How about rebadging a Nissan Versa and selling it as a Smart? Brilliant!

Said ugly-assed Smart(Nissan) Versa

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We are thrilled with the overwhelming enthusiasm people like you have shown for the 100% electric Nissan LEAF™. To date, 20,000 people have already reserved a LEAF – a number that has exceeded our expectations.

We have completed the first phase of reservations. In order to provide the best level of customer service and premium ownership experience to the first Nissan LEAF drivers, we will not be accepting new reservations until the next phase begins. A subsequent phase of reservations will begin next year, after current reservations and orders have been processed.

We’re grateful for your understanding and patience as we work to bring this 100% electric car to you.

Source

UPDATE – here’s the press release from Nissan USA

NISSAN REACHES 20,000-RESERVATION MILESTONE FOR NISSAN LEAF; FIRST PHASE OF CUSTOMER RESERVATIONS COMPLETED

– Drive Electric Tour Kicks Off in October –

FRANKLIN, Tenn. (Sept. 23, 2010) – Consumer interest for the Nissan LEAF continues to grow, as Nissan North America Inc. today marks its 20,000th reservation for the 100-percent electric car.

Nissan had anticipated reaching its stated target of 20,000 reservations at the time of the first U.S. Nissan LEAF delivery, in December. This achievement comes three months ahead of schedule and just days before Nissan kicks off the “Drive Electric Tour.” The 23-city tour will give reservation holders and those interested in driving a Nissan LEAF a chance to experience all-electric driving firsthand.

Achieving 20,000 reservations marks the successful completion of the first phase of the Nissan LEAF rollout, which began more than five months ago, and no further reservations will be taken until next year. Nissan now is focusing on providing the best level of customer service and premium ownership experience to those who already have enrolled. A subsequent phase of reservations will begin next year, after current reservations and orders have been processed.

Consumers who already have made reservations will continue to have the opportunity to purchase or lease an all-electric Nissan LEAF. Nissan is following its planned order-release timing for existing reservationists. Orders have been prioritized based on market timing and when consumers submitted their original reservations online and paid their refundable $99 reservation fee.

Those who are interested in the Nissan LEAF but have yet to make reservations are invited to sign up for information and updates on www.nissanusa.com. They will be contacted in advance of the next phase of vehicle reservations.

“As of today, 20,000 consumers have spoken, and they are choosing the Nissan LEAF and a zero-emission future,” said Brian Carolin, senior vice president, Sales and Marketing, Nissan North America. “We, along with our dealers, now look forward to focusing on providing an absolute top-level purchase experience to our first customers, and to help ensure that the transition to gas-free driving is a seamless one. We invite all who are interested in experiencing the Nissan LEAF to join us at the upcoming Drive Electric Tour, which is coming to 23 cities beginning this fall.”

Consumers and other interested drivers will have the first opportunity to test-drive a Nissan LEAF in select markets starting Oct. 1 through the “Drive Electric Tour.” The tour will provide information about the car, its technology, and its features, along with the first public test-drives.

Tour stops include:

Oct. 1-3: Santa Monica, Calif. Jan. 7-9, 2011: Houston
Oct. 8-10: Anaheim, Calif. Jan. 14-16: Dallas
Oct. 15-17: San Diego Jan. 21-23: Jacksonville, Fla.
Oct. 22-24: Los Angeles Jan. 28-30: Miami
Oct. 29-31: San Jose, Calif. Feb. 4-6: Orlando, Fla.
Nov. 5-7: Hillsboro, Ore. Feb. 11-13: Tampa, Fla.
Nov. 12-14: Seattle Feb. 18-20: Atlanta
Nov. 20-28: San Francisco Feb. 25-27: Knoxville
Dec. 3-5: Tempe, Ariz. March 4-6: Charlotte, N.C.
Dec. 10-12: Tucson, Ariz. March 11-13: Raleigh, N.C.
Dec. 17-19: Austin, Texas March 18-20: Washington, D.C.
March 25-27: Nashville

Interested drivers can learn more about the tour, including specific locations, and register to drive the Nissan LEAF at www.drivenissanleaf.com. Sales of the Nissan LEAF begin in December in California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona and Tennessee. In January 2011, sales begin in Texas and Hawaii. The Nissan LEAF will be available nationwide by the end of 2011.

