Nissan unveils new Leaf car after Ghosn's arrest delays it

Nissan is showing the beefed up version of its hit Leaf electric car as the Japanese automaker seeks to distance itself from the arrest of its star executive Carlos Ghosn.

The unveiling Wednesday at Nissan Motor Co.'s Yokohama headquarters, southwest of Tokyo, had been postponed when Ghosn was arrested Nov. 19.

Ghosn has been charged with underreporting his income. Tokyo prosecutors have extended his detention through Friday, adding breach of trust allegations.

Nissan LEAF e+ is on display at the global headquarters of Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. in Yokohama Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2019. Nissan is showing the beefed up version of its hit Leaf electric car as the Japanese automaker seeks to distance itself from the arrest of its star executive Carlos Ghosn.The event at Nissan Motor Co.'s Yokohama headquarters, southwest of Tokyo, had been postponed when Ghosn was arrested Nov. 19.(AP PhotoKoji Sasahara)

Ghosn made his first public appearance since his arrest Tuesday, and denied each allegation in the Tokyo District Court. The Leaf was among the achievements for Nissan that Ghosn highlighted in his statement to the judge.

The new 4.16 million yen ($38,000) Leaf e+ is about the same size as the model on sale, but gets more power and cruise range. The best-selling electric car competes against Tesla models and General Motors' Bolt.

The Leaf that's on sale now costs about 3 million yen ($28,000), according to Nissan.

FILE - In this May 11, 2012, file photo, then Nissan Motor Co. President and CEO Carlos Ghosn speaks during a press conference in Yokohama, near Tokyo. Nissan is showing the beefed up version of its hit Leaf electric car Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2019, as the Japanese automaker seeks to distance itself from the arrest of its star executive Ghosn. The event at Nissan Motor Co.'s Yokohama headquarters, southwest of Tokyo, had been postponed when Ghosn was arrested Nov. 19.(AP PhotoKoji Sasahara, File)

The Leaf e+ gets faster acceleration and has more torque than the older model and offers 40 percent more range at 458 kilometers (285 miles) per charge, as measured under Japanese regulations, compared with the old model's 322 kilometers (200 miles).

It goes on sale in Japan later this month, and rolls out in the U.S. in spring 2019, and in Europe by mid-2019, Nissan said in a statement.

Nissan Executive Vice President Daniele Schillaci said the new model was offering customers more power and range, noting that it was "now more convenient and appealing than ever."

The logo of Nissan Motor Co., is seen at its global headquarters in Yokohama Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2019. Nissan is showing the beefed up version of its hit Leaf electric car as the Japanese automaker seeks to distance itself from the arrest of its star executive Carlos Ghosn. (AP PhotoKoji Sasahara)

More than 380,000 Nissan Leaf vehicles have been sold globally since its 2010 debut, a tiny fraction of the overall auto market. But many nations such as China are bullish about electric vehicle technology as it allows newcomers in the industry a big chance to succeed.

It is also an ecological technology and can be greatly boosted by government policies.

Although Nissan as a legal entity has also been charged with the underreporting of income, no other executive besides Ghosn and Greg Kelly, an American accused of collaborating on the underreported income, have been arrested.

A man walks past the corporate logos at the global headquarters of Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. in Yokohama Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2019. Nissan is showing the beefed up version of its hit Leaf electric car as the Japanese automaker seeks to distance itself from the arrest of its star executive Carlos Ghosn.(AP PhotoKoji Sasahara)

Kelly is out on bail since last month. He has not been suspected of breach of trust.

Prosecutors say Ghosn, a Brazilian-born Frenchman of Lebanese ancestry, is a flight risk.

Bail is harder to get for breach of trust than falsifying financial reports, according to his lawyers. Prosecutors tend to think the suspect may collude with others or tamper with evidence, they said.

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Dual jury verdicts this week have validated longstanding concerns about the dangers of social media for young people. But the U.S. lacks federal regulation that meaningfully addresses these harms.

On Wednesday, a Los Angeles jury found both Meta and YouTube liable for harms to children using their services. A day earlier in New Mexico, a jury determined that Meta knowingly harmed children’s mental health and concealed what it knew about child sexual exploitation on its platforms.

Although parents and children's advocates cheered the decisions, they argue that without federal regulation to rein in the companies, platforms like Instagram, YouTube and TikTok are unlikely to implement any meaningful change. Many are pinning their hopes on the Kids Online Safety Act, a bill aimed at protecting kids from the harms of social media, gaming sites and other online platforms. It won Senate approval in 2024 but has lingered since.

Other countries, meanwhile, have implemented — or are planning — a bevy of restrictions on children's online activities, ranging from social media bans to requiring younger teens to link their accounts to a parent's. Here's a look at how countries outside the United States are regulating kids and technology.

In 2024, Australia became the first country to kick kids under 16 off social media. The law makes platforms — including TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X and Instagram — liable for fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars ($34 million) if they fail to prevent children younger than 16 from holding accounts. While many parents have cheered the move, some experts have questioned the efficacy of their age estimation methods (the platforms are not required to ask users for government-issued IDs) and their effects on young people's free speech, social connections and privacy. Critics also fear that the ban will impact the privacy of all users who must prove they are older than 16.

A Brazilian law that seeks to shield minors from addictive, violent and pornographic online content took effect this month, with experts calling it a milestone in the protection of children and adolescents.

Under the new law, children under 16 are required to link their social media accounts to a legal guardian to ensure supervision. The legislation also prohibits platforms from using addictive features, such as infinite scroll and the automatic play of videos. Digital services are also required to implement an effective age verification mechanism that goes beyond self-declaration.

Following in Australia's footsteps Indonesia will ban social media for children under 16 beginning this month.

The regulation that will mean children under the age of 16 can no longer have accounts on “high-risk” digital platforms, including YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Bigo Live and Roblox.

The implementation will start gradually from March 28 until all platforms comply.

Indonesia will be the first country in Southeast Asia to restrict the access of children to social media.

Since January 2025, major social media and messaging platforms with at least 8 million users in Malaysia are required to obtain a license as part of a broader tightening of state oversight over digital platforms. Licensed platforms must implement age verification, content-safety measures and transparency rules, reflecting the government’s push for a safer digital space. The country also plans to ban kids under 16 from social media beginning this year.

Spain's prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, announced in February that the country plans to limit social media access for children under 16, in a move designed to shield young people from the harms of online content.

In January, France approved a bill banning social media for children under 15, paving the way for the measure to take effect at the start of the next school year in September. The bill would also ban the use of mobile phones in high schools. The French government had previously passed a law banning the use of phones in all primary and middle schools.

Denmark has introduced similar legislation to ban access to social media for users under 15, while the United Kingdom said last month it would consider banning young teenagers from social media, as it tightens laws designed to protect children from harmful content and excessive screen time.

FILE - A car passes Facebook's new Meta logo on a sign at the company headquarters on Oct. 28, 2021, in Menlo Park, Calif. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar, File)

Parents of children who they say were victims of social media platforms hug outside Los Superior Courthouse after to listening to closing arguments Thursday, March 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes) ADDITION: to clarify opinion.

Mary Rodee holds a photo of her son Riley after the verdict in a landmark trial over whether social media platforms deliberately addict and harm children at Los Angeles Superior Court, Wednesday, March 25, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/William Liang)