Nissan will be showcasing a special Leaf covered with self-cleaning paint.

You read that right. Nissan is launching a social media campaign that will include a series of online videos to showcase a Nissan Leaf with self-cleaning nano-paint technology.

Created to demonstrate its potential use in future production vehicles, this Leaf is covered with Ultra-Ever Dry paint to help repel almost any liquid that may come its way.

Nissan first introduced this one-of-a-kind Leaf this past April.

“The Leaf is already one of the cleanest vehicles around even without this incredibly innovative paint technology; that said, we’re not afraid to get our hands dirty to take this to the next level,” said Pierre Loing, vice president, Product Planning, Nissan North America, Inc. “Getting fans involved via this social media campaign is a fun, creative way to show how the Leaf can stay clean no matter how dirty the world around it may be. A marriage with the Ultra-Ever Dry exterior coating truly puts this Leaf in a league of its own, and we’re excited to see where this technology can take us.”

SEE ALSO: Self-Cleaning Paint On Your Next Leaf?

The first video, The Nissan Paint Prank,” launched yesterday on YouTube. Described by Nissan as a “Three Stooges” style calamity, the video catches expressions of innocent bystanders shocked to see what happens as a crew of painters “accidentally” spills buckets of paint on the Nissan Leaf. As bystanders are playfully made aware of the prank, viewers online will be encouraged to visit Nissan’s Instagram channel to participate in a related series of videos, which also launched yesterday.

First up on Instagram, “Guess the Mess” challenges fans to guess the liquid being poured on the self-cleaning Leaf. After guessing the mess, it’s the fans’ turn to decide what gets poured on the Leaf in the final set of videos entitled “Will it Stick?”

Nissan said fans will be called upon on Instagram to suggest things they’d like to see dumped on the Leaf – ketchup, honey, eggs… anything is in play. Starting next week, Nissan will decide “if it sticks” by sharing videos on Instagram that will include the liquids suggested by selected fans.

To encourage suggestions for liquids to pour on the Leaf from Instagram users, Nissan stated all participants will be entered for a chance to win a gift card toward a car wash.

To conclude the series, Nissan said it will create a compilation video featuring all “Guess the Mess” and “Will It Stick?” videos that will be posted to Nissan’s YouTube channel and shared across Nissan’s social media platforms.

Nissan hopes social media users will follow along on Instagram using #WorldsCleanestCar.

While there are currently no plans for this unique paint coating technology to be applied to Nissan vehicles as standard equipment, Nissan said it continues to consider the technology as a future aftermarket option.

While some critics have accused Tesla of making “toys for the rich,” Ferrari’s second hybrid is expected to fetch enough greenbacks to buy 25-30 Model S P85D sedans once its price is officially announced.

For what may cost north of $3 million, the limited production run of 30 units is not a real race car, but a track day special – by any other definition, a toy.

“Unfettered by homologation and racing regulations, the FXX K will never be used in competition,” says Ferrari. “It was, in fact, developed to be completely uncompromising, incorporating technological innovations that will guarantee an unprecedented driving experience to the exclusive group of Client-Test Drivers with whom the Prancing Horse will roll out a test programme over the coming two years.”

What does the car that could make a P85D look like it came from the Good Will get you? The FXX K laboratory car will be shown at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit with KERS kinetic energy recovery system – that’s what the “K” stands for.

Also updated is the hybrid system utilizing a 6.2-liter (6,262cc) V12 mated to a 190-horsepower electric motor. Peak output is rated at 1,036-horsepower, 664 pound-feet of torque for the high-revving beast.

The 190-horsepower just from the electric motor may be dialed in with the HY-KERS system, essentially like a zero-emission, instant supercharger.

The car has four driver-selectable modes.

Qualify Mode gives full boost for a limited number of laps.
Long Run optimizes “performance consistency.”
Manual Boost gives instant torque delivery.
Fast Charge allows for a quicker recharge of the car’s battery.

