Nissan Leaf EV

Toshi

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A short video showing the Leaf that I whipped together, all footage shot by yours truly:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2xNvC0lcMM

[youtube]B2xNvC0lcMM[/youtube]

Stock photos:

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2010 Nissan Leaf EV. http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/01/2010-nissan-leaf-electric-car-in-person-in-depth-and-u-s-b/

While there will probably be a few discreet changes to the Leaf (non-showcar paint, slightly different interior fabrics, etc.), this isn't a concept vehicle – Nissan assured us that you are looking at the Real McCoy, the vehicle headed for select American, Japanese, and European showrooms next year.

…

As has been done with other automakers' alternative energy pilot programs in the past, the Leaf will probably be distributed to fleets and very select customers at first – a more widespread commercial push isn't expected until 2012.

yeah, you heard that right: a production EV from nissan?! i didn't expect this… and it might even be available to joe sixpack or me by the time i finish my residency program in 2012.

specifications:

- 80 kW (108 hp) electric motor with 280 Nm (208 ft-lbs) of torque
- top speed of over 140 kph (87 mph), range of over 160 km (100 mph)
- full charge from 200V (yeah, 200, not 220?) single phase AC in under 8 hrs
- a fancy $45k DC fast-charger that cities might install in central locations can get the battery to 80% state of charge in 30 minutes
- 24 kWh, 200 kg (440 lbs) of lithium ion batteries, $10k replacement cost at the moment

just like the Aptera it has much in the way of computer/smartphone integration, which will prove to be crucial for balancing loads on the power grid and for maximizing range:

Every example will be equipped with an integrated computer system that is connected to a GPS system and global data center, allowing the Leaf to display its "reachable area" on its sat-nav screen, as well as the location of nearby charging stations. That same advanced IT system can also communicate with the owner's smart phone, sending them emails to let them know their vehicle's state of charge, allow users to pre-cool or pre-warm the Leaf while it's charging (thus drawing power from the grid and not depleting the onboard batteries), and the system can even be programmed to charge in the middle-of-the-night to take advantage of lower energy costs.
 
carlos ghosan has been directing nissan this way for over a year now. nissan joined with NEC a year ago to build this system. NEC built a new plant and dedicated another assembly line for the batteries too.

i would expect to see the same system in the renault, and i think fiat may attempt to use it too. so it is possible chrysler could be the first to bring a US EV to market here using the fiat 500 or maybe the smaller body fiat with the NEC/nissan system to market here under the chrysler emblem.
 
Hi,

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2009/08/02/ap6729268.html

Nissan rolls out electric car at new headquarters
By YURI KAGEYAMA , 08.02.09, 12:00 AM EDT

YOKOHAMA, Japan -- Nissan Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn drove quietly out of the Japanese automaker's soon-to-open headquarters Sunday in the first public viewing of its new zero-emission vehicle.

It was the first time the external design was shown of Nissan Motor Co. ( NSANY - news - people )'s environmentally friendly electric automobile, set to go on sale in Japan, the U.S. and Europe next year. The blue hatchback had a sporty design and a recharging opening in the front.

Designer Shiro Nakamura said the vehicle was designed to avoid a stereotypical futuristic design.

"This is not a niche car," he said. "We didn't make it unusual looking. It had to be a real car."

Nissan has promised that the Leaf, which goes into mass-production as a global model in 2012, will be about the same price as a gas-engine car such as the 1.5 million yen ($15,000) Tiida, which sells abroad as the Versa, starting at about $10,000.

Ghosn drove out on stage with former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi sitting next to him, and with a Yokohama governor and mayor in the rear seats.

"This car represents a real breakthrough," Ghosn told reporters and guests at a showroom in the new headquarters.

He said the new car and new office building in Yokohama, southwest of Tokyo, marked two fresh starts for Nissan, which hopes to take the lead in zero-emission vehicles....

Koizumi said environmentally friendly auto technology is key to Japan's economic growth.

"It was so unexpectedly smooth and quiet," he said after getting out of the car. "I am sure this car is going to be popular."
 
100 miles at 10 mph no doubt. Be nice if it would do 30 miles at 50 mph though. In a bad city, you won't get over 30mph anyway, but a generator trailer could be hauled for occasional longer trips.
 
I wanted to find out what voltage the Nissan leaf system runs at. After playing with my Google a while, I found out the car is built as a skateboard that can have several different bodies attached depending on the market they are directed at.

This system was developed in partnership with Renault, and major parts and final assembly may also occur in the UK and Portugal for a Renault-badged Leaf for the EU market. There's a possibility some may be made in Tennessee.

