Meet The Nissan Leaf
The Nissan Leaf
One of the buzz cars right now in the green car movement is the all-electric Nissan Leaf. We’ve done an in-depth preview of the Leaf before via material provided by Nissan, but an ongoing tour of the Leaf around the United States recently brought it to Portland, Oregon, which is EarthTechling HQ territory. We dropped in on the Leaf and those showing it off to interested parties, asking some questions about it and generally just oooing and ahhing over the potentials this vehicle has to offer.
We later on followed up via email with Mark Perry, director of product planning, Nissan North America, and one of the leading forces at the auto manufacturer pushing the Leaf, to ask him a few questions about this electric car. Check out the next few pages of this article to see photos of the Leaf and also Perry’s answers to questions around what it will take for the Leaf to beat out other green cars like the king of the hill Toyota Prius and the upcoming Chevy Volt.
EarthTechling: Why has Nissan chosen to become involved in the niche electric vehicle market?
Mark Perry: Zero-emissions leadership is a key pillar of Nissan’s business plan. Nissan has been working on the development of lithium-ion batteries – the most important part of the electric car, since 1992. We believe the best way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is to not produce them at all. Nissan’s zero-emissions strategy, through vehicles such as the Nissan LEAF, provide a solution for sustainable mobility.
ET: The Leaf is one of the first electric cars in recent memory which could potentially appeal to mainstream American drivers. Why do you think that is?
Perry: It’s a “real car,” with room to comfortable seat five passengers, a top speed of 90 mph, advanced technology interface and a full range of available amenities. A full charge can power the Nissan LEAF for about 100 miles, which meets the daily needs of more than 90 percent of U.S. drivers. It also will be priced affordably, with total operating costs equal to those of a comparable gasoline-powered vehicle.
ET: Compare the Leaf to the Toyota Prius and the Chevy Volt, which are two other alternative vehicles consumers have growing awareness of. What makes the Leaf better, in your opinion, than these others?
Perry: What sets Nissan LEAF apart is that it’s a zero-emission, all-electric vehicle. This means the LEAF can be totally neutral to the environment. Nissan, along with its alliance partner Renault, is the only automaker committed to bringing an electric vehicle to the mass market. (in addition to the affordability and range info mentioned before)
ET: What issues do you feel could hinder wider adoption of electric vehicles like the Leaf? How are Nissan and its partners addressing those?
Perry: Nissan is taking a holistic approach to electric vehicles and the establishment of a market for them to be sure there is a viable market for our vehicle. Globally, the Renault-Nissan Alliance has established about 30 partnerships with governments and public and private organizations, which are key to setting up the conditions needed for a zero-emission vehicle market to thrive. We are continuing to hold discussions that are leading to additional partnerships as well.
ET: In the development of the Leaf, what have been some of the biggest challenges in trying to make this vehicle what you want it to be?
Perry: Nissan’s advanced battery technology has met some of the largest challenges. By forming a joint venture company (Automotive Energy Supply Corp.) with NEC, we are able to leverage NEC’s battery-making experience with Nissan’s lithium-ion battery history dating back to the early 1990s. The battery for LEAF has half of the mass and weight and double the energy of previous lithium-ion batteries, and uses a manganese base, which also helps drive down cost.
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