The carbon-intensive, hand-made vehicle also incorporates aero technologies like a twin-profile spoiler and a larger splitter developed from Ferrari’s work to improve its race cars’ aero balance in the GT category of the WEC.

These and other tricks yields 50-percent improvement in downforce in the low drag configuration and a 30-percent in the more aggressive downforce configuration. This means 1,191 pounds (540 kg) of downforce is pressing the sticky Pirelli slicks into the tarmac at 124 mph (200 kph), a rather benign speed for this over-200 mph screamer.

Who will buy it? It’s a hybrid, but we suspect these are not necessarily environmentalists. What’s its real value? Besides all the bucks they’ll spend, it is another extreme effort into electrification tech.

If nothing more, it’s a halo effect for the entire industry as it becomes one more among the world’s most exclusive and desired sports cars – that shares, however remotely, technological thinking found also under the hood of a Prius.

Canada’s best-selling all-electric vehicle has crossed an important sales threshold, surpassing 1,000 units sold in a year for the first time since its July 2011 launch.

Nissan Canada announced that through November, a total of 1,021 units have been sold in Canada, more than doubling the 2013 total sales mark of 470 Leaf vehicles. This represents a sales increase of 117 percent over the course of the year. Since its launch, over 1,900 Nissan Leafs have been sold in Canada.

The year-over-year increase for the Leaf represents the largest increase of any vehicle in the Nissan product line-up. Second is the recently redesigned Rogue crossover which has seen a year-over-year increase of 78 percent so far.

For the month of November, 103 units were sold which is significantly higher than the 30 units sold in November, 2013.

SEE ALSO: Nissan Sells 150,000th Leaf in Time for Its Fourth Birthday

A noteworthy comparison can be made between the sales of the Nissan Leaf to that of Nissan’s high-performance vehicles. Canadian 370Z sports coupe sales YTD have been just 390 units, while the high-end GT-R has sold only 120 units so far this year. While it’s safe to say that prospective buyers for each are different, all three vehicles could be considered as specialty cars, with the greatest momentum at the moment coming from the (least pricey) Leaf.

Now crossing into its fifth year of production, the 2015 Leaf continues to surprise first-time buyers with its ease of ownership – offering the space and range to meet most drivers’ everyday needs, while also providing an exceptional value proposition due to zero spending on gas, lower maintenance costs and (where applicable) provincial incentives.
Individuals in Ontario who purchase or lease a Leaf are eligible to receive an incentive of $8,500. In Quebec, a similar program exists with the Leaf qualifying for a rebate of $8,000.

“The sales results today are a clear indication that Canadian motorists are starting to recognize that opting for a Nissan Leaf is an excellent opportunity for cost-saving, all while enjoying a truly zero-emission drive,” said Christian Meunier, President, Nissan Canada Inc. “The availability of charging infrastructure in Canada is accelerating, especially in the provinces of Quebec and Ontario where these governments are strongly supporting the market acceptance of EVs.”

The Leaf continues to be the best-selling EV, essentially a benchmark among mainstream-priced electric cars. With global sales of more than 150,000 units, the Leaf has become the best-selling electric vehicle ever. It is estimated that collectively, owners in 35 countries have saved more than $28-million in gasoline costs, as the zero-emissions LEAF requires none.

Air pollution from diesel vehicles is attracting legal attention in the UK, after a recent ruling in the European Court of Justice required ministers to take immediate steps toward cleaner air.

Nitrogen dioxide, the pollutant of most concern, is extremely high in UK cities and comes primarily from diesel vehicles. Although the government had promised to clean up nitrogen dioxide pollution by 2015, they have since extended the deadline to 2030.

The ruling has widespread support from environmentalists who believe it will force the government to take action toward cleaner air and create healthier living conditions for UK residents.

“This ruling is a big victory for the millions of people who want to live healthy lives in the UK’s towns and cities. This will force the government to finally take this issue seriously and come up with an urgent plan to rid our towns and cities of cancer-causing diesel fumes,” ClientEarth lawyer Alan Andrews told BBC News.

