First Look: Nissan Leaf Electric Vehicle

First Look: Nissan Leaf Electric Vehicle
The first mass-produced, relatively affordable electric vehicle will be available at the end of 2010.
By Jacob Gordon of TreeHugger

The Nissan Leaf, an all-electric 5-door hatchback, can travel 100 miles on a charge and will go on sale in five U.S. markets at the end of 2010.

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Going on looks alone, you might not notice anything radically different about the Nissan Leaf — a compact hatchback with bubbly eyes and a mellow demeanor. It could just as well be next year's Toyota Versa. But driving the Leaf is something truly different — for your accelerator foot and your environmental footprint.

Unveiled in its final form in early August, the Leaf has no gas tank, no spark plugs, no tailpipe. Even the lever that puts the car into drive can't properly be called a gearshift, since there are no gears.

When it goes on sale at the end of 2010, the Leaf will be the first affordable, fully electric car meant to satisfy the needs of the everyday driver, not just the gated-community retiree or eco-martyr. An advanced battery will deliver up to 100 miles of range, and a high-tech quick-charger can return it to 80 percent capacity in a half-hour.

Driving Electric

Nissan hasn't exactly been handing out Leaf test drives. In fact, when Nissan President and CEO Carlos Ghosn drove the car to the podium for the big unveiling, it was his first time behind the wheel of this diminutive vehicle. We were, however, invited to Yokohama, Japan, to test a car equipped with the same drivetrain as the Leaf. While developing the Leaf's complex technology, Nissan modified several of its European-market Tino hatchbacks as "mules" for just this test drive. We were assured that driving these test cars mirrors the experience of the final product. Consequently, we jumped at the chance to pilot this significant vehicle.

Taking the all-electric car around Nissan's Yokohama test track was a beautiful feeling. The car accelerates with smooth strength, and though there is no engine roar — just the swoosh of air and hum of the road passing underneath — it is satisfying, especially when launching from a standstill. Once cruising, the car doesn't offer much in additional punch, which is a disappointment after the initial power spike; however, the overall handling is responsive and fun.

Granted, this mule is no high-torquing EV sports car such as the Tesla Roadster or Fisker Karma, so you won't need to visit your chiropractor after snapping your neck back. Thank goodness, because this is an EV that some of us might actually be able to afford. All in all, the performance is great, but in a modest sort of way.

Under the Hood (and Floor)

The Leaf's small but spunky AC motor is what gives the vehicle its spring — the electric power plant offers 80 kW of power (107 horsepower) and 280 Nm (206 lb-ft) of torque. But the secret sauce is not the motor — it's in the battery. Only recently have advances in lithium technology made batteries sufficiently light, cheap and energy-dense that companies such as Nissan are willing to take the mass-market plunge. Nissan has been developing electric cars for about 17 years, but only now thinks it can satisfy American drivers, who have some of the longest average daily commutes in the world.

The car's battery is made up of 48 individual laminated modules, each about the size of a TV dinner tray. Together, they carry a capacity of 24 kilowatt hours and a total power output of 90 kW. These manganese-based lithium-ion packs are stacked at different heights under the car's seats and floor so they don't encroach on cabin space.

Discuss: Would you consider buying an electric vehicle?

The time it takes to charge the Leaf will vary depending on the power source, and Nissan knows that charge time can be a deal breaker with consumers. Under a hatch on the car's nose are two plugs: one a high-voltage quick-charger; the other for charging at home or at lower-voltage public stations.

Charging up at home from a 200-volt AC plug (the type most clothes dryers use) will take around eight hours, while a DC quick-charger can bring the car up to 80 percent capacity in 30 minutes. The home charging unit is only about the size of a shoebox; the quick-chargers — which Nissan wants to see installed by municipalities for public use — are the size of a gas pump and cost between $300,000 and $500,000 each.

A touch-screen display will show a map of how far the Leaf can travel on its current state of charge, as well as the location of charging stations.

Inner Space

The Leaf is a 5-seat hatchback. Like most in its class, three in the back will be a tight fit. Up front, however, things are spacious and well laid out. Behind door No. 5, the trunk is slim but the bottom drops deep.

A large touch-screen display is the focal point on the EV's dash. Superimposed on a GPS map, an illuminated circle shows how far the Leaf can go on its current state of charge. A global computer server will provide a constantly updated series of icons showing the location of charging stations and the voltage of each. Nissan engineers expect that future versions of the software will also show if a charging station is in use and how long before it becomes available for the next use.

When the Leaf is plugged in, it will continue to "talk" to the driver via a smart phone. E-mail notifications alert when the battery is full, and charging can be scheduled for specific hours to take advantage of varying electricity pricing. The heater and air conditioning can also be remotely activated using a smart phone. Not just a luxury, this feature helps extend the car's driving range by taking the initial burden off the battery.

Bye-Bye Gas Pump?

The Leaf will go on sale globally in 2012. But by late 2010, Nissan expects to roll it out in Japan, Europe and the U.S. Many of the first cars will go to commercial fleets, but five American markets (Seattle, San Diego, Oregon, Tennessee and the Phoenix/Tucson area) will see consumer sales. In an innovative twist, Nissan hopes to sell the cars but lease the batteries, a strategy meant to quell fears over owning such a new technology and to soften the price shock of the nearly $10,000 component.

Discuss: Would you consider buying an electric vehicle?

Nissan won't be specific about the price of the Leaf, but expects it to fall somewhere between $25,000 and $33,000. A $7,500 federal tax break will also likely apply. Ghosn told the crowd at the unveiling that the monthly cost to lease and charge the battery will be less than what the average driver spends on gasoline each month. We'll see.

Jacob Gordon is a freelance writer, a blogger for TreeHugger.com and a producer of TreeHugger Radio. He can be reached at jacob@treehugger.com.