Looking For The Greenest Family Car on The Planet?

You don’t have to be Judy Jetson to be one of the greenest driving mums around. You’ll just have to wait until 2012. That’s when Nissan will launch their 100% electric vehicle (EV) called the LEAF. No petrol, no CO2 emissions, no noisy engines and low running costs. It seems too good to be true, so what’s the catch? According to Nissan, nothing, not even the price. You see, it’s their mission to get as many people as possible driving the LEAF, which means that it needs to be affordable.

“The world is changing and Nissan is a catalyst for that change,” said Pierre Loing, Vice President, Product and Advance Planning, Nissan International SA previewing the Nissan LEAF at the recent 2010 Geneva Motor Show.

“The Nissan LEAF is the world’s first competitively-priced, mass-produced electric vehicle from a mainstream manufacturer. It is serious car, a real car, and the right car for the times.”

Sales will begin In the US, Japan and in selected European markets in late 2010, with Australian deliveries expected to begin in 2012.

“Our car had to be the world’s first, medium-size, practical EV that motorists could afford and would want to use every day. And that’s what we’ve created,” said Masato Inoue, Product Chief Designer. “The styling will identify not only Nissan LEAF, but also the owner as a participant in the new era of zero-emission mobility.”

But Wait, There’s More!

Nissan LEAF is just the first in a range of EVs due from the company and from Nissan’s Alliance partner Renault. A delivery van, a small crossover SUV and even a unique motorcycle that leans are other variants under investigation. Through their development of Nissan LEAF, Nissan and Renault have gained the initiative on key ‘Save the Planet’ technology.

Rather than devote time and resources on hybrid power or electric conversion of existing vehicles, the Renault Nissan Alliance decided to leapfrog partial solutions to develop a practical, zero emission EV from the outset.

Production

The first cars will be manufactured at Nissan’s plant in Oppama, Japan, with an initial annual capacity of 50,000 units, but production will start at a second plant in Smyrna, Tennessee in 2012 to meet anticipated global demand.

Battery manufacture has already started in Japan, but Nissan has announced that new battery plants will be established in Portugal and the UK, as well as at Smyrna, Tennessee in the near future.

When full capacity is reached, the Smyrna plant alone will produce 150,000 units annually. Nissan also plans to manufacture the cars in Europe in the future.

Battery Overview

The electric motor is ‘fuelled’ by an advanced Nissan-developed laminated lithium-ion battery with a power output of more than 90kW. The 48-module battery is mounted under the seats and floor of Nissan LEAF. Regenerative energy reclaimed under braking and coasting is fed directly to the battery to ensure a minimum waste of energy. Nissan has been developing the lithium-ion battery for EVs since 1992, with the main focus on reducing the size of the battery while simultaneously increasing power and capacity.

The company’s leading role in development of this new battery technology gave it the confidence to pioneer the zero emission EV road: –

• Nissan LEAF’s lithium-ion battery has twice the energy density of a conventional lead-acid battery, doubling the vehicle’s cruising distance under comparable conditions

• it is lighter and more compact, so takes up less space, while its thinner laminated structure allows greater layout flexibility and better temperature control

• it also lasts longer and is easier to recycle at the end of its life.

Recharging & Recycling

Using a DC 50kW quick charger, the battery can be charged to up to 80 per cent of its capacity in under 30 minutes. Until quick charging posts are commonplace, however, it is expected that most owners will charge their vehicles either at home or at work using a domestic 220~240V system. A full charge from 0 to 100 per cent under these circumstances takes about eight hours.

It is expected that Nissan LEAF drivers will be able to pre-program a timer to recharge batteries at night when electricity costs are at their lowest levels. This will enable the customer to enjoy the pre-conditioned air, while preserving battery power for additional driving range.

A full charge delivers a potential range of 160km, which will satisfy the daily driving demands of most customers according to Nissan’s global research.

The recharging socket for normal charging and quick charging is conveniently placed on Nissan LEAF’s nose under a ‘fuel filler flap’ adorned with the Nissan logo.

The battery will still have between 70-80 per cent of its original capacity after 10 years’ use. Nissan is investigating potential uses for the batteries after their useful life in vehicles is over and there are extensive recycling plans in place to ensure precious materials can be reused.

Overall, more than 95 per cent of Nissan LEAF can be recycled.

Performance

Built on a new platform, Nissan LEAF sits on a generous 2700mm wheelbase. It is 4445mm long, 1770mm wide and 1550mm tall. Power comes from an in-house developed compact electric motor in the front of the car driving the front wheels. The AC motor develops 80kW of power and 280Nm of torque, enough for a maximum speed of more than 140km/h.

Thanks to the near instant response from its 80kW electric motor, Nissan LEAF offers startling performance from a standstill. Nissan LEAF also delivers near roll free cornering with excellent ride comfort thanks to intelligent weight distribution.

Earth to LEAF....

This is very cool. When you are out and about it is planned that you can communicate with your Nissan LEAF through a mobile phone. With a few clicks, you will be able to send Nissan LEAF a request to pre-condition the air temperature while the car is plugged into the network. You can also remotely check the battery level or ask the vehicle to send you a message when charging is complete.

Meet Our Future

For those of us who grew up with George Jetson, his boy Elroy, daughter Judy and wife Jane, the thought of a car running on anything other than petrol or diesel was way out there in the future. But the future is here and it’s clean, green and affordable. While the Nissan LEAF is unable to fly, that’s probably the next step in the evolution of personal transportation. Perhaps that Renault Nissan alliance will soon be the Renault Nissan Boeing alliance!

Nissan LEAF Snapshot*

 *Note: All figures subject to homologation