Denmark, Israel, and Australia are mentioned as already having "fast-charge" grid capability (?).

The battery was made in flat modules to help achieve the skateboard configuration, and it uses a Lithium-manganese formula with 48 packs using 4-cells each. Each pack is 3.5 kg, for a total of 200 kg...but voltage?...

nissan-ev-architect.jpg
 
spinningmagnets said:
The battery was made in flat modules to help achieve the skateboard configuration, and it uses a Lithium-manganese formula with 48 packs using 4-cells each. Each pack is 3.5 kg, for a total of 200 kg...but voltage?...
Not sure yet, but here are some pix:
 

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spinningmagnets said:
Denmark, Israel, and Australia are mentioned as already having "fast-charge" grid capability (?).

That's either a reference to the fact that Project Better Place is getting into those regions, or simply the fact that we have 240v AC power in all household power poings (in Australia at least). So you can get 2.4 kW out of one standard power point, more from a dedicated circuit with it's own breaker of course.

Better Place's first city to roll out in is Canberra, Australia's capital city. Not sure if they're doing fast charge points, robotic swap stations or both. If automakers can successfully build compatible packs that drop out of the bottom of the chassis as Better Place plans, it will be interesting to watch the take up of the tech.
 
48 x4.2V so it should be about 196V nominal or so.

24kWh total means each of those 4 limn pouches is 125Ah capacity. this is 12 times the normal pouch ping uses in his packs. notice no special cooling as used on Volt. looks like it is an integral battery case, which along with the floorpan adds strength as a tubular member.

i don't think the exchange a pack method will ever work, but providing a tax incentive to people who provid a charging spot will help extend the reach of the entire EV fleet.

just a 12G romex can deliver mains of 240V30A AC, so even that could restore 50% charge in 2 hours with an 85% efficient charger. i expect eventually to have an open charging spot in my driveway capable of holding 4 EVs side by side and charging. it is 12 1/2 feet long and 20' wide or about the size taken up by one fat car now. already making preparations for 50 years from now, eventually i will be able to pour the remaining concrete.
 
196V ?? SWEET !!

I think a car at that voltage range is a great development. I dont know if this idea was a part of the original engineering considerations, but I am a fan of the EV with a series-hybrid trailer that only needs to be attached when you want to go on a longer trip. A generator can be designed and built that will provide charging at any voltage desired, but I believe it would be very easy and affordable to make up a small trailer with a 220V bio-diesel generator. Kind of like plug-in Prius where you can leave the engine at home most of the time.

The original 2-seat Honda Insight hybrid did not sell well, and the Prius has sold over one-million units. Polling showed there were several reasons. Many customers liked that the Prius had 4 seats (the new 2010 Honda Insight also has 4 seats), but a large portion liked that because of the way the Prius was configured, it would be easy to upgrade it to a Lithium plug-in hybrid (30 minute electric-only range?) after the 5-year warrantee expired.

"...The Generation III Prius battery pack is still made up of the same type of 1.2 volt cells but instead of 38 modules of 6 cells it only has 28 modules for a total nominal voltage of only 201V. Control electronics are then used to boost the voltage so that the main drive electric motor in the Generation III Prius receives 500 volts instead of the 273V in the Generation II..."

http://www.cleangreencar.co.nz/page/prius-technical-info
 
"...48 x 4.2V so it should be about 196V nominal or so..."

Soooo...dnmun, I guess 11 of these would be 46V / 125 aH ? (wink!), and 17 of them would be 71V / 125 aH?
 
if they have 4 pouches in each of those trays, then each tray has 500Wh. they are very simple construction so $.42/Wh is reasonable. especially if they are internally produced by NEC for nissan and renault. too bad GM could not have been more effective and instead will produce a vehicle costing at least twice as much as this nissan.
 
Good post, Toshi, I caught this perusing TruthAboutCars.com (aka Glibertarian/Corporatarians who are entitled to all of their children's resources and enjoy trashing alternative modes of propulsion) earlier this week.

The only real question I have is: will this be marketed to the general public before my '96 Accord with 200k+ miles on the odometer makes its final trip to the service station.

I do dig the trailer idea that spinning magnets has; getting to and from the beach or mountains (~150 miles each direction) would be a key component I'd like to add to a commuter vehicle.
 
