The Nissan Leaf was a pioneering electric car, but the design of the current-generation model appears a bit conservative compared to rival automakers’ electric cars. Debuting at the 2019 Detroit Auto Show, the Nissan IMs concept aims to help the company push the envelope a bit further with better performance, a different approach to interior design, and autonomous-driving tech.
The IMs concept features all-wheel drive — with one electric motor powering each axle. Together, two motors produce 483 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque, according to Nissan. A flat 115-kilowatt-hour battery pack mounted under the floor provides a claimed 380 miles of range. The car also features an air suspension system which, along with the low center of gravity provided by the floor-mounted battery pack, allows the IMs to corner sharply and ride comfortably, according to Nissan.
The dual-motor, flat battery pack configuration is familiar from Tesla’s electric cars and those of several other automakers. As with those designs, Nissan tried to use the configuration to maximize interior space. But the Japanese automaker came up with a somewhat different final product.
The IMs is a four-door sedan, with a pair of normal bucket seats upfront. But the rear bench seat can convert from a conventional three-across setup into what Nissan calls the “Premier Seat.” In this configuration, the outboard seats fold away, leaving an oversized center seat for one person. It seems well-suited for passengers who get driven around a lot, either executives with a chauffeur or working stiffs hailing an Uber.
Speaking of getting driven around, Nissan said the IMs was designed with autonomous driving in mind. In autonomous mode, the car’s headlights and taillights turn blue, and lights project continuously front to rear, in order to let pedestrians and drivers know the car is driving itself. The interior also reconfigures itself when the car switches into autonomous mode.
The Nissan IMs is just a concept car, meaning it won’t go into production, but some of its design elements may show up on future Nissan production models. Given Nissan’s plans to sell more electric cars and commercialize autonomous-driving tech, it’s possible future versions of the automaker’s Altima or Maxima sedans could look something like the IMs. Nissan’s Infiniti luxury brand is showing its own all-electric concept — the QX Inspiration — in Detroit, offering another hint at the automaker’s potential zero-emission future.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.