Nissan Leaf promotes electric car cause

Nissan's Leaf guns for the title of the world's first electric car designed for affordability and real-world requirements

Nissan Motor Co has unveiled the Leaf, an electric zero-emission car, which accoring to Nissan sources, is affordable. Designed specifically for a lithium-ion battery-powered chassis. The Leaf is a medium-size hatchback that comfortably seats five adults. It has a range of more than 160 km (100 miles) to satisfy real-world consumer requirements, and is slated for launch in late 2010 in Japan, the United States and Europe.

Termed as a tremendous accomplishment and the one in which all Nissan employees can take great pride by Nissan President and CEO Carlos Ghosn, the Leaf is powered by laminated compact lithium-ion batteries, which generate power output of over 90kW, while its electric motor delivers 80kW/280 Nm. This ensures a highly responsive, fun-to-drive experience that is in keeping with what consumers have come to expect from traditional, gasoline-powered automobiles. Unlike internal-combustion engine (ICE) equipped vehicles, the powertrain of the Leaf has no tail pipe, and thus no emission of CO2 or other greenhouse gases. A combination of regenerative braking system and innovative lithium-ion battery packs enables the car to deliver a driving range of more than 160km (100 miles) on one full charge as per the US LA4 mode. The best part of the equation is probably the speed at which the batteries can be charged. It takes just under 30 minutes with a quick charger to charge up to 80 per cent of its full capacity. Charging at home through a 200V outlet is estimated to take approximately eight hours - ample time to enable an overnight refresh for consumer and car alike.

Interestingly, the engineers and designers worked to create a competitively priced real-world car that would enable Nissan to lead mobility into the zero-emission era. To ensure comfort, spaciousness and cargo capacity, the Leaf thus employs a completely new chassis and body layout. The frontal styling of the car is characterized by a sharp, upright V-shaped design featuring long, up-slanting light-emitting diode (LED) headlights that employ a blue internal reflective design. The headlights are also designed to cleverly split and redirect airflow away from the door mirrors, thus reducing wind noise and drag. In addition they also consume about 50 per cent of the electricity of conventional lamps, helping the Leaf to achieve its world-class range autonomy. Employing an advanced IT system connected to a global data centre, the mobility IT system of the Leaf can provide support, information and entertainment for drivers 24 hours a day. The dash-mounted monitor displays Nissan Leaf's remaining power - or "reachable area" - in addition to showing a selection of nearby charging stations. Another state-of-the-art feature is the ability to use mobile phones to turn on air-conditioning and set charging functions - even when Nissan Leaf is powered down. An on-board remote-controlled timer can also be pre-programmed to recharge batteries.

First in the company's forthcoming line of Evs, the Leaf is a major milestone in the realization of the Renault-Nissan Alliance's vision for zero-emission mobility. The car would be manufactured at Oppama, Japan, with additional capacity planned for Smyrna, Tennessee, USA. Meanwhile, lithium-ion batteries are being produced in Zama, Japan, with additional capacity planned for the USA, the UK and Portugal, and other sites for investment are under study around the world.