Early morning emissions in London. © Simon Birkett 2014.

Decades of government diesel endorsement have contributed to the UK’s current dilemma. While diesel has long been viewed as a “green” alternative in the fight to slow climate change, the UK has adopted lax diesel regulations and allowed itself to be overrun by so-called “dirty diesel.”

Although still controversial, “clean diesel” is considered safer and has attracted interest in the U.S. because of diesel’s notoriously high mpg and low CO2. In order for diesel to be considered “clean” it must have “ultra low” sulfur levels (15 parts per million as opposed to the 500 ppm in regular diesel), and be treated with exhaust-scrubbing components—supposedly resulting in less harmful emissions.

SEE ALSO: Will America Avoid Europe’s ‘Clean’ Diesel Problems?

While it’s easy for the U.S. to learn from the UK’s mistakes, the UK is still faced with the daunting task of undoing over 20 years of poorly regulated diesel emissions. According to the organization that brought the case, ClientEarth, this can be accomplished through a ban on diesel cars in cities, pollution control devices on public transportation vehicles, and technology that guarantees compliance with manufacturer emissions data.

Although it is still uncertain which of these actions the government will take, the courts and public are relieved that the ruling mandates immediate action on this long-standing issue.

“It is not acceptable for ministers who live in leafy suburbs to tell people living next to busy roads in towns and cities that they have to wait until 2030 to breathe clean air. Today’s ruling will force the government to prioritize the issue of air quality in all decisions on transport policy and infrastructure,” the chair of the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) Joan Walley told BBC News.

While many governments in the U.S. and around the world are using tax breaks, incentives and rebates to spur all-electric and hybrid vehicles purchases, Wisconsin is considering the addition of an annual fee for drivers who choose to drive either a hybrid or an EV.

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation has recently proposed a series of fees and tax increases designed to make-up for a chronic budgetary shortfall. Among the proposed ideas would be to charge an annual $50 fee to anyone who drives either a hybrid or an all-electric vehicle.

The rationale for the fee is that it would compensate for taxes electric car and hybrid owners avoid by not paying more for gasoline, which in turn help to both maintain and construct roads and other infrastructure.

SEE ALSO: Arizona Considers EV Tax

In a state that has long depended on fuel taxes and registration fees to cover 90 percent of its transportation budget, it seems the old model is no longer working. A combination of the growing popularity of high-mileage vehicles, fewer miles being traveled and politicians leery of any tax hikes has Wisconsin at a transportation crossroads.

The proposals are being met with objections though from both environmental and business groups.

“We believe this policy is completely backward. It is taking a sustainable choice and putting a tax on it,” said David Hunt, director of communication for Clean Wisconsin.
Sierra Club of Wisconsin Director Shahla Werner believes that owners of hybrid and electric vehicles should not be required to compensate for increased spending undertaken by the state’s department of transportation.

“It seems like a very divertive tactic trying to blame these few hybrid and electric vehicle owners for the DOT’s transportation problem, when really the problem is their spending,” Werner said.

Werner said there are other solutions to this transportation problem that do not require punitive measures for owning a hybrid or electric car. She suggested building more charging ports for electric cars would allow the state to tax the electricity the cars use and thereby compensate for what their owners are not spending on gasoline taxes.

SEE ALSO: Which States Offer The Best EV Incentives?

Automotive dealers have also expressed concern about the impacts associated with the DOT proposals.

“If this goes ahead as proposed it’s going to hurt not only new car dealers but the entire local economy,” says Allen Foster, General Manager of Smart Motors in Madison, the largest Toyota hybrid dealer in the U.S.

If the proposals were to proceed, Wisconsin would join four other states who charge an annual fee to own hybrid and electric cars.

Nebraska, North Carolina, Colorado and Washington all tax electric and hybrid cars, with annual fees ranging from $50-$100 a year. Virginia is the only state to have repealed such a tax so far, with Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe signing the bill to delete the fee earlier this year.