TylerDurden said:
spinningmagnets said:
The battery was made in flat modules to help achieve the skateboard configuration, and it uses a Lithium-manganese formula with 48 packs using 4-cells each. Each pack is 3.5 kg, for a total of 200 kg...but voltage?...
Not sure yet, but here are some pix:
cool pix 8)

where in the US will the Leaf be offered initially? the answer:

1) oregon (unspecified, probably portland)
2) seattle
3) san diego
4) tennessee (also unspecified)
5) phoenix and tucson

Nissan is wasting little time planning for the release of its Leaf electric car. Perhaps the details of the car's U.S. launch were so slim at launch is because Nissan was waiting for the official announcement of the Obama administration's $2.4 billion investment into electric vehicles and the infrastructure needed to support them, $99.8 million of which has been awarded to eTec, a division of ECOtality that specializes in electric vehicle charging systems.

That sum of money (to be matched by "regional project participants") will allow eTec to install 2,500 EV charging stations in the states of Tennessee and Oregon, along with San Diego, CA; Seattle, WA; and the Phoenix/Tucson region in Arizona. Of course, chargers aren't any good without any vehicles to use them, so Nissan has pledged to support the project with up to 1,000 new Leaf EVs in each of these selected markets.

This announcement puts retail sales of the upcoming Leaf two years ahead of the previously planned schedule. Nissan hopes to gather information on the charging patterns of these initial 5,000 Leaf owners, so buyers will need to agree to carry an on-board data logger that will be monitored by the automaker and the U.S. Department of Energy.

(source, complete with press release: http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/06/nissan-to-begin-retail-sales-of-leaf-ev-next-year-in-five-major/ )

i'd live in the first three places! hopefully the infrastructure and the car will be there and well established by the time i'm looking for fellowship programs after finishing up my residency in 2013.
 
Hi,
Cackalacka said:
The only real question I have is: will this be marketed to the general public before my '96 Accord with 200k+ miles on the odometer makes its final trip to the service station.
http://www.autobloggreen.com/2009/0...ail-sales-of-leaf-ev-next-year-in-five-major/
Nissan to begin retail sales of 5,000 Leaf EVs next year in major U.S. markets

Nissan is wasting little time in planning for the release of its recently-announced Leaf electric car. Perhaps the reason details of the car's U.S. launch were so slim at launch is because Nissan was waiting for the official announcement of the Obama administration's $2.4 billion investment into electric vehicles and the infrastructure needed to support them, $99.8 million of which has been awarded to eTec, a division of ECOtality that specializes in electric vehicle charging systems.

That sum of money (to be matched by "regional project participants"), will allow eTec to install 2,500 EV charging stations in Tennessee, Oregon, San Diego, Seattle and the Phoenix/Tucson region in Arizona. Of course, chargers aren't any good without any vehicles to plug into them, so Nissan has pledged to support the project with up to 1,000 new Leaf EVs in each of these selected markets.

This announcement puts retail sales of the upcoming Leaf two years ahead of the previously-planned schedule. Nissan hopes to gather information on the charging patterns of these initial 5,000 Leaf owners, so buyers will need to agree to carry an onboard data logger that will be monitored by the automaker and the U.S. Department of Energy.

Official press release.

NISSAN SUPPORTS ELECTRIC VEHICLE & INFRASTRUCTURE DEPLOYMENT PROJECT

Dept. of Energy Grant Helps Ready Markets for Zero Emissions

FRANKLIN, Tenn. (Aug. 5, 2009) – The U.S. Department of Energy today announced a grant for the largest deployment of electric vehicles (EVs) and charging infrastructure ever undertaken. Nissan is supporting the lead grant applicant, Electric Transportation Engineering Corp. (eTec), by pledging to make available up to 1,000 Nissan LEAF zero-emission electric vehicles in each of five major markets. Nissan, through the Renault-Nissan Alliance, is committed to being a global leader in zero-emission vehicles.

The $99.8 million grant to eTec, which will be matched by regional project participants for a project valued at approximately $199.6 million, is for installation of approximately 2,500 charging stations in each of the selected markets – Tennessee, Oregon, San Diego, Seattle and the Phoenix/Tucson region. The project also involves the deployment of up to 1,000 Nissan LEAF zero-emission vehicles in each market.

The project will collect and analyse data characterising vehicle use in diverse topographies and climate conditions, evaluate the effectiveness of charging infrastructure, and conduct trials of various revenue systems for commercial and public charging infrastructure. To test and analyse electric vehicle usage and charging patterns in a simulated, mature charging environment, the deployment of charging infrastructure will target major population areas.

"Nissan appreciates the support of the Department of Energy in helping jumpstart the electrification of the transportation sector," said Scott Becker vice president, Legal and General Counsel, Nissan North America. "This is a major step in promoting zero-emission mobility in the United States. Nissan is looking forward to partnering with eTec to help make electric cars a reality and to help establish the charging networks in key markets."

