America on hand at a ceremony at the Connecticut Science Center, Rell lauded the launch of Nissan’s battery-powered car. The Nissan LEAF goes on sale in limited markets in December and will be available nationwide some time in 2011.
“The inclusion of Connecticut in the launch of the Nissan LEAF recognizes our commitment to clean energy and the culmination of our work to prepare the state for the next generation of electric vehicles,” said Gov. Rell.
As a member of the Governor’s Electric Vehicles Infrastructure Council, CL&P has been studying and testing charging infrastructure and encouraging automakers to include Connecticut in their electric vehicle launch plans.
“With electric vehicles, our existing electric system offers our customers an alternative fuel source for a more sustainable transportation solution,” said CL&P President Jeff Butler.
“Nissan is a leader in electric vehicles, and the state of Connecticut has shown similar leadership through its progressive policies and focus on clean energy," said Tracy Woodard, director of government affairs, Nissan North America. "Nissan and the state will work together to help Connecticut be ready for electric vehicles and the 2011 introduction of the Nissan LEAF to the region."
The Nissan LEAF is powered by a lithium-ion battery pack instead of an internal combustion engine. There are no tailpipe emissions, and the vehicle can get up to 100 miles on a single battery charge for far less than the cost of gasoline.
CL&P is currently studying the integration of electric cars like the Nissan LEAF with its electric distribution system. The utility has prototype vehicle charging stations installed at its Berlin campus and the Hartford headquarters of its parent company, Northeast Utilities. Through NU, CL&P is a member of the Regional Electric Vehicle Initiative (REVI), a collaborative effort by utilities in New England to share information to ensure the smooth introduction of EV technology to the regional electric system.
For more on the Nissan LEAF, visit www.NissanUSA.com. To view the final report of the Governor’s Electric Vehicles Infrastructure Council, go to www.ct.gov/dpuc/evic.
The Connecticut Light and Power Company (CL&P) has been part of everyday life in Connecticut for more than 100 years, providing safe and reliable electric service to homes, neighborhoods and businesses. With 1.2 million customers in 149 cities and towns, CL&P is improving the environments you live in, by offering programs in energy conservation, economic development and environmental stewardship. CL&P is a Northeast Utilities company (NYSE: NU). For more information, please visit www.cl-p.com.
Friday, 01 October 2010
Signaling the state’s readiness for environmentally clean transportation, Governor M. Jodi Rell today welcomed the all-electric Nissan LEAF to Connecticut with the signing of a collaborative agreement to help advance electric vehicles in the state.
With Connecticut Light & Power (CL&P) President and Chief Operating Officer Jeff Butler and representatives of Nissan North America on hand at a ceremony at the Connecticut Science Center, Rell lauded the launch of Nissan’s battery-powered car. The Nissan LEAF goes on sale in limited markets in December and will be available nationwide some time in 2011.
“The inclusion of Connecticut in the launch of the Nissan LEAF recognizes our commitment to clean energy and the culmination of our work to prepare the state for the next generation of electric vehicles,” said Gov. Rell.
As a member of the Governor’s Electric Vehicles Infrastructure Council, CL&P has been studying and testing charging infrastructure and encouraging automakers to include Connecticut in their electric vehicle launch plans.
“With electric vehicles, our existing electric system offers our customers an alternative fuel source for a more sustainable transportation solution,” said CL&P President Jeff Butler.
“Nissan is a leader in electric vehicles, and the state of Connecticut has shown similar leadership through its progressive policies and focus on clean energy," said Tracy Woodard, director of government affairs, Nissan North America. "Nissan and the state will work together to help Connecticut be ready for electric vehicles and the 2011 introduction of the Nissan LEAF to the region."
The Nissan LEAF is powered by a lithium-ion battery pack instead of an internal combustion engine. There are no tailpipe emissions, and the vehicle can get up to 100 miles on a single battery charge for far less than the cost of gasoline.
CL&P is currently studying the integration of electric cars like the Nissan LEAF with its electric distribution system. The utility has prototype vehicle charging stations installed at its Berlin campus and the Hartford headquarters of its parent company, Northeast Utilities. Through NU, CL&P is a member of the Regional Electric Vehicle Initiative (REVI), a collaborative effort by utilities in New England to share information to ensure the smooth introduction of EV technology to the regional electric system.
For more on the Nissan LEAF, visit www.NissanUSA.com. To view the final report of the Governor’s Electric Vehicles Infrastructure Council, go to www.ct.gov/dpuc/evic.
