Nissan's Leaf has Game-like Infotainment Screen so you can Beat your Friends at Saving the Environment

Nissan wants drivers of its new Leaf - which didn't seem to take as much time or PR mumbo-jumbo to reach the pavement as Chevy's Volt - to know everything there is to know about their cars and the trips being made in them.

In Nissan's case, trip transparency is provided by a handy-dandy system called CARWING. The program gives drivers a bucket o'information ranging from travel time to electricity consumption and "average energy economy" on daily, weekly, monthly or annual scales.

You can also compete with other owners for best efficiency levels (Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum) thanks to some in-car "gaming". Thanks to MyNissanLeaf member gudy, we've got some screen shots of what the program looks like and some of the info available.

Take a look at the pics below and let us know if this kind of system would be of interest to "normy" car buyers. I'll vote...yes.

By Phil Alex

Source: MyNissanLeaf

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Portugal's Prime Minister Becomes first Head of State to Use EV for Official Matters, Receives Nissan Leaf

The Prime Minister of Portugal, Jose Socrates, has become the first head of state in the world to adopt an all-electric vehicle for official matters. On Wednesday, Portugal received delivery of the first 10 Nissan Leaf EVs to be offered in Europe, as recognition of the country's pioneering work in the electric mobility field with the MOBI.E Programme. One of those cars landing in the hands of Mr. Socrates, who will now travel exclusively by Electric Car (it was not disclosed if the Leaf would be the only EV in the fleet) for his official travels around the capital city of Portugal, Lisbon.

The 10 Nissan Leafs were delivered by Carlos Tavares, Vice-President of Nissan, in a special ceremony that took place in Parque das Nações, in Lisbon.

The Prime Minister, Jose Socrates, said: "Portugal is extremely proud of the introduction of the electric vehicle. This initiative is only possible due the fast implementation and development of the Portuguese MOBI.E Charging Network, which is considered a leading example to the world of how to roll out electric cars. Portugal is the first country in the world to have a nation-wide smart grid for electric vehicles."

Portugal has jumped on EV bandwagon by implementing an electric vehicle charging network at a national scale. The MOBI.E network currently spreads over 25 municipalities throughout the country with over 50 charging points already installed. The plan is to install more than 1300 normal charging points and 50 quick charging stations by mid-2011. Furthermore, the country generates about 45% of total electricity consumption from clean energies.

VIDEO: Chevrolet Tries to Explain the Volt's MPG Equivalent and MPG Ratings

Once upon a drive, all we had to know about a car's fuel consumption was how many miles the vehicle could travel on a single gallon of gas in the city, on the highway and on a combined route, regardless of whether the engine was fed with petrol or diesel.

Nowadays, the appearance of all-electric and extended range hybrid electric cars in showrooms has forced [ahem...] the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to embrace a new method to measure the energy consumption of alternative fuel vehicles called MPGe (Miles Per Gallon Equivalent).

The idea is to allow consumers to compare the energy consumption of EVs or Electric-Hybrid models such as the Leaf and the Volt to those of gasoline or diesel powered vehicles in terms of miles per gallon.

Knowing that many consumers are still baffled by the concept, General Motors released a short video where it tries to explain the new EPA ratings on the Chevrolet Volt. Scroll down to watch the clip.

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Nissan Announces Nine Models for Tokyo Auto Salon Including Juke Sporty and Leaf Aero Concept

At the upcoming Tokyo Auto Salon 2011 with NAPAC (Japan Car Parts and Aftermarket Promotion Association), to be held from January 14 to 16, Nissan, together with Autech Japan and its in-house NISMO performance division, will premiere a total of nine vehicles.

Highlights will include the zero-emission LEAF Aero Style Concept equipped with a futuristic looking bodykit and matching alloy wheel designs, and a special version of the Juke fitted with exterior accessories designed for the European and North American market models.

Autech Japan will showcase three vehicles, including the Elgrand Rider Premium Concept, which is the JDM version of the N.A. Quest minivan, the customized Serena Rider and the March-Based Bolero (Micra for those outside Japan).

Finally, NISMO will present its new production race car, the GT-R RC, alongside the tuned 355HP Fairlady Z (370Z) and the GT-R racecar that competed in the 2010 SUPER GT series.

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