Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. Sunday, (Aug. 2, 2009) unveiled the world's first affordable, zero-emission car - the Nissan LEAF. Nissan LEAF is a medium-size hatchback able to comfortably seat five adults with a range in excess of 160km (100 miles). The chassis has been designed specifically to be lithium-ion battery-powered.
Nissan Leaf, will be available in Japan, Europe, and the United States in the second half of 2010. The car can be summarised as being part of Nissan's radical, transformative vision for the future, and also the result of decades of investment and research.
Nissan President and CEO Carlos Ghosn has described Nissan LEAF as a 'tremendous accomplishment in which all of the company's employees can take pride'. He said the company has been working tirelessly to make possible a day when a zero-emission car - not just reduced emissions - will be possible, and said this is the first step on an exciting journey for both Nissan as a company and also the entire industry as a whole.
The most notable characteristic of the car is of course its zero emission platform and power train. In addition it also has an affordable price range, and boasts Connected Mobility: Advanced intelligent transportation (IT) system. Pricing details are not yet available, but will be released near the commencement of sales in late 2010. It is expected though that the car will be in the range of a well-equipped C-segment vehicle.
It is no coincidence that the car has been named LEAF, as this name has a direct connotation to how leaves in nature also purify air. Nissan LEAF purifies mobility, by removing emissions from the driving experience.
Nissan LEAF is expected to qualify for various significant local, regional and national tax benefits and incentives in world markets. Of course the added benefit is that Nissan LEAF has much less mechanical parts and complexity, which should make maintenance user, and pocket, friendly.
SOME TECHNICAL ASPECTS
The car is powered by laminated compact lithium-ion batteries, generating output power in excess of 90kW, while the electric motor delivers 80kW/280Nm. These performance figures are very much in line with cars in the same class to which consumers are used to today.
Nisan LEAF uses also uses its regenerative braking system to ensure maximum range efficiency. It is interesting to note that according to consumer research, about 70% of all people worldwide that drive cars, drive within the zero to 160 km (100 mile) range daily.
Now here's the very interesting part - how long will it take to recharge? According to the company, the LEAF can be charged up to 80% of its full capacity in less than 30 minutes using a quick charger. Charging the car at home will take approximately 8 hours through a 200V power outlet - which makes it perfect for an overnight charge.
Also interesting to note is the chassis and body layout - according to the company the car enjoys a completely new layout. (Although looking at a photo of the car, the changes are visually less obvious.)
The car features up-slanting light-emitting diode (LED) headlights (which consume only 10 percent of the electricity of conventional lamps), which also serves another unique purpose - it splits and redirects airflow away from door mirrors, reducing drag and external wind noise.
CONNECTED MOBILITY IT SYSTEM
In addition, Nissan LEAF features an exclusive advanced IT system, that is connected to a global data center, enabling the system to provide support, information, and entertainment for drivers at any time of the day or night.
One more state-of-the-art feature is the ability to utilize mobile phones to control air-conditioning and program charging functions. This feature is possible even when Nissan LEAF is powered down.
Source: Nissan
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