The Connecticut Light and Power Company (CL&P) has been part of everyday life in Connecticut for more than 100 years, providing safe and reliable electric service to homes, neighborhoods and businesses. With 1.2 million customers in 149 cities and towns, CL&P is improving the environments you live in, by offering programs in energy conservation, economic development and environmental stewardship. CL&P is a Northeast Utilities company (NYSE: NU). For more information, please visit www.cl-p.com.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Nissan's marketing pays off, so it spends more
Nissan's marketing pays off, so it spends more
Lindsay Chappell
Automotive News | August 16, 2010 - 12:01 am EST
Aggressive incentives and ad spending have helped Nissan North America Inc. rack up a bigger sales gain this year than Asian rivals Toyota, Honda and Hyundai-Kia. Now Nissan plans more of the same.
Al Castignetti, Nissan Division vice president, told dealers last week at a Las Vegas business meeting that the brand decided in July to add $100 million to its national marketing budget to stoke the sales fire. The funds will begin hitting the market this month.
"We dialed back our spending last year, like everybody else, and this year we've been really getting back into the marketing game," Castignetti says, declining to reveal what this year's budget was before the $100 million was added.
In last year's recession, the Japanese automaker cut its U.S. ad budget 42 percent to $690.9 million, down from $1.19 billion in 2008, according to Advertising Age. By comparison, Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group reduced its 2009 budget by 22 percent, from $513 million in 2008 to $402 million last year.
Incentive spending
Per vehicle in July
GM $4,185
Chrysler $3,132
Ford $3,111
Nissan $2,957
Toyota $2,234
Hyundai-Kia $1,907
Honda $1,736
Source: Edmunds.com
Dealers received the news on the same day that Kelley Blue Book reported that Hyundai has displaced Nissan as the fifth-most-considered brand among vehicle shoppers.
"The success of the Koreans has been well noted lately, but Nissan has really been moving ahead in sales," observes Jack Nerad, Kelley Blue Book market analyst. "They have snuck up kind of quietly."
Nerad believes Nissan is reaping the benefits of what he calls "the return of the value shopper to the marketplace" -- an increase in consumers looking for a low monthly car note.
"It's really a battle between Nissan and Hyundai to win these value shoppers," he says.
Nissan Division’s Al Castignetti admits that incentives help sales but says the availability of leasing financing also plays a role.
Castignetti agrees value shopping is a big factor now.
"A lot of consumers have gone through a philosophical change over the past two years," he says. "Instead of shopping to get the most car they can buy, they're looking for the best price they can get."
In Miami and some other markets, dealers have been offering 39-month leases on Nissan Versas for a $149 a month. The Nissan Altima is leasing for $199 a month. By comparison, Honda has been marketing its competing Accord for $270 a month. Nationally through July, Versa sales are up 54 percent; Altima sales are up 13 percent; and Accord sales are up 16 percent.
Jessica Caldwell, an analyst for Edmunds.com, says Nissan has been pounding out a marketing message of low-price deals. "They've been very aggressive in promoting attractive monthly prices," Caldwell says. "It's helping them distance themselves from the other imports."
Castignetti acknowledges incentives are helping fan the flame. Still, "we're nowhere near our record levels," he says. "We've been very diligent about that. We're below industry average. We're looking for very healthy growth."
He contends that other factors also are playing a role in Nissan's surge this year, including the availability of leasing financing at Nissan dealers.
"Last year at this time, some of our competitors were getting out of leasing," Castignetti says. "Nissan stayed in it. As a result, you've seen a lot of customers coming off lease at GM and Chrysler who still needed to lease and had to go elsewhere. We were able to win some of that business."
He says leasing has held steady at about 20 percent of the Nissan brand's portfolio. But given the rise in sales this year, that represents roughly 18,000 additional leases through the end of July.
Castignetti says Nissan also has benefited from a resurging light-truck business.
"We're doing great in body-on-frame," he says, referring to such products as the compact Frontier pickup, up nearly 50 percent through July, and the full-sized Armada SUV, up 129 percent from a year ago.
"The domestic manufacturers cut back on their production, and Toyota has moved its Sequoia up in price. There are people out there who really need a large SUV. So suddenly, Armada is one of our hottest products of the year," Castignetti says
By comparison, Nissan's Korean competitors, Hyundai and Kia, are not in the pickup or full-sized SUV segments.
At last week's Las Vegas meeting, Castignetti told dealers Nissan expects to move the brand into a new level of sales with additional products over the next two to three years, including the new Juke small crossover and the electric Leaf coming late this year.
He acknowledges that being displaced by Hyundai as the No. 5 brand for shopping consideration hurts Nissan. But he vows to hold off the Korean brand.
"Hyundai has done an admirable job," he concedes. "But with what we have coming over the next couple of years, we'll recapture that."
