WeeklySA_AdminNISSAN “A BORING AND MEDIOCRE CAR COMPANY”
Former Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn has hit out at his former employer calling it “boring and mediocre” in an interview promoting his new book.Speaking to Fox News, the ex Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance CEO said he was disappointed in the direction Nissan has gone in since his forced departure in 2018, something which he believes was due to friction between the Japanese and French governments.
The 67-year-old fugitive is currently residing in his native Lebanon after escaping from Japan in 2019. Prior to that date he was held under house arrest and charged for significant acts of misconduct due to allegedly understating his income to Japanese financial authorities to the tune of $110 million over a five-year period, as well as using Nissan’s company assets for personal use. Ghosn’s escape from Japan in 2019 was aided by Michael and Peter Taylor, an American father/son duo who transported Ghosn to Lebanon in a flight case. Both men were jailed earlier this year for 24 and 20 months respectively.-WHICHCAR?
VOLVO TO DITCH LEATHER BY 2030
Swedish manufacturer Volvo has stepped up its commitment to being one of the automotive industry’s green leaders, promising its future electric cars will be void of animal-derived products.Pledging to ditch leather from its cars by 2030 when its line-up becomes fully electric, Volvo will be utilising vegan alternatives while still aiming to retain a high-quality finish, not wanting the move to dilute the occupant’s experience.Volvo has said it will debut its new Nordico interior material in its next generation of models, a textile made from recycled PET bottles, bio-sustainably sourced forest materials from Sweden and Finland along with recycled wine bottle corks.
“Responsible sourcing is an important part of that work, including respect for animal welfare. Going leather-free inside our pure electric cars is a good next step towards addressing this issue,” read a statement from the company.
BRABUS 900 WORLD FASTEST SUV?
Brabus has revealed its new 900 Rocket Edition, claiming it will be the “world’s fastest SUV” when it makes its official public debut at this year’s Monaco Boat Show. The Rocket Edition’s life began as a humble Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S 4 Matic, although the base 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 has been tweaked to now produce 662kW and 1250Nm, a 212kW/400Nm boost over the donor car’s figures.
To achieve this, Brabus effectively reworked the engine’s internals, stroking it out to 4.5-litres and adding a pair of much larger turbos, although it retains the standard car’s nine-speed automatic gearbox and four-wheel drive system – both helping to put the power to the ground for a claimed 0-100km/h time of 3.2 seconds. Top speed is 330km/h thanks to a 662kW tune and the Rocket Edition will be limited to 25 units
CLOSE GERMAN ELECTION LEAVES AUTO INDUSTRY IDLING
BERLIN — German automakers face possibly months of uncertainty before they know the direction the country’s new government will take on the industry. One of the main points concerning the auto industry is the fate of the internal combustion engine. How to transition the auto industry and its energy system away from fossil fuels without destabilizing the economy is one of the most critical issues facing the German economy.
The Green Party is calling for a ban on combustion-engine cars starting in 2030, while the FDP rejects this strategy and is instead backing openness to technology and synthetic fuels, including for gasoline and diesel cars. The SPD has not committed itself to a ban on combustion engines in its election platform, and the CDU’s stance on migrating away from fossil fuel-powered cars is similarly vague.
The CDU wants to promote electric mobility, but on an equal footing with synthetic fuels and hydrogen drives, a stance similar to the FDP. The CDU wants a “roadmap” for the switch to zero-emissions mobility, with concrete target dates to be worked out.