"This project will enhance America's leadership role in clean electric transportation and exemplifies the Department of Energy's strategic foresight and commitment to improving our environment, economy and energy independence," said Jonathan Read, president and CEO, ECOtality, parent company of eTec. "By developing a rich charge infrastructure in each market, this project will enable a successful consumer experience among early EV adopters and increase market demand for electric transportation."

Nissan on Aug. 2 introduced the Nissan LEAF, the world's first affordable, zero-emission car. Designed specifically for a lithium-ion battery-powered chassis, Nissan LEAF is a medium-size hatchback that comfortably seats five adults and has a range of 100 miles to satisfy real-world consumer requirements. The Nissan LEAF will launch in the United States in late 2010. U.S. production will begin in late 2012 at Nissan's manufacturing facility in Smyrna, Tenn.

The Renault-Nissan Alliance has begun zero-emissions vehicle initiatives in Kanagawa Prefecture and Yokohama in Japan, as well as in Israel, Denmark, Portugal, Monaco, the UK, France, Switzerland, Ireland, China and Hong Kong. In the United States, the Alliance is exploring ways to promote zero-emission mobility and the development of an EV infrastructure in the State of Tennessee, the State of Oregon, Sonoma County (CA) and San Diego in California, Phoenix and Tucson, Ariz., Seattle, and Raleigh, N.C.
 
I have trouble getting past the fact that the car can be purchased, but the battery pack is only leased. That twist to continue the mandatory monthly payments to "the man" is a deal killer for me. Hopefully Eestor really does show the goods in September. Then the bottom will fall out of lithium battery prices in a short time. It's great that Nissan is the first to the punch, since it's definitely the future (other than the silly quick charge stations), but I'm not going to be the same guy that bought the $800 VCR.

John
 
It's hard to keep up with technology, I was figuring that after the volt came out, all the other manufactures would be stepping up to the plate. It's happening even quicker then most people are aware, who else is going to come out of the woodwork now that the gauntlet has been thrown down, Honda, Toyota?

Five years from now these electrics will be common place, I even saw a Tesla parked out in front of the neighbors house a few months back.

Deron.
 
dnmun said:
no, it has top speed of 87, 100 mile range, 108hp, 24kWh pack. looks like it weighs about 1800lbs. torque at 208Nm is about 50 times your hubmotor

Dogman is quite right. It's like the range calculations of regular electric bikes. Sure you're going to get 30miles out of a 10ah battery. If you slow down and pedal hard that is.

24kWh is the same energy as contained in roughly 2 litres of petrol. That's about 3/5 a gallon of gas for you Americans. Electric motors may be twice as efficient as ICEs but still that's a big ask out of so little battery power. How many cars get 100miles to the gallon?

That's claiming an efficiency of 240 Wh/mile or 150 Wh/km. It will be interesting to see if this pans out. But no way is it going to pan out if the motor is running flat out, full throttle.

Still even a 50mile range would be plenty.
 
Hi,

http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2009/08/04/peak-oil-nissans-leaf-and-why-ontario-is-doing-the-right-thing/
Tyler Hamilton said:
This is a slick-looking car, one that promises to be affordably priced. And unlike other offerings, the battery will be leased, putting all the risk in the hands of Nissan.

John in CR said:
I have trouble getting past the fact that the car can be purchased, but the battery pack is only leased. That twist to continue the mandatory monthly payments to "the man" is a deal killer for me.

John

I think both Tyler and John are missing the point. Wether the lease is a good deal or not depends on the price of the lease. Nissan could lease the battery at an extremely attractive price that could cost less for most users than buying gas for similar miles driven or they could sell the car for cheap and try to make it back on the battery lease.

Ultimately the main issue with EV's is battery cost. If Nissan wants the LEAF to succeed they are going to need to try to find a solution that works for both Nissan and buyers.
 
MitchJi said:
Wether the lease is a good deal or not depends on the price of the lease. Nissan could lease the battery at an extremely attractive price that could cost less for most users than buying gas for similar miles driven or they could sell the car for cheap and try to make it back on the battery lease.

Ultimately the main issue with EV's is battery cost. If Nissan wants the LEAF to succeed they are going to need to try to find a solution that works for both Nissan and buyers.

I would not be surprised if they sell the car at a discount and plan to make money on the battery lease. Look and learn from cellphone carriers.
 
i think this is legal stuff that is tied to the incentives the japanese guvment is providing. plus by leasing the packs then they can regain control of them if there is a problem in the future that exposes them to liability. so the customer would not be able to hold onto the batteries if NEC decided they were a risk. gives them a legal out. jmho.

plus the lease is the 'amortization' part of the fuel cost so it would be like normal fuel purchases in impact on the consumer.
 
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