All totaled, Nissan Division sold 65,659 cars and trucks, an improvement over the 56,266 sold in June of last year.

Most people would consider a 17% sales uptick a good thing, but Automotive News is reporting that Nissan’s vice president for sales, Al Castignetti was disappointed by the results of his company in particular and the industry as a whole, and that he had been projecting a sales increase of 20%.

The strongest performers in Nissan’s stable were the Altima and Sentra, which saw sales increases of 23% and 31%, respectively. This is especially pleasing to Nissan since the Sentra is due for a redesign, yet managed to outsell the lower-priced Nissan Versa during the month of June. Last year, the positions were reversed, and Versa was the better selling model.

The 2011 Nissan Leaf, the carmaker’s all-electric pride and joy, was also a strong performer, with 1,708 units – 200 more than expected – delivered last month.

Other increases were seen in the Nissan Rogue (8% improvement) and the Nissan Juke, though inventory shortages hurt those cars as well.

Reports from Nissan say that Infiniti’s supply issues should end this month with the arrival of 10,000 vehicles to the United States.

For this week’s Media Monday, we wanted to share this walk-around (courtesy of YouTube and “The TestDriver”) from the St. Louis Auto Show, of the 2011 Nissan 370 spider (reviewed here). Enjoy.

Eric Besson, the French Industry Minister, spoke earlier this week of a case that felt much like “economic warfare,” but said that no official inquiry had been begun, and that such an investigation would only be undertaken if Renault lodged a formal complaint. When asked about the possibility of Chinese involvement, he said he was “…not authorized to say anything at all…” about it.

On Monday, three Renault executives, including one member of the automaker’s management committee were suspended as a result of the case, which has prompted a warning of a widespread risk to French industry. Specifically, the executives are suspected of leaking details about their company’s electric vehicle program, which is a key part of Renault’s current marketing strategy, in which, with Nissan (its Japanese partner), its investing billions of euros.

Le Point news magazine ran a story on its website citing sources who said that the target of the espionage was as-yet-unpatented battery technology.

Renault, which is fifteen percent owned by the French government, has declined to comment, but a source within the government spoke to the press earlier today, saying, “The DCRI (intelligence service) is working on this case. It is in contact with Renault.” The government spokesperson also said that the Chinese connection was being explored but that it hadn’t been substantiated.

On Thursday, Renault issued a warning that its strategic assets had been put at risk by suspected espionage related to the electric vehicle program.

Also on Thursday the German press named the three suspended Renault executives, identifying them as Michel Balthazard, vice president for advance engineering, and the management committee member, Bertrand Rochette, and Matthieu Tennebaum. All three men, the report said, work in project development at Renault’s Guyancourt-based Technocentre

Renault, through it’s partnership with Nissan, is planning to become the first mass producing automaker to offer electric vehicles to the general public, and has (with Nissan) invested 4 billion euros in EV programs. By the 2015-2016 model year, Renault plans to build more than 200,000 EVs each year.

This year, Renault will launch the Fluence sedan, Kangoo delivery van and two-seat Twizy, all electric vehicles, to the European market. At the same time, Nissan is now rolling out it’s electric hatchback known as the Leaf, around the world.

Smart for Nissan | Source: Autonews.com | Click to enlarge

Automotive News reported today on a new deal between Smart USA and Nissan Motor Co. to produce and sell a five-door gasoline-engine small car in the United States. The “B-segment” car is targeted to go on sale during the fourth quarter of next year.

In an interview, Smart USA resident Jill Lajdziak said, “There were a lot of customer requests to offer a little bit larger vehicle.” She also said that the new five-seater is meant to be a direct competitor to the Honda FIT, in America’s growing sub-compact vehicle market.

Smart’s only model, the ForTwo two-seat mini-car built by Daimler, had its peak sales in 2008 – its introductory year – with 24,622 units sold. That year was also marked by gas prices in excess of $4/gallon. Last year, with lower gasoline prices and a collapsed economy, sales plummeted by 41 percent. Year-to-date sales this year, through September 30th, are down 62 percent more, with only 4,779 sales.

The new car will be built on a new global platform in one of Nissan’s factories in the Americas, Nissan spokesman Dave Reuter said.

While stranded passengers are beginning to move, both companies are claiming that the volcano, which grounded almost all flights in and out of Europe, has forced reductions in production, even for the American market. Due to the nature of the delays, Nissan isn’t sure how long production will be reduced, but a spokesperson for the automaker said that even one day will cause a 2,000 unit setback.

BMW is facing similar delays, and has halted production at its plants in Dingolfing (which produces 5- and 7-series sedans) and the Munich and Regensburg plants (which produce the 3-series and 1-series and Z4, respectively), but hopes to resume normal workflow by April 23rd. The Bavarian automaker is expecting a 7.000 unit shortage.

The ground-stop of air freight has caused a delay in electronics and interior components, BMW adds.

According to Left Lane News, BMW may also have to idle their plant in Spartanburg, SC plant, though if trans-Atlantic flights resume, they may be able to keep that site open and functioning.

Nissan will begin accepting reservations for purchase of the 2011 Nissan Leaf on April 20th, with those who have signed up at NissanUSA to be first in line. In December, Nissan will make the car available for purchase or lease by consumers in select markets, with nationwide availability to be open in 2011. The reservation fee is $99, and is fully refundable. Reserving a Leaf grants consumers access to a place in line when the company begins taking firm orders for the car in August, and also nets them access to special Leaf-related events.

