Nissan is planning to lease the 2011 Leaf electric cars to consumers in the United States at a price that is sure to give the Honda Accord and the Toyota Prius a run for their hybrid money. According to a recent report in Automotive News, the new Leaf may debut on Nissan dealer lots at prices starting between $39,000 and $44,000. However, officials with Nissan denied these prices were accurate so it’s anybody’s guess right now. There are also rumors that consumers in the United States will be allowed to lease both the lithium-ion battery and the car, which would be a different program than the current one in Japan in which consumers can only lease the battery and buy the car.

“If we include the battery and the vehicle in a lease and take account of the incentives, we want the monthly lease to be comparable with that of the Honda Accord or Toyota Prius,” said a source interviewed by Automotive News. These prices could work out to be between $330 and $420 each month for 48 months. These figures and information will be more accurate, however, once we get closer to the date of the actual launch. The source also said that there could be a $7500 government incentive for leasing or buying the Leaf, but it is unclear as to how that will work into the price.

But now officials are worried about what is going to happen with the snow predicted for the upcoming week. Salt supplies have depleted to the point to where workers may not be able to get much of the snow melted for daily commutes and necessary trips. County officials are hoping a fresh delivery of salt will be able to get where it needs to be before the next foot of snow is dropped on us. Unfortunately, Mid-Atlantic Salt, the major supplier of snow-melting salt, said this winter has depleted their supply to the point that they do not know if they can keep up with the demand.

With the predicted snowfall coming this week, it appears that this will be one of the snowiest winters on record for much of Atlantic City and other parts of the East Coast.

What are you doing to cope in your Nissan cars with the massive amounts of snow that we have received in the past week? Many people are still without power and the new snow is going to cripple the area even further. Have you been staying home from work or making other lifestyle adjustments to cope with the snow? What about people who have delivery-related jobs – what are they doing to deal with this “snowmageddon” as our president referred to it? Let us know what you are doing to cope and may be you will be helping someone else get out of a bad and snowy situation.

The government now has a program in which auto loans are guaranteed because they are sold to investors. This means that banks are being less stingy with their money and more consumers are hearing those four glorious words – “You have been approved.” But that’s not even all of the good news! In addition to relaxing their high standards recently, lending institutions are charging consumers less for their loans with lower interest rates. This is good news for the auto industry which has certainly seen better days than in the last few years.

During the third quarter last year, lending institutions increased the number of loans they gave out by more than five percent when compared to the second quarter. Those numbers are reported by Experian Automotive. The month of December was even better for car buyers with average credit. Part of the reason for December being a good month is also because dealers are trying to lessen their inventory in time for the new year, but it was still a silver lining that we can all appreciate.

So get down to your Nissan dealers and apply for that auto loan if you’ve been putting it off. With the relaxed standards, you may just hear those four coveted words – “You have been approved!”

The mobile phone company – NTT DoCoMo, Inc. – is going to offer the paint as an application for its phones sold in Japan. The paint was designed and created with the help of Advanced Softmaterials and the University of Tokyo in 2005.

“Scratch Shield” helps the paint restore itself from fine scratches. In most cases, it only takes a few hours to “heal” itself, but more extreme cases could take up to a week to restore the natural finish. In addition to restoring itself, the paint is more scratch-resistant than other types of paint used on some models of Nissan vehicles. Since mobile phones are susceptible to being dropped and other abuses, “Scratch Shield” is a natural fit for the product.

This isn’t the first time the Nissan company has licensed its products for non-auto companies. In the past, the automaker has licensed its infrared image sensor and its around-view monitor. Look for more breakthrough technologies from this company that continues to look for ways to improve safety and durability throughout the world.

• Officials are considering a decision on whether or not to keep Pedro Feliz – the team’s third baseman. Although he is good in the field, Feliz “does not provide the optimal offensive production out of the position,” according to an article in Bleacher Report.
• Mark DeRosa of the St. Louis Cardinals, is a viable option for the Phillies as he can play six positions and has a lifetime batting average of .272.
• If the team decides not to sign Feliz, Chone Figgins of the Anaheim Angels may become a great addition to the team. He played in the 2009 All-Star Game and he has an average of nearly .300 along with 42 stolen bases.

