Nissan LEAF Leaps Ahead

Nissan changes the automotive industry by being the 1st to mass market a pure EV

The Leaf is Nissan’s zero emission pure electric vehicle (EV) and is just the first of many steps in Nissan’s new massive commitment to sustainable mobility and helps clarify their belief that electric cars are the ultimate solution to that goal.

“This EV really could eventually become known as the “LEAP” (instead of LEAF) because its introduction helps Nissan “leap” ahead of their competitors by completely bypassing the production of a generation of hybrid (electric and petroleum propelled) cars/vehicles, such as Toyota’s popular Prius. This electric car clearly puts Nissan in the lead of helping the transportation industry transition from traditional gasoline-powered vehicles to those operating in a more environmentally responsible manner by using clean, green sustainable energy”, says the environmental advocate Ken Burridge of EV.com.

The Nissan Leaf EV is significant because it will be the first pure electric car to be produced and distributed by a top ten auto manufacturer. The LEAF was unveiled in August of 2009 and could no doubt become the ultimate green purchase/gift for green-minded car shoppers for many years to come.

The price for Nissan’s environmentally friendly EV in the USA will be approximately $25,000 after Federal tax rebates and in some states such as California that offer additional EV tax rebates the price would be closer to $21,000. This price point is a “big deal” and potential “game changer” not only because that will make the Nissan Leaf less expensive than the Toyota Prius, but also the same price as many petroleum-powered cars. For many potential new car buyers this could make an EV purchase for the first time in automotive industry history a proverbial “no-brainer” due to an EV’s inherent lower fuel, maintenance and general operating costs than any other previous and current offerings from the major auto manufacturers.

LEAF is a brave & bold move by Nissan...bloody brilliant says EV.com!

The Nissan Leaf is powered by lithium-ion batteries, with a power output of over 90kw, which in turn powers an 80kw electric motor, that is used for propulsion. The lithium-ion batteries have the capability to recharge 80% of their capacity in less than thirty minutes and can carry up to five passengers up to approximately 100 miles on a single charge, which should cost less than $2.75 (based on $0.11/kWh) or even less if charging at off-peak rates are offered by the local utilities.

Of interest to the eco-friendly crowd Nissan has designed the Leaf (including the batteries) to be almost fully recyclable and thus environmentally sustainable. We here at EV.com applaud Nissan for their amazing accomplishment for being the first of the top ten auto manufacturers to deliver a mass-produced zero-emission vehicle to world markets.