A MERE two years after its introduction, the Nissan Leaf— the world’s first mass-marketed, affordable, 100-percent pure electric car—is already gaining headway into the global automotive market and is serving notice that zero-emission mobility is truly viable. It will be recalled that the Leaf, which stands for Leading, Environmentally friendly, Affordable, Family car, was announced during the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show along with a commitment from no less than Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn that the vehicle would be delivered the following year.
True to his promise, the Leaf was introduced in Japan and the US in December 2010. To date, deliveries have also been made to customers in Ireland, the UK, Canada, France, Portugal, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and Switzerland, with orders soon to be filled in Belgium and Denmark. At this year’s Tokyo Motor Show at the Tokyo Big Sight, Ghosn reported that 20,000 units of the Leaf have been sold, making it the best-selling electric car in history.
“Nissan Leaf owners have driven nearly 57 million kilometers, saved three million liters of fuel, which translates into 7,300 tons of CO2 that have not been emitted. In 2012 we will begin production of Nissan Leaf in the United States. By fiscal year 2016, the Renault-Nissan Alliance will have sold a cumulative 1.5 million electric vehicles,” Ghosn shared during the opening of the Nissan booth last week.
The Leaf is a five-door hatchback powered exclusively by a battery, which means that it does not require fossil fuels to run and, more important, does not produce tailpipe emissions.
According to Nissan, the Leaf is capable of a top speed of around 150 kph, thanks to an 80-kw, front-mounted electric motor, which delivers an equivalent of 110 hp power and 280 Nm of torque through the front wheels. Power is drawn from an 86-megajoule laminated lithium-ion battery that weighs 300 kg. The battery is always the heaviest part of any EV, but the Leaf is able to keep a low center of gravity and high structural rigidity compared to other hatchbacks by locating it below the seats and rear foot space.
Recharging the battery is accomplished through either of the two charging receptacles on the front of the hood. From empty, the battery can be fully charged in eight hours by plugging a cable into a 220- to 240-volt outlet. Charging can also be done through any standard household, 120-volt outlet; however, Nissan says this type of charging is only intended for emergency charging. Fast DC charging is also an option and the battery can be charged up to 80 percent of its capacity in 30 minutes. One full charge is said to provide the Leaf with a range of 160 km but reports say that most owners rarely travel beyond 100 km in their daily commutes. The cost to run the Leaf is said to be 70-percent lower than a comparable gasoline-powered car. A separate 12-volt lead-acid battery is used to power up the computer systems and accessories such as the audio system, supplemental restraint systems, headlights and windshield wipers. Nissan expects the Leaf’s battery to last between five and 10 years of “normal use.”
