Nissan has announced production plans for the Leaf, a pure-electric subcompact car with a 100 mile range that, according to Nissan, will cost about as much as a nicely-equipped compact sedan. The Leaf will go on sale in select markets towards the end of 2010. Take a closer look at the Nissan Leaf in my Nissan Leaf photo gallery.
This isn't the first time electric cars have been available to the public. A few years ago, General Motors, Honda and Toyota made publicly available EVs; all of the leases have since expired, and only the RAV4 EVs that Toyota sold (rather than leased) are still on the road. I was a big fan of EVs, and I think they were victims of bad PR, fueled by the automakers that didn't want to bear the cost of building them. People said that the 100-130 mile range of those cars wasn't enough, even though a) the average American only drives about 33 miles per day; b) EV owners charge up at home, so they have a full "tank" every morning; and c) most families in the States own two cars. People claimed their was no demand, but the truth is that every electric vehicle from a major automaker had a waiting list when it went out of production.... whoops, how did that darn soap box wind up under my feet?
Anyway, I'm pleased to see EVs coming back. What are your thoughts? Now that we've seen gasoline hit $4/gallon, are you more willing to consider an EV like the Leaf? Click the "comments" link and tell me what you think. -- Aaron Gold
Photo © Nissan
Electric cars are awesome! Though I must admit a 100 mile max range would not work for me in my current situation. I work from a home office and average only 7000 miles total per year. I don’t leave the house very often besides local personal miles and such, but when I do need to go somewhere to see a customer or those occasional trips to a hockey game, I must travel well over 100 miles round trip. This negates having a range limited vehicle, at least today.
What thrills me about electric vehicles is they are so much more efficient in their energy transfer ratio. The amount of energy used from gasoline through the combustion process is about 20%. That means that only 20% of the potential energy is used to propel your car forward while the remaining 80% is wasted out the tailpipe as heat. An electric car has an efficiency of 80%-90% meaning that only 20% of the total energy contained within the battery is lost during transfer when applying forward motion to the vehicle. Of course you have to trace the total route back to the source meaning the coal/oil/natural gas/wind/nuke used to generate that electricity had some significant energy loss as well. But so does the total cycle of drilling, moving, and refining the crude oil into gasoline. In the end electricity is still over twice as globally efficient than combustion of refined oil.
And the sooner we get electric vehicles back on the road en mass the sooner we can advance the technology allowing all varieties of electric vehicles with longer ranges. Just look at the hybrids these days compared to 5 years ago when the Honda Insight and the early Prius were the only options. At the time people felt that hybrid technology would only be limited to very small ultra-light vehicles and yet now we have large SUVs and high performance sports cars with hybrid engines. Think where we will be 5 or even 10 years from now with fully electric vehicles. I say BRING EM ON!!!
Electrics may or not make intellectual sense (less fossil fuel usage, less emissions, etc.), but they don’t make a lot of emotional sense (my dream car–1970 Chevelle SS454). Like it or not, a large portion of the American car-buying public have an emotional attachment to their vehicles. I’m not sure electric vehicles can appeal to that aspect of car ownership.
I’m all for reducing or dependence on oil and improving our environmental footprint, but until there is an electric car that can instill the passion that starting up your car, listening to the exhaust note, feeling the acceleration and nimbly whipping around that corner can at I price that the common person can afford (I’m looking at you Tesla), I don’t think they will catch on en-masse. I’m not entirely sure that the technology will ever get there. It could very well, and if so, then I say “GREAT!” But I’ll have to see it first.
It is a waste of time. Solve the problem with clean diesel. That is the future. Power & efficiency.
An electric, small pickup would excite me more than an auto. We are a one pickup one car family. The truck is used around town and gets 14 mpg. Electric or natural gas would be much more practical.