In North America, Nissan’s operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program 2010 and has been recognized as a 2010 ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency. More information on Nissan in North America, the Nissan LEAF and zero emissions can be found at www.nissanusa.com.

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My personal two favorites to pull ahead are algae-based biodiesel and hydrogen.

Why, you might ask? Because those two will both clean up the environment, add jobs to a struggling economy trying to find its way through an identity crisis and most importantly, they will work with our existing infrastructure and driving habits. I don’t especially think we need a mountain of batteries from expired Prius(es), nor do I really want to wait four hours for my electric car (which would get electricity from burning coal, by the way) to be able to move after leaving me stranded somewhere.

Formidable obstacles stand in the way of biodiesel and hydrogen, though. Biodiesel only makes sense if you can actually buy a diesel car to use it, which is much more a problem in America than you’d think. Hydrogen is not really a net energy gain, since it takes a fair bit of energy to get the most abundant element in the known universe from breaking apart from the other elements in your average hydrogen-containing molecule. That last bit though, might be made immensely easier to accomplish thanks to the new hope of hydrogen-heads everywhere: animal pee.

You read that right. Yay pee. According to GreenCarReports.com, animal pee could be the next big thing to help us get our car-fix.

Read on!

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2009 Nissan Cube

Franklin, TN – May 10, 2009: The all-new 2009 Nissan CUBE went on sale last week at Nissan dealers nationwide, sporting an engaging asymmetrical exterior design, socially oriented lounge-style interior, a powerful and fuel-efficient 1.8-liter engine, six standard air bags, a full catalog of innovative accessories, a starting Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP)* of $13,990 and one other thing – an innovative marketing campaign centered around a downloadable-content-rich “cube® Mobile Hub.”

“A vehicle as unique as the new Nissan cube® deserves an equally breakthrough launch,” said Christian Meunier, vice president, Nissan Marketing, NNA. “We envision owners using their cubes® as one of their essential mobile devices, connecting with friends, sharing music and sharing fun. It’s a natural extension to have our marketing be just as involving – giving owners and prospective buyers alike a variety of ways to interact with and learn more about this unique new vehicle.”

Access to the “cube® Mobile Hub” will be available (beginning May 15) through a shortcode or “text to” number incorporated into the traditional marketing media mix, including television, print, direct mail and interactive. Once at the Mobile Hub, users will have the opportunity to download unique content, such as wallpapers, videos, music, ringtones and a link to the nissanusa.com mobile site.

The iPhone® app, “cube® Party Roundup,” is scheduled to go live on June 15 and will be available for play in single-player and multi-player modes (up to eight friends). The personalizable, mission-based driving app sends the player around a city picking up friends, ice, music and other items before a party.

Additional levels allow the player to pick up dates, go to concerts and other activities, all the while navigating around various obstacles to complete the mission. A Facebook version of “cube Party Roundup,” where users will be able to share their progress with friends, will go live in early July.

In addition to the “cube® Mobile Hub,” customers can research information on the new cube®, read product reviews, locate local Nissan dealers and even order custom cube? t-shirts at www.NissanUSA.com/cube.

2009 Nissan cube Pricing The dramatically styled Nissan cube® has a starting MSRP of $13,990 for the cube® 1.8 equipped with a 6-speed manual transmission. Three other models are also offered: cube® 1.8 S, priced at $14,690 with the 6-speed manual and $15,690 with the Xtronic CVT® (Continuously Variable Transmission); cube® 1.8 SL, priced at $16,790; and the cube® 1.8 Kr?m specialty vehicle, priced at $19,370. Both the cube® 1.8 SL and cube® 1.8 Kr?m come with standard Xtronic CVT®.

