Nissan develops cheaper, smaller charger for EVs

The basic model of the revamped charger will cost about half the price of the current model. Nissan has developed a charger for electric vehicles that s smaller, about half the price, and easier to install.Nissan Motor Co., Japan s No. 2 automaker, said the new charger will go on sale in November

in Japan and is planned later for the U.S. and Europe, although dates are not set. The basic model of the revamped charger will cost about half the price of the current model, which is stockier and has more parts, and costs 1.47 million yen ($19,000). The higher-grade model for outdoors will also be cheaper and cost under 1 million yen ($13,000), according to Nissan.

Yokohama-based Nissan, which makes the Leaf electric vehicle, is targeting sales of 5,000 of the new chargers in Japan by the end of March 2016. Zero-emission electric vehicles are drawing attention amid concerns about global warming and the environment. The Leaf is among the pioneering models in the technology.

But electric vehicles still make up a niche market. They have to be recharged, and recharging stations aren t that plentiful. Owners generally have to go through the trouble of installing a recharger in their homes. Right now, Leafs are being sold to mostly local governments rather than regular consumers.

The difficulty of installing chargers, which look like the filling machines at gas stations, is another reason. Nissan is hoping to sell the new chargers to highways, airports, shopping centers, convenience stores and gas stations, it said. Nissan has sold more than 13,600 Leaf cars around the world since they went on sale in December 2010. There are now 619 chargers throughout Japan, 32 percent, or 196, in the Nissan group, while the rest are with local governments, highways and other companies that promote EVs.

Competition in electric vehicles is likely to intensify in coming years as others, such as Japanese rival Toyota Motor Corp., enter the sector.
Toyota already offers plug-in hybrid cars, which run partly as EVs but switch to become regular hybrids with gas engines when they run out of the electric charge.

Police approached to recover official vehilce from former State Minister

KARACHI: Former State Minister for Housing Tariq Anees is still using his official vehicle, despite quitting the job for three months.

The Housing Ministry has sought help from police to recover the vehicle.

According to documents received by TrendPK, the former State Minister kept using two government’s vehicles illegally after leaving the ministry. One vehicle was given back to the ministry on May 9, but the second vehicle, a double cabin Toyota, is still in his use.

The Ministry demanded Rs828, 000 from the minister in the form of rent for keeping the vehicle, but the minister neither paid the rent nor returned the vehicle.

The Housing Ministry has now requested IGPs of Punjab and Islamabad to recover the vehicle. TrendPK

Peshawar: Three policemen hurt in bomb blast

Staff Report

PESHAWAR: At least three policemen have sustained injuries in a bomb blast in the outskirts of Peshawar on Sunday.

According to police, early morning today, a police party was on a routine round in Urmad area in the out skirts of Peshawar. When it reached at Baghban area, suddenly a road edge planted bomb blasted with a bang.

Consequently, the vehicle of the police party was damaged and the driver and two on board constables of the special force sustained injuries.

The rescue teams rushed to the scene and shifted the injured to Lady Reading Hospital of Peshawar where all injured, reportedly, were recovered and out of danger. Trend Pk

Police seize explosives from woman in Islamabad

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad police seized seven cartons of 130 kilograms of explosive materials from a vehicle; foiling a terror plan.

Police stopped a vehicle with registration number 1748 for checking last night in the area of Sabzi Mandi Police Station, situated on I.I. Chundrigar Road. Police recovered seven cartons of 130 kilograms of explosives from the vehicle during checking and arrested a woman involved in the incident.

The explosives were brought from Peshawar, according to the police. The woman, Amitra Bibi, transports such items for money – she hails from Peshawar. The case has been registered at Sabzi Mandi Police Station and the woman is being investigated. Trend Pk

8 tourists killed, 40 injured in bus accident in Egypt

CAIRO: Survivors of a bus crash near an Egyptian Red Sea resort that killed eight tourists, said on Sunday that the driver was speeding and lost control of the vehicle.

The accident happened early on Saturday on a winding mountain road near Hurghada.

The bus rolled over several times.

40 people were injured, many were recovering in hospital on Sunday.

“On our way back, the driver was going very fast. He stepped on the gas, very fast, he was not able to control the vehicle and the bus turned over,” said a Russian tourist injured in the crash.

Egypt’s official news agency confirmed that eight died in the accident.

Three Russians and a Ukrainian woman were among the dead and the identities of the others were still unknown.

The seriously injured were airlifted to hospitals in Cairo around 315 miles (500 kilometres)

US missiles kill three in North Waziristan

MIRANSHAH: A US drone missile destroyed a vehicle in a tribal district of North Waziristan on Friday, killing at least three suspected militants.

“Two missiles were fired on a vehicle. So far three militants are confirmed killed in this attack,” a senior security official told a foreing news agency.

Local intelligence officials said the dead belonged to the Taliban and Al-Qaeda linked Haqqani network, but it was not immediately clear whether they included any high-value targets.

They said up to four militants were killed when the vehicle exploded into a fireball in Naurak village, about 15 kilometres (nine miles) east of Miranshah, the main town in North Waziristan. AGENCIES

Sectarian violence: Four killed in Quetta

Staff Report

QUETTA: Four men have been gunned down on Masjid Road Thursday evening.

Ali Akbar, Samad, Jaffar Abbas and Abid were targeted when they were going to homes in their vehicle from the shop. All men belong to Hazara tribe and police said that it was a sectarian killings in the city.

The relatives of the deceased have appealed the Chief Justice of Supreme Court to take notice of the target killings in Quetta city.

Meanwhile, Balochistan Shai Conference has announced three days mourning against the killings. Trend Pk

Karachi: Japan consulate vehicle assailed; 2 hurt

At least two people, including a security guard, were injured when some unidentified gunmen opened fire at a vehicle of Japan Consulate in Cantonment area of Karachi, Dunya News reported on Thursday.
Officials said the incident occurred near the Cant Station where two unidentified gunmen riding a motorbike opened fire on an official vehicle of Japans consulate in Karachi, injuring two people sitting in the car.
The incident happened near Cantt Station. The injured are said to be the employees of the Consulate. Police have impounded the vehicle and started investigation into the incident.

Quetta: Three killed in explosion

At least three people were killed while ten others wounded in a bomb blast that occurred near a police vehicle parked near Balochistan University on Quettas Sariab Road on Wednesday, Dunya News reported.
Unknown assailants targeted the vehicle with a hand grenade which resulted in the explosion, killing one policeman and two bystanders.
Law enforcement agencies threw cordon around the blast site while rescue efforts are underway.

NY’s Times Square street closed for suspicious vehicle

NEW YORK: A section of New York’s Times Square was closed off on Wednesday during lunchtime as police investigated a suspicious vehicle parked on 43rd Street between Seventh and Eighth avenues and cleared pedestrians from the location, police said.

An unattended Chevy minivan was parked with its lights on outside the Westin Hotel, a police spokesman said.

A suspect was seen running from the vehicle, according to Breaking News Network (BNN), a news service that monitors police scanners.

Investigations of suspicious packages are common in the Times Square area. Police typically close streets when unattended baggage is found at the busy section of Manhattan known as the Crossroads of the World.

Occasionally there is a real threat. On May 1, a Pakistani-born U.S. citizen parked a truck full of fuel and fireworks in Times Square in an attempt to kill

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