Also of the clean diesel camp but the American government is anti diesel unfortunately: Higher tax and EPA mileage figures that give greater weight to the urban cycle. Despite the 33 mile American average I live in a southern rural area, the 100 mile range won’t cut it, boost to about 150 with the AC on and at a reasonable price, say around 25K, I’d consider electric. Green is good but it has to be practical. All that said a VW diesel is a lot more fun to drive than any comparably priced hybrid but given my restraints I’d give a pure a electric a shot.
I would certainly consider buying an electric car. I believe that they are the future of motoring.
I think an electric car makes perfect sense in a two-car household, and I would definitely consider buying one.
There needs to be a low cost, high performance EV to capture the imagination of the American public.
The other great thing about electric is that there are fewer moving parts. Gas engines can go wrong in so many ways. An electric motor is very simple so there are far fewer things that can go wrong.
As far as affordability goes,the Tesla Model S is VERY affordable after you factor in savings from gas, fed, and state rebates, and overall cost to operate. They claim that it is about the same as a Ford Taurus when all is said and done. Not bad for a car that is comparable to a BMW 5 series.
Also, the Tesla will have a 300 mile range and still do 0-60 in under 6 seconds.
Not even a thought until someone makes one that has half way decent styling. Other than the Fisker, which is okay looking, they are all butt ugly including the Tesla.
Coincidence? I think not.
And at or near 100k it is totally out of the question.
Okay, is it just me or does the Leaf look like a Carp from the front?
Electric? I’m all for it if they can get the cost issues solved. I like the idea of just plugging it in and not having to ever go to a gas station. Range will be an issue for some and towing for others (diesel hybrid has big promise there). Electric also has proven high performance capabilities as evidenced by the Tesla et al. I’d strongly consider buying an electric for my wife as she is the perfect candidate (only they need to make an all wheel drive version before that happens…we get snow and ice here). Styling is a matter of taste and it doesn’t necessarily detract from the success of a vehicle. There is a Tesla Roadster running around Bellingham and on the highway it is stunning as it silently blows your doors off. There are also a lot of Priuses (Prii?) and THAT is an ungainly looking car to say the least, though it hasn’t kept people from buying them in droves.
Existing solar panels on my house plus an electric vehicle makes sense and the idea sounds excellent. Two obstacles would need to be overcome( IMO ):
1) The range would need to be 150 to 200 miles on a charge. Many of my jobs require travel of 120 to 140 miles roundtrip. However, my hope is manufacturers will develop a vehicle charging backup/supplemental system ( maybe small gas engine – maybe solar panels ) to assist while a charging infrastructure is being built.
2) Many of the hybrids including the Leaf and the Prius have sacrificed styling for aerodynamics. The styling is boring to say the least. Clearly, attractive electric cars are possible: the Tesla Model S at an MSRP of $57,900 is expensive but it looks good.
Looks kind of interesting. It’d be really cool if they added a small loudspeaker near where the tail pipe would customarily be so that you could broadcast a big V-8 burble.
Why does Nissan and Honda have to make their hybrid/electric cars looks so similar to the Toyota Prius..?
Electric cars will be a niche product for the forseeable future. They are certainly good commuter vehicles for driving to and from work and around town where most people drive, but they’re not so hot for long distance cross-country drives. I also worry that they would not be very good at coping with the extreme temperatures, both hot and cold, that exist in the U.S.
When I briefly lived in Los Angeles I did occasionally see a General Motors EV-1 driving on the streets. Certainly the Nissan Leaf is going to be a better car than the EV-1 and has a bright future as a commuter car in places with moderate climates.
I have no problem with electric cars as long as they get decent range and can recharge in just a few minutes.
The “Leaf?” Come on. I won’t buy one just because of the name.
To expand on the first part of my earlier comment, I do think that electric cars are a neat idea. I don’t think, however, that electric cars are the future of automobiles. They have been around since the turn of the last century, and they never have caught on mainstream. The sheer cost of producing these cars has and always will be much higher than gasoline cars, which is why we’ve been driving gasoline cars for the last hundred years.
