Reference Auto

A green revolution in car technology has just begun with Nissan Motor rolling out the new, fully electric and zero emission car aptly called the Leaf in the Japanese market where it is likely to hit the roads in another 10 days. The Leaf will be in the US as well as Europe in early 2011 and take another year to reach other markets.

The price of the Nissan Leaf begins from yen 3,764,250 and that includes consumption tax. There are sops that the Japanese government is providing, that is slated to benefit the Leaf’s buyers.

As per rules, buyers are eligible to get a maximum of yen 780,000 through the government’s electric vehicles incentives. If this is accounted for, then the Leaf’s price will begin from yen 2,984,250. The Leaf also qualifies for tax breaks, which will whittle down the car’s tax by 50 per cent.

In the US, the Leaf, which is a four-door hatchback, will carry a base price of $32,780. But customers can get a $7,500 electric vehicle tax credit, paring the price to $25,000.

Nissan Leaf will roll out in Japan during the middle of the month and be the world’s first electric vehicle or EV within the reach of the average customer. The Leaf has spacious interiors and can accommodate five adults easily.

Nissan Leaf comes with a lithium-ion battery along with an electric motor. It has a driving range of 200 km (on JC08 mode) and this should be adequate for one drive. About 200-volt normal charging is provided at Nissan 2,200 dealers nationwide. Normally, the Leaf can travel up to 160 km at a stretch.

About 200 dealers in Japan have quick chargers that can charge the battery up to 80 per cent of its full capacity in just half an hour. The battery provides 24 kWh capacity and maximum power output of more than 90 kWh. The Nissan Leaf comes with a high-response 80kW AC synchronous motor. The car was made through a joint-venture between Nissan Motor and NEC Corporation.

Nissan has fitted the Leaf with its standard cabin tech, that includes navigation and a Bluetooth phone system. This navigation system is a new feature which helps the driver locate charging stations.

But on the flip side, a range of about 100 miles kind of cripples the car’s tasks, and recharging takes hours at a standard AC outlet. If climate control is used, this range comes down substantially. This makes the Nissan Leaf a perfect car for urban and even semi-urban roads, or for short drives. But ideally not for long drives.

There are more electric vehicles in the pipeline with Ford Motor and Chrysler also mulling launches after the Leaf. With emission norms getting stringent by the day, Nissan along with other companies will have to rev up their EV plans, at least in the developed markers such as the US, Japan and countries in Europe, to see their sales ticking.

But in emerging markets such as China and India, these companies can still afford to go slow on EVs as pollution norms are rather slack compared to developed nations. But when stringent norms are in place, there will be a huge market for these electric vehicles.

So, by coming up with the Leaf, the first EV to go on commercial production, Nissan certainly has given itself first-mover advantage.