Nissan overperforms
Jan.-July sales Change vs. 2009
Toyota-Lexus-Scion 1,015,766 8%
Honda-Acura 706,346 9%
Nissan-Infiniti 522,669 25%
Hyundai-Kia 515,376 21%
Source: Automotive News Data Center
Lindsay Chappell
Automotive News | August 16, 2010 - 12:01 am EST
Aggressive incentives and ad spending have helped Nissan North America Inc. rack up a bigger sales gain this year than Asian rivals Toyota, Honda and Hyundai-Kia. Now Nissan plans more of the same.
Al Castignetti, Nissan Division vice president, told dealers last week at a Las Vegas business meeting that the brand decided in July to add $100 million to its national marketing budget to stoke the sales fire. The funds will begin hitting the market this month.
"We dialed back our spending last year, like everybody else, and this year we've been really getting back into the marketing game," Castignetti says, declining to reveal what this year's budget was before the $100 million was added.
In last year's recession, the Japanese automaker cut its U.S. ad budget 42 percent to $690.9 million, down from $1.19 billion in 2008, according to Advertising Age. By comparison, Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group reduced its 2009 budget by 22 percent, from $513 million in 2008 to $402 million last year.
Incentive spending
Per vehicle in July
GM $4,185
Chrysler $3,132
Ford $3,111
Nissan $2,957
Toyota $2,234
Hyundai-Kia $1,907
Honda $1,736
Source: Edmunds.com
Dealers received the news on the same day that Kelley Blue Book reported that Hyundai has displaced Nissan as the fifth-most-considered brand among vehicle shoppers.
"The success of the Koreans has been well noted lately, but Nissan has really been moving ahead in sales," observes Jack Nerad, Kelley Blue Book market analyst. "They have snuck up kind of quietly."
Nerad believes Nissan is reaping the benefits of what he calls "the return of the value shopper to the marketplace" -- an increase in consumers looking for a low monthly car note.
"It's really a battle between Nissan and Hyundai to win these value shoppers," he says.
Nissan Division’s Al Castignetti admits that incentives help sales but says the availability of leasing financing also plays a role.
Castignetti agrees value shopping is a big factor now.
"A lot of consumers have gone through a philosophical change over the past two years," he says. "Instead of shopping to get the most car they can buy, they're looking for the best price they can get."
In Miami and some other markets, dealers have been offering 39-month leases on Nissan Versas for a $149 a month. The Nissan Altima is leasing for $199 a month. By comparison, Honda has been marketing its competing Accord for $270 a month. Nationally through July, Versa sales are up 54 percent; Altima sales are up 13 percent; and Accord sales are up 16 percent.
Jessica Caldwell, an analyst for Edmunds.com, says Nissan has been pounding out a marketing message of low-price deals. "They've been very aggressive in promoting attractive monthly prices," Caldwell says. "It's helping them distance themselves from the other imports."
Castignetti acknowledges incentives are helping fan the flame. Still, "we're nowhere near our record levels," he says. "We've been very diligent about that. We're below industry average. We're looking for very healthy growth."
He contends that other factors also are playing a role in Nissan's surge this year, including the availability of leasing financing at Nissan dealers.
"Last year at this time, some of our competitors were getting out of leasing," Castignetti says. "Nissan stayed in it. As a result, you've seen a lot of customers coming off lease at GM and Chrysler who still needed to lease and had to go elsewhere. We were able to win some of that business."
He says leasing has held steady at about 20 percent of the Nissan brand's portfolio. But given the rise in sales this year, that represents roughly 18,000 additional leases through the end of July.
Castignetti says Nissan also has benefited from a resurging light-truck business.
"We're doing great in body-on-frame," he says, referring to such products as the compact Frontier pickup, up nearly 50 percent through July, and the full-sized Armada SUV, up 129 percent from a year ago.
"The domestic manufacturers cut back on their production, and Toyota has moved its Sequoia up in price. There are people out there who really need a large SUV. So suddenly, Armada is one of our hottest products of the year," Castignetti says
By comparison, Nissan's Korean competitors, Hyundai and Kia, are not in the pickup or full-sized SUV segments.
At last week's Las Vegas meeting, Castignetti told dealers Nissan expects to move the brand into a new level of sales with additional products over the next two to three years, including the new Juke small crossover and the electric Leaf coming late this year.
He acknowledges that being displaced by Hyundai as the No. 5 brand for shopping consideration hurts Nissan. But he vows to hold off the Korean brand.
"Hyundai has done an admirable job," he concedes. "But with what we have coming over the next couple of years, we'll recapture that."
