#NissanEv

It’s a bit of a surprise it took this long.

The Nissan Ariya EV SUV got a little cheaper for its first model year.

Nissan just debuted its IMx all-electric crossover concept and it features a fully autonomous driving system as well as a 600 km plus driving range.

Nissan, like so many other automakers, is planning to bolster its all-electric vehicle lineup. 

Nissan has a reason to celebrate now that their electric vehicle, the Leaf, has achieved its milestone of 10,000 vehicles sold in the US. The Leaf, which first hit the American market in December 2010, still isn’t available in all 50 states – though Nissan looks to rectify that by March of this year.

Surely the impressive sales figure proves that American consumers are open to the idea of electric vehicles. In fact, we would go so far as to say that the worldwide market is embracing EVs as Nissan has sold 20,000 Leafs globally. The Leaf’s impressive sales figures trump all other OEMs combined sales of electric vehicles throughout the world – though that’s not saying much, considering there isn’t much competition out there as of yet.

It’ll be interesting to see if the Leaf stays strong in the sales category once the Ford Focus Electric and even the Honda Fit EV hit the marketplace.

[Source: AutoBlog Green]

Read AutoGuide’s Nissan Leaf Review here and watch our review below:

If any of you out there still do not want to accept that electric and hybrid vehicles are a thing of the future, we think you should sit down and seek out some counseling. Otherwise you’re just not going to be prepared for what’s going to happen to the automotive industry in the next decade. The Nissan Leaf has already produced a ton of buzz worldwide, and it looks like Nissan isn’t letting off their go-green-happy gas pedal by announcing that their newest electric car concept will be shown off at the Paris Auto Show on September 30th, 2010.

Naturally there aren’t many details about the concept other than that it’ll be called the Townpod (which sounds really cool!) and Nissan states “it combines eye-catching design with a spacious and practical interior,”while, “it heralds a new-era of flexible, stylish vehicles that will bring electric-vehicle mobility to the masses.”

We’re just hoping that by “eye-catching design” Nissan means it’s pleasant to the eyes, and not the sort of oddly styled vehicles the brand has rolled out as of late (cough, Juke, cough). But given this teaser image of the headlight, we’re expecting a futuristic-looking concept that is going to help usher in the next generation of vehicles.

AutoGuide will bring you full coverage of the Paris Auto Show starting September 30th

See the official press release after the jump:

Nissan has just released information on its upcoming electric vehicle which will launch next year in both the U.S. and Japan. The most surprising bit of news is that the lithium-ion powered vehicle is based on an all-new platform and not one of the existing Nissan chassis.

The lithium-ion battery pack makes 80kW and 280Nm (that’s 107hp and 207 ft-lbs of torque) and will deliver “outstanding driving performance,” says Nissan.

Thanks to a regenerative braking system the car will be capable of 100 miles (160km) on a single charge.

But above and beyond the usual facts, Nissan will deliver plenty of new technological innovations in its EV. For starters, the car will come with a navigation system which will show how far the car is capable of traveling at its current state of charge. The map will also display charging stations. Owners will even be able to monitor their vehicle’s charging online or through their mobile phone.

At all times, the car will be tied in to Nissan’s global data center to provide support (should it be needed) 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Today Nissan showcased the new EV (hidden under the body of a Nissan Versa) as a prototype. The production EV will officially be unveiled when Nissan opens its new global headquarters in Yokohama, Japan on August 2nd.

A Nissan Zero-emission Website www.nissan-zeroemission.com will also go live on Aug. 2nd.

Official release after the jump:

Nissan is preparing to debut three electric vehicles on August 2nd, one of which is expected to be a made-in-the-USA crossover. Nissan has already said that it plans to build an electric car at its Spring Hill, Tennessee, assembly plant in the near future.