Nissan Reveals Their "Leaf" Electric Vehicle

The Nissan Leaf All-Electric Vehicle



It's August 2nd, and Nissan had revealed their soon to be produced electric vehicle, named the Leaf. Mitsubishi lead the pack by being first to the EV marketplace but Nissan is nipping at their heels. Check out this exciting news article.

From Automotive News:

Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn unveiled the near-production version of his company's new electric vehicle, a sleek four-door hatchback dubbed the Leaf, saying the potential payoff from pioneering zero emission cars is worth the risk of investing billions.

Electric vehicles could take 10 percent of the global market by 2020, or roughly 6 million units in annual sales, Ghosn said during the Leaf's debut at the Aug. 2 opening of the new Nissan global headquarters here. Where rivals see niche, Nissan sees room to grow, he said.

"We have a completely different vision," Ghosn said. "We see it as mass market."

Electric vehicle sales hardly even register in today's market. But Nissan Motor Co., after long trailing Honda Motor Co. and Toyota Motor Corp. in hybrid vehicle technology, sees its lithium ion battery-powered electric vehicles as a way to jump ahead in the green car race.

The plan calls for funneling billions of dollars over the next several years into building electric-vehcile assembly lines and battery plants for the cars in the United States, Europe and Japan.

Nissan expects production capacity to reach 200,000 units a year by 2012.

It has already won a $1.6 billion low-interest loan from the U.S. government to start production at its Smyrna, Tenn., complex. But that will likely be a fraction of the global outlay.

Ghosn conceded that car companies are leery about such big investments when most, including his own, are struggling to turn a profit. But the gamble is worth it, he said.

"If I had to take a risk, I'd like to take this one," Ghosn said. "In a certain way, we are very happy a lot of other car manufacturers are not making the right decision. This will allow us to have a much more substantial share of this very important segment."

Light and Airy

The model name Leaf was chosen for its light, airy, natural connotations, Nissan chief designer Shiro Nakamura said. The sky-blue Leaf shown Aug. 2 is very close to production version that will go on sale next year in the United States and Japan, he added.

"The concept was a car that looks friendly and sporty, but not aggressive," Nakamura said. Designers sought a distinctive green car look, but shunned the stereotypical toy-like appearance of electric concept cars in favor of lines that more recalled a "real car," he said.

Key styling elements include:

• Sleek aerodynamic silhouette with deck spoiler

• Blue tinting in the headlights and interior trim for high-tech look

• Raised headlamps to channel air away from side mirrors and reduce wind • Under-paneling to smooth air flow under the car

• Recharge plug located under flip-up cap near grill

• Special "zero emission" logo to broadcast green credentials

• ;Light emitting diode headlamps and taillights

The Leaf sits five adults and is slightly wider and longer than the Nissan Versa. It has a range of 100 miles per charge. Pricing isn't set, but affordability will be a key challenge.

The Leaf's lithium ion batteries alone cost around $10,000 per vehicle, said Noboru Tateishi, program director for Nissan's electric vehicle projects.

Ghosn said the goal is to bring the price of the car, minus the battery, to the same range as a comparable gasoline-engine car. Consumers would likely lease the battery at a cost that, including charging, will be cheaper than what they would have paid for gasoline, he said.

Nissan hasn't announced its European vehicle production center. But Tateishi said the cars will likely be built at Nissan's Sunderland plant in Britain, where the company has already committed to making batteries. Capacity there will likely be around 50,000 vehicles a year, he said.

Nissan wants to mass market its electric vehicles globally by 2012.