Nissan overperforms
Jan.-July sales Change vs. 2009
Toyota-Lexus-Scion 1,015,766 8%
Honda-Acura 706,346 9%
Nissan-Infiniti 522,669 25%
Hyundai-Kia 515,376 21%
Source: Automotive News Data Center
Friday, March 12, 2010
Retail Sales in February
Retail Sales Take A Surprising Turn In February
by The Associated Press
March 12, 2010
Retail sales posted a surprising increase in February as consumers did not let major snowstorms stop them from storming the malls. The advance, the biggest since November, provided hope that the recovery from the Great Recession is gaining momentum.
The Commerce Department said Friday that retail sales rose 0.3 percent in February, surpassing expectations that sales would decline by 0.2 percent.
The overall gain was held back by a 2 percent decline in auto sales, reflecting in part the recall problems at Toyota. Excluding autos, sales rose 0.8 percent, far better than the 0.1 percent rise outside of autos that economists had forecast.
The gains outside of autos were widespread with sales rising at department stores, furniture stores, appliance shops and hardware stores. Restaurants and bars enjoyed a 0.9 percent advance, their biggest gain in nearly two years, possibly an indication that snowbound Americans decided to visit their local eating and drinking establishments to get a break from their homes.
Consumer spending is being watched carefully because it accounts for 70 percent of total economic activity. Economists have been worried that the economic recovery they believe began last summer could falter if consumer spending begins to lag. The better-than-expected February gain could ease those concerns.
Economists are hoping that businesses, which have shed 8.4 million jobs since the recession began in December 2007, will soon start rehiring laid off workers. That would give households the incomes they need to support spending growth.
Some analysts had suspected that the February retail sales report could offer a surprise on the upside given encouraging news last week from the nation's big retail chains.
The International Council of Shopping Centers had reported that sales jumped 3.7 percent in February compared to a year ago, the biggest gain since November 2007, the month before the recession began. That marked the third consecutive increase.
Shoppers shrugged off major snowstorms to visit a broad array of merchants from luxury retailer Nordstrom to middlebrow Macy's Inc. to discounter Target Corp. All three chains reported solid sales increases that beat analysts expectations.
The Commerce report showed that the 0.3 percent February gain followed a 0.1 percent rise in January, which had originally been reported as a stronger increase of 0.5 percent.
The retail sales report Friday showed that sales at general merchanside stores, the category that includes department stores and big discounters such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc., ose by 1 percent in February after a 1.3 percent rise in January. Sales at appliance stores were up 3.7 percent while sales at hardware stores rose by 0.5 percent. Sales at gasoline stations posed a 0.3 percent rise.
by The Associated Press
March 12, 2010
Retail sales posted a surprising increase in February as consumers did not let major snowstorms stop them from storming the malls. The advance, the biggest since November, provided hope that the recovery from the Great Recession is gaining momentum.
The Commerce Department said Friday that retail sales rose 0.3 percent in February, surpassing expectations that sales would decline by 0.2 percent.
The overall gain was held back by a 2 percent decline in auto sales, reflecting in part the recall problems at Toyota. Excluding autos, sales rose 0.8 percent, far better than the 0.1 percent rise outside of autos that economists had forecast.
The gains outside of autos were widespread with sales rising at department stores, furniture stores, appliance shops and hardware stores. Restaurants and bars enjoyed a 0.9 percent advance, their biggest gain in nearly two years, possibly an indication that snowbound Americans decided to visit their local eating and drinking establishments to get a break from their homes.
Consumer spending is being watched carefully because it accounts for 70 percent of total economic activity. Economists have been worried that the economic recovery they believe began last summer could falter if consumer spending begins to lag. The better-than-expected February gain could ease those concerns.
Economists are hoping that businesses, which have shed 8.4 million jobs since the recession began in December 2007, will soon start rehiring laid off workers. That would give households the incomes they need to support spending growth.
Some analysts had suspected that the February retail sales report could offer a surprise on the upside given encouraging news last week from the nation's big retail chains.
The International Council of Shopping Centers had reported that sales jumped 3.7 percent in February compared to a year ago, the biggest gain since November 2007, the month before the recession began. That marked the third consecutive increase.
Shoppers shrugged off major snowstorms to visit a broad array of merchants from luxury retailer Nordstrom to middlebrow Macy's Inc. to discounter Target Corp. All three chains reported solid sales increases that beat analysts expectations.
The Commerce report showed that the 0.3 percent February gain followed a 0.1 percent rise in January, which had originally been reported as a stronger increase of 0.5 percent.
The retail sales report Friday showed that sales at general merchanside stores, the category that includes department stores and big discounters such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc., ose by 1 percent in February after a 1.3 percent rise in January. Sales at appliance stores were up 3.7 percent while sales at hardware stores rose by 0.5 percent. Sales at gasoline stations posed a 0.3 percent rise.
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