I’m sure they will make some inroads, will probably gain in popularity, and may even become a bit more inexpensive to produce and ultimately buy, but diesel and gas hybrids are probably the technologies we’ll see in cars for the foreseeable future.
Electric cars do not really solve the problem. The resourses used to make them and power them are the same.
@ Brian:
In response to obstacle number one, Check out the Chevy Volt. While it has a range of only 40 miles, it has the onboard generator. GM has done a terrible job of getting that point across to the masses. It is not a hybrid like the Prius, but an electric with a range extender. And in my opinion, the Volt’s looks are so much better than the Prius, Insight, or the Leaf. Before you decide on the looks, make sure you look at the production styling, not the concept, as they had to make some changes due to: (drumroll) Aerodynamics!
Opinion about the Leaf, styling looks like a mix of the Tiida (Versa here in the states), the Murano, and the March (not available in the U.S.). And not a great blend either. Does anyone else think the grill opening looks like a dustbuster? Otherwise, if you couldn’t tell from my other post, I am a big fan of the Volt. As others have posted, my commute varies from well under 20 round trip to 50+, and then add other errands or trips and 100 miles starts cutting it close. That said, I would gladly drive an electric vehicle if it met my needs (including costs)
I have to agree and expand on the point JimC made. The automakers seemed to have virtually abandoned the small pickup market (although I understand Ford is working on a replacement for the ancient Ranger). For those of us who don’t need heavy towing capacity and dislike the driving dynamics and poor fuel economy of full size trucks, we’re still out here and wanting something more practical and fun to drive than the ubiquitous Silverado and F150.
Electric cars will have their place in the diverse nature of the future automotive world…they fill a particular niche (urban owner in need of short-distance transportation) quite well. Heck, I only drive 15 miles a day, so one would make a great second car for us.
Part of the problem, though, is that the electrical grid of the United States dates largely from the 1950s. The system as it is now can barely keep up with existing demand…you have to wonder what would happen if a million cars get plugged in at 5:30pm.
I also wonder what happens to EVs in the colder norther climates. IIRC, batteries don’t work as well when they’re cold, and in the winter, how do the cars generate sufficient cabin heat with no internal combustion engine? Do you lose half of your mileage if you turn on the heater?
Give me electricity! I can get my emotional car needs elsewhere.
Hopefully a more competitively priced electric will bring down the price of the Volt as well. I drive 120KMs a day, so I’d consider the Leaf, as long as there is some proven data about how well it runs in the cold weather, because unlike the Volt, if your battery runs out, you aren’t going anywhere.
LOL, I can just picture roadside assistance… a towtruck with an extension cord.
Now I just wonder if it will qualify for the $10k rebate the Ontario government is offering to other fully electric vehicles (*cough* Volt *cough*).
@Mark Proulx, about the sound generator for a V8 rumble… FYI there is such a thing. It even ties to the accelerator. I saw it on Pimp my Ride.
I forgot to add, does it require a special charging unit? If these things can have the option to even get a small recharge from 120V, it will be a lot easier to get employers to let you “plug in” at work and might eliminate some concerns about range.
Never mind… found the answer… It takes 16 hours to fully charge on 100V single-phase (i.e household current) or a little as 30 minutes on 200V three-phase.
http://www2.nissan-zeroemission.com/EN/FAQ/
I like the idea of electrics but have wondered about the battery disposal issue and have wondered if we should take it one more step to compressed air power. Quick recharge, fairly long range, and no hazardous waste are notable advantages. Adding one more step to the process with its added inefficiency could be a prime disadvantage.
It may sound flaky but mines were using compressed air for their underground railways well over half a century ago. They did this to eliminate harmful emmissions…exactly what we’d like to limit today.
In town, maybe a good idea. Rural area’s not quite. Battery disposal is an issue. It would be a seller due to the “feel good” crowd. Give my my diesel any day.
