Blog Assignment #1

     Are electric cars finally ready for the masses? Since the late 19th century electric cars have always been a popular topic. It wasn't until around 1990 when the electric car came into the mass media spotlight once again. With the pressure from environmental activists and lobbyist the government's regulations over the automaker industry tightened. As regulations became more strict, automakers began to come up with more innovative inventions to replace, or at least, compete with the combustible engine.

     Returning to the original question, are electric cars finally ready for the masses? Nissan seems to think so. With the initial delivery of its highly reputable "Leaf", the automaker's all electric vehicle, the world has come to witness something that many other automakers have failed to deliver. No, it's not the electric car itself, but the fact that it is affordable. Nissan has made it possible for those of us who cannot afford a electric super car such as those produced by Tesla, and it has undercut its electric hybrid counterpart the "Volt", by Chevy, by several thousand dollars.

     But what about the "Smart Car"? Nissan's "Leaf" offers seating for four, and includes room for a trunk. Thus making it a more reasonable choice in the eyes of the daily consumer, and with the range of  100miles to the charge versus the Smart Car's 62miles per charge, assuming it has lithium ion batteries, it fails in comparison.

     Yes, the company has gone through many ordeals since it's merger with Renault back in the late 90's - early 2000's, but it has maintained its presence within the auto manufacturing industry. It's award winning VQ series engine, which debut back in the 90's, has continuously won rewards year after year up until the late 2000's. It was the first Japanese automaker to offer a full-sized pickup truck within the U.S, and a true super car.

     Having said that, it continues to follow it's old business model, "Shift Innovation"; not only in a sense of technology, but also in business as well. With the arrival, and the well received reviews, of the "Leaf", it's recent venture with Mercedes, and the new line of commercial vehicles being offered; we can only wait to see what else this company will do in the future.