In addition, cube® is available with more than 40 individual accessories, ranging from a unique 20-color interior illumination kit and “shag dash topper” to aerodynamic body kits and custom 16-inch aluminum-alloy wheels – allowing cube® owners to personalize their vehicles to reflect their own tastes and personalities.

About the 2009 Nissan cube® The 2009 Nissan cube® is designed to meet the practical needs of today’s active, environmentally aware drivers, providing a small footprint with a large interior space. The front-wheel drive cube® is built on Nissan’s proven B-platform and is available with a standard 1.8-liter DOHC 4-cylinder engine and a choice of Nissan’s advanced, smooth shifting Xtronic CVT® (Continuously Variable Transmission) or 6-speed manual transmission.

Cube®’s long list of standard safety features includes the Nissan Advanced Air Bag System (AABS), seat-mounted driver and front-passenger side-impact supplemental air bags, and roof-mounted curtain side-impact supplemental air bags for front and rear-seat outboard occupant head protection.

Cube® also offers standard front-seat Active Head Restraints, Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) and Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) with Traction Control System (TCS), along with an Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist (BA).

Along with the long list of standard features on the cube® 1.8, the cube® 1.8 S adds body-colored outside mirrors, premium grade fabric, cruise control, cargo area cover and more. The cube® 1.8 SL adds standard CVT, 16-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, auto on/off headlights, Automatic Temperature Control, Interface System for iPod?, six speakers and more. The uniquely equipped cube® 1.8 Kr?m includes an exclusive integrated body design, Kr?m 16-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, sporty interior treatment, Rockford Fosgate subwoofer, Xtronic CVT® and much more.

Available cube® technology includes the Nissan Intelligent Key™ with Push Button Ignition, Bluetooth® Hands-free Phone System, Rockford Fosgate subwoofer with six upgraded speakers, XM? Satellite Radio (XM® subscription required, sold separately) and Interface System for iPod®.

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An article on Tennesseean.com a few minutes ago said that Volkswagen had chosen the TVA supersite outside of Chattanooga, TN.

“This is a significant step forward in achieving our goals in the U.S. market and a clear sign of the Volkswagen Group’s commitment to the North American consumer,” said Stefan Jacoby, President and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America in a news release. “Chattanooga is an excellent fit for the Volkswagen culture, having an exceptional quality of life and a long manufacturing tradition.”

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1. Volkswagen chooses Huntsville AL

Has Volkswagen finally made a choice about where to put their new plant? Word was that VW was going to choose a plant location in Tennessee, Alabama, or Georgia. Has the site been chosen already?

From Automotive News:

Volkswagen’s management favors Huntsville in northern Alabama as the site for its new U.S. car plant, Automobilwoche, Automotive News’ sister publication, reported today. The magazine said Chattanooga, Tenn., which is 102 miles north of Huntsville, is the second choice.

Someone needs to take a look at Google Maps. Chattanooga is actually east of Huntsville. That’s all I have to say about that.

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Word around the campfire is that GM is considering bringing the South Korean-built Chevrolet Beat to dealers in the United States in the near future. The Beat’s been making rounds at Auto Shows around the country for the past year or so; and to be honest, I’m pretty excited. It’s a cool looking little car.

Check out pictures and the word from GM below

GENERAL MOTORS MAY BRING NEW MINI CAR TO U.S.:General Motors Corp. is considering a new Chevrolet mini car for the United States as it reworks its product lineup to cope with a dramatic shift from trucks to cars linked to high gas prices, a spokesman said this week. GM spokesman Dee Allen said bringing the Chevrolet Beat, which is about the size of a Honda Fit or Toyota Yaris mini car, to the U.S. is among the options the company is studying.

Click for bigger pics:

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1. About