It’s a great second car for a family that has to commute 5 days a week. A nice, sharp looking VW diesel for longer trips on the weekend would do the fun trips. This pairing would fit nicely for tens of thousands of families across North America. As for the Leaf’s appearance, who cares since its raison d’etre is simply functional. You’ll have two cars that can fill all your needs and not threaten out energy independence.
What’s the impact on energy production and pollution from the demand of charging a pure EV everyday if they are mass produced and sold? Doesn’t the problem become discovering a renewable energy source to charge our EV’s?
This solution is pretty wacky, but its a start. I don’t know all the details, but I do know its possible.
There needs to be a stronger infrastructure and the answer could be our own garbage. Methane gas produced by our own garbage can be used to run electrical generators in power plants(similar to hydro electric power) that can produce a renewable resource and keep down home energy costs and help with a higher demand for energy if EV’s are mass produced and sold.
There is a problem with this though. The cost of setting up methane powered energy plants at the moment is enormous .
I have a question regarding the charging of the batterries.
Do you have to wait until it is fully drained to recharge it and should you make sure it is charged all the way before unplugging it without killing the supposed lifespan of the battery? Especially with the Volt type which use the same technology as cell phone batterries?
Mark Proulx: Lotus has come up with a “Safe and Sound” system for hybrids/EVs which broadcasts a typical combustion-engine noise to make sure people/animals hear you coming. There’s no reason you couldn’t set it to sound like just about anything…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwW1Sl1cXyc
Maybe install it in a golf cart and have it sound like an Italian 12-cylinder?
As for EVs in general, I am also pretty concerned about the battery disposal issues. Most rechargable batteries don’t seem to have a great shelf life and when they’re done, they seem to be pretty tricky to recycle well. Not to mention, that’s a lot of money in batteries sitting in your EV, are you going to have to budget a few grand to replace the batteries every 5-10 years? After a year or two, will your 200-mile range suddenly go to 175, or 150?
I would think that unexpected delays would also mean that we’d see a LOT of EVs on tow trucks… it’s not like you can just drop a gallon of electricity into them to make your way to the nearest charging station, at which point you’re instantly full again.
Jeff — Nissan says their LiOn batteries do not have “memory” issues. — Aaron
Just to expand on what Aaron said, so far there have been very few cases of batteries wearing out in normal use and having to be replaced (at least among Prius owners).
Brian, maybe not yet, however it is coming. No batteries last forever and the lifespan I am sure is close to ending for the first ones…..If you wanted to really reduce our dependence on foreign oil, we would look into building more nuclear power plants. We made a huge mistake in the beginning building each one differently and having to re-invent the wheel. My opinion would be to make “pods” of smaller generating plants, and bring online only what is needed. Use the technology the military uses for Subs. They are proven, reliable and have not had many major issues. We win two fold, close the coal burning plants and reduce dependency. Then really push for clean diesel power for transportation with at least a third better mpg’s and we are home free.
Great feedback on the fake car sounds. I think I’ll get a rig like that for my bicycle. Should make commuting to work much more fun!
My cell phone battery isn’t supposed to have “memory” issues either……but it does.
Love them….. on the golf course.
Boy! Electric cars are sooooo cool! Just plug them in and get free “fill ups” I wonder where all this “electric” comes from….its like magic, shooting out of the wall! Nobody thinks beyond their outlet.
@et
I think I speak for most people when I say that we all clearly understand where the magic electricity comes from. If you read my original comment (the first one here) you will see that I make the comparison of the total energy transfer from origin (i.e. fossil fuel source) to the eventual forward motion. What makes electric cars worth while is not that we will stop burning fossil fuels (at least not yet) but that a significantly larger portion of potential energy contained within that fuel is eventually transfered through all delivery points to producing forward motion than any other form of vehicle fuel right now.
We’re all well aware there is a finite source for all this electricity but it sure is more efficient than a combustion engine.
Mark Proulx:
Or just stick with the card in the spokes.
I’m interested, but it need to operate in 30 degrees below 0 Fahrenheit and maneuver in 12 inches of snow here in Central New York…