In California, which is likely to be the Leaf’s biggest market, the combined federal and state tax credits, which include a $5,000 state wide tax credit, will effectively decrease the total purchase price of the new electric car to the low-$20,000s, but consumers are advised to remember that said credits cannot be applied until tax time, and that they still need to pay the entire cost of the car up front, or arrange financing. Other states are also offering tax credits – such as a $1,500 credit in Oregon, and a $5,000 credit in Georgia, as well as allowing the Leaf to have access to the carpool lane, even if the only person inside the vehicle is the driver.

Standard features of the 2011 Nissan Leaf, at the SV trim level, include an advanced navigations system, Internet/smart phone connectivity, Bluetooth, push-buttong start, traction control and six airbags. For an additional $940, buyers can upgrade to the SL trim level, and gain a rearview monitor, automatic headlights, fog lights, and a solar panel spoiler.

As part of the purchase process for the Leaf, Nissan will also be offering personal charging docks, which operate on a 220-volt power supply, as well as their installation. These home-charging stations will be built and installed by AeroVironment, and is part of Nissan’s one-stop shopping process. A home assessment is included with the price.

According to HybridCars:

* The average cost for the charging dock plus installation will be $2,200.
* Charging dock and installation are eligible for a 50 percent federal tax credit up to $2,000.
* Using current national electricity averages, Nissan LEAF will cost less than $3 to “fill up.”
* Nissan LEAF also will be the sole vehicle available as part of The EV Project, which is led by EV infrastructure provider eTec, a division of ECOtality, and will provide free home-charging stations and installation for up to 4,700 Nissan LEAF owners in those markets:Phoenix/Tucson, San Diego, Portland/Salem/Eugene (OR), Seattle, Nashville/Knoxville.

Speaking at an event on February 5 to promote the all-electric Nissan Leaf, Houston mayor Annise Parker said, “We are the Petro Metro, but we are also a car city. To have an electric vehicle that appeals to a car culture will make the real difference for market penetration.”

The Leaf, a five-passenger vehicle that can travel 100-miles on a single charge, hopes it will be that car, not just for Houston, but for other cities like San Francisco, that are actively forging alliances with car makers and power companies. These metropolitan areas don’t just want to bring EVs to their streets, they want to see electric charging stations to their street corners.

In Houston, Nissan has brokered a deal with both the city and Reliant Energy to construct public charging stations. These efforts are key in overcoming the doubts of would-be buyers fearful of being stranded with no juice under the hood.

General Motors will be debuting its much-anticipated Chevrolet Volt later this year, and partnerships like the one Nissan has struck with the city of Houston could be key to the car’s success. The Houston metropolitan area has about 4.5 million cars and trucks ticking off approximately 86 driving miles a day.

Promoting the EVs in tandem with charging stations is a win/win for all concerned. Thanks to the recession, power utilities in the United States have seen demand drop off about 5% over the past two years. Widespread adoption of electric vehicles serves multiple masters:

• It gives the auto industry exciting new products.
• Electric vehicles cater to environmental concerns.
• EVs will help lessen our nation’s dependence on foreign oil.
• Charging stations will generate jobs in cities where they are located.
• Cities like Houston with air-quality problems will gain access to more federal funds if they can cut emissions.
• A new area of electrical use will reclaim some lost profits for the power utilities.

Critics of electrical vehicles have long pointed to the lack of infrastructure as a significant stumbling block to the cars’ practicality. Partnerships with cities and power companies who have their own problems to solve could make that criticism go away, and give products like the Leaf and the Volt the leg up they need to be real contenders in the world of alternative-powered vehicles.

One such story, involves Nissan Motor Co.’s plan to build small cars, with matching small pricetags, in Mexico. The company is currently developing two cars for sale in the United States, each with a pricetag of roughly $10,000. Both cars will be based on Nissan’s global V platform, which is also intended to replace the subcompact Micra, currently being sold in foreign markets. A total of three models will be produced on that platform, and sales are planned for Central and South America, as well. These models have not yet been named, but are likely to smaller than the Versa, which is the smallest Nissan vehicle currently sold in the United States.

In Detroit, Carlos Tavares, Nissan’s chairman for the Americas said, “I think $10,000 is a good price point for Nissan’s coming small cars. As you know, there are very few new cars sold at that price point in the United States.” Tavares went on to state that “The V platform will be sourced in Mexico for the Americas.”

Tavares didn’t provide a timetable for the production of these new cars, but the program calls for production of at least 200,000 vehicles per year, as well as their engines and transmissions, at one of the two plants Nissan operates in Mexico. The company expects to produce at least a million V cars a year, globally, with Mexico the only factory site in the Western hemisphere.

The base Nissan Versa has a sticker price of a bit under $10,000, but be warned: the radio is optional, and the windows are powered by elbow grease. Even so, in December 2009 U.S. sales of the little car totaled 6,809 vehicles, a 33% increase over the same month in 2008, even with overall American sales down 19% over the last year.

When asked how the new Versas will be fitted out, Tavares kept it vague: “It is too early to tell you the (standard) equipment in those cars,” he said. “The only thing that we can tell you is that we will hold that price point.”