Of course, this is all speculation and no major decisions have been made. Whatever the team decides, you can join your Philadelphia area Nissan dealers in cheering on the Phillies in 2010!

The bill has already been introduced into the state’s House of Representatives and the state’s Senate. If it passes, Pennsylvania would become the 15th state to ban texting and driving because it is such a danger. “Many people accept that it is increasingly dangerous to drive a vehicle with all of the distractions,” said State College Police Department Captain Dana Leonard.

The ban would restrict all drivers in Pennsylvania from text messaging while operating their vehicle. Younger and less experienced drivers will be prohibited from using any wireless communication devices at all. In addition, the bill would also create a public education awareness program designed to reduce the number of distracted drivers throughout the state.

Are you still texting and driving behind the wheel of your Nissan cars? Is it a bad habit that you are trying to break? Let us know your thoughts abut the ban below.

Look for Windshield Chips or Dings
Have you ever heard of something called “thermal stress”? It’s something that often occurs during the winter and it can destroy your windshield if it has any weakness in it at all. It starts with a small chip and the cold weather can turn it into a large crack that cannot be fixed without replacing the entire windshield. Pay a few bucks and get the small chips repaired before the cold weather arrives to avoid any further windshield damage.

Check Your Fluids
Make sure your antifreeze is 50/50, meaning half water and half concentrated antifreeze. Pure antifreeze can freeze at low temperatures which is why it is important to mix it with water. Also, check other fluids, especially your windshield wiper fluid. If you live where it snows a lot, this is going to come in very handy.

These are just a few things to keep in mind to prepare your Nissan cars for the winter weather. A couple minutes of maintenance now can save hours of repairs in the cold weather.

• Restrict anything that distracts them. This includes cell phones, earphones and MP3 players. All of these devices require the person to take their eyes off the road even if it is for a split second. If you find them breaking this rule, consider taking away driving privileges or confiscating their devices.
• Require them to wear their seat belt. This should be a habit they have already learned by watching you over the years. Unfortunately, teen drivers have the lowest rates of seat belt usage of any other driving group.
• Let others know about your rules. Talk to the parents of your teen’s friends so they know your rules, too. This way, they can keep an eye on your teen when they are around to make sure they are following your rules. They might even use some of your rules with their own teen!

Teen drivers have one of the highest rates of traffic accidents. Don’t let your teen be a statistic – do everything you can to keep them safe when they are behind the wheel and you are not around.

• Set up some clear rules and write them down. This way, you and your teen know exactly what is expected of them and there is no misunderstanding because it is in writing. When your teen follows the rules, gradually increase the amount of driving you let them do. When they break the rules, take away a few liberties until they prove they can follow the rules that you set.
• Be a good example. Teen drivers learn most of their driving habits from watching their parents over the years. Be a responsible driver and your teen will be more likely to do the same thing.
• Don’t allow too many passengers. The risk of getting distracted and getting into an accident is increased when there are too many passengers in the car. During the first few months of driving, your teen should not have any passengers besides a parent. After that, allow them one passenger at a time for several months until they get more experience.

These are just a few suggestions offered by your Nissan dealers to help your teens stay safe behind the wheel. We’ll have just a few more suggestions next week. Don’t miss it!

“While it’s smart for parents to be concerned about their teen driving during [late night hours], they should also be engaged in their teen’s driving activities in the time period right after school,” said Michele Mount, the director of public affairs for AAA New Jersey.

One reason for these findings is because there is a lot more traffic on the roads during the afternoon hours. Commuters are in a hurry to get home during these hours and the increased traffic and hurriedness contributes to more accidents.

With National Teen Driving Safety Week coming up, Your Nissan dealers would like to offer some tips on how to help prepare the teen drivers in your household. Be sure to come back next week for those suggestions!