  Unveiledtoday at Nissan's Japanese headquarters in Yokohama, the zero-emissionsNissan Leaf is a dedicated, mass production electric-vehicle that isslated for launch in late 2010 in Japan, the United States, and Europe.Slightly larger than the Tiida, the medium-sized five-door hatchback isbased on a unique platform and it is equipped with a fully electricdrivetrain that consists of a 107HP electric motor and a lithium-ionbattery pack that can be charged through any home outlet providing adriving range of more than 160km (100 miles).
 Nissansaid that it expects the car to be competitively priced in the range ofa well-equipped C-segment vehicle something that points towards a€20,000 range in Europe and close to $30,000 in the USA.
Whilethe Leaf's styling won't be winning any beauty contests, what it willdo is give prospective buyers a sense of uniqueness without breakingthe norm. That's more evident with the interior design that has analmost concept-feeling to it. For the record, the Leaf is not aprototype study as what you see, is 99-percent what you'll get when theLeaf hits showrooms in late 2010.
"Ourcar had to be the world's first, medium-size, practical EV thatmotorists could afford and would want to use every day. And that's whatwe've created," said Masato INOUE, Nissan Product Chief Designer. "Thestyling will identify not only Nissan LEAF but also the owner as aparticipant in the new era of zero-emission mobility."
 Aninteresting detail concerns the headlights which have been designed tosplit and redirect airflow away from the door mirrors, in order toreduce wind noise and drag. According to Nissan, the lights provide yetone more benefit in that they consume just 10 percent of theelectricity of conventional lamps.
At4,445mm (175-in.) long, 1,770mm wide (69.7-in.) with a height of1,550mm (61-in.) and a wheelbase of 2,700mm (106.3-in.), the Leaf islarger than your usual C-segment hatch. For example, the VW Golf is4,199mm long (165-in.), 1,779mm wide (70-in.) with a height of 1,479mm(58.2-in.) and a wheelbase of 2,578mm (101.5-in.).
Butwhereas conventional hatchbacks like the Golf use internal combustionengines, the front-wheel drive Leaf is equipped with a fully electricdrivetrain. Power is provided by an electric motor that delivers 80kWor 107-horsepower and 280Nm (206 lb-ft) of torque while energy is drawnfrom a combination regenerative braking system and a lithium-ionbattery pack positioned underneath the cabin floor to save space.
 TheLeaf's batteries can be charged up to 80% of its full capacity in justunder 30 minutes with a quick charger while a full charge at homethrough a 200V outlet is estimated to take approximately eight hours.The socket for the Leaf's charging plug is hidden underneath a flapwith the firm's logo on the bonnet.
Intheory, the idea sounds right, but we can help but wonder how buyersthat live in large cities and do not own a garage will be able tocharge the car's battery - let alone if the batteries are depleted awayfrom home. Nissan said that it is addressing this problem with thedevelopment of a comprehensive charging infrastructure through publicand private investment with its Zero-emission mobility programmes.
 TheJapanese automaker said that it has formed partnerships with countriessuch as the UK and Portugal, local governments in Japan and the USA,and other sectors, for a total of nearly 30 partnerships worldwide.
Nissanclaims that the Leaf will have a driving range in excess of 160 km or100 miles while the hatchback will be able to achieve a top speed ofover 90mph or 140 km/h.
TheLeaf will also come equipped with an advanced IT system that will beconnected to a global data centre, providing support, information, andentertainment for drivers 24 hours a day.
Nissanwill build the Leaf at its Oppama plant, Japan, with additionalcapacity planned for the firm's Smyrna plant in Tennessee, USA. TheEV's lithium-ion batteries are being produced in Zama, Japan, withadditional capacity planned for the USA, the UK and Portugal, and othersites around the world.
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發表於 2009-8-3 09:25 AM
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