NISSAN UNVEILS "LEAF" - THE WORLD'S FIRST ELECTRIC CAR DESIGNED FOR AFFORDABILITY AND REAL-WORLD REQUIREMENTS

Event ushers in a new era for Nissan and a new era for mobility

YOKOHAMA, (Aug. 2, 2009) - Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. today unveiled 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 more than 160km (100 miles) to satisfy real-world consumer requirements.



NISSAN LEAFSlated for launch in late 2010 in Japan, the United States, and Europe, Nissan LEAF ushers in a new era of mobility - the zero-emission era. The car is the embodiment of Nissan's radical, transformative vision for the future and the culmination of decades of investment and research.

"Nissan LEAF is a tremendous accomplishment - one in which all Nissan employees can take great pride," said Nissan President and CEO Carlos Ghosn. "We have been working tirelessly to make this day a reality - the unveiling of a real-world car that has zero - not simply reduced - emissions. It's the first step in what is sure to be an exciting journey - for people all over the world, for Nissan and for the industry."

Key characteristics of the LEAF include:1) Zero-emission power train and platform2) Affordable pricing3) Distinctive design4) Real-world range autonomy - 160km (100 miles)5) Connected Mobility: Advanced intelligent transportation (IT) system

The "LEAF" name is a significant statement about the car itself. Just as leaves purify the air in nature, so Nissan LEAF purifies mobility by taking emissions out of the driving experience. Pricing details will be announced closer to start of sales in late 2010; however, the company expects the car to be competitively priced in the range of a well-equipped C-segment vehicle. Additionally, Nissan LEAF is expected to qualify for an array of significant local, regional and national tax breaks and incentives in markets around the world. As an added benefit, because the vehicle has less mechanical complexity than a traditional gasoline-powered car, Nissan LEAF is designed to be friendly to the wallet as well as to the environment.

ZERO-EMISSION MOBILITYNissan LEAF is powered by laminated compact lithium-ion batteries, which generate power output of over 90kW, while its electric motor delivers 80kW/280Nm. This ensures a highly responsive, fun-to-drive experience that is in keeping with what consumers have come to expect from traditional, gasoline-powered automobiles.

Unlike internal-combustion engine (ICE) equipped vehicles, Nissan LEAF's power train has no tail pipe, and thus no emission of CO2 or other greenhouse gases. A combination of Nissan LEAF's regenerative braking system and innovative lithium-ion battery packs enables the car to deliver a driving range of more than 160km (100 miles) on one full charge*. (*US LA4 mode)

Extensive consumer research demonstrates that this range satisfies the daily driving requirements of more than 70% of the world's consumers who drive cars.

And, Nissan's approach makes charging easy and convenient. Nissan LEAF can be charged up to 80% of its full capacity in just under 30 minutes with a quick charger. Charging at home through a 200V outlet is estimated to take approximately eight hours - ample time to enable an overnight refresh for consumer and car alike.

REAL-WORLD CARThe engineers and designers behind Nissan LEAF worked to create a competitively priced real-world car that would enable Nissan to lead mobility into the zero-emission era. To ensure comfort, spaciousness and cargo capacity, Nissan LEAF employs a completely new chassis and body layout.

"Our car had to be the world's first, medium-size, practical EV that motorists could afford and would want to use every day. And that's what we've created. The styling will identify not only Nissan LEAF but also the owner as a participant in the new era of zero-emission mobility," said Masato INOUE, Product Chief Designer.

DISTINCTIVE DESIGNEven the smallest details can yield tremendous effect.

Nissan LEAF's frontal styling is characterized by a sharp, upright V-shaped design featuring long, up-slanting light-emitting diode (LED) headlights that employ a blue internal reflective design that announces, "This car is special." But the headlights do more than make a statement. They are also designed to cleverly split and redirect airflow away from the door mirrors, thus reducing wind noise and drag. And, the headlights provide yet one more benefit in that they consume just 10 percent of the electricity of conventional lamps, which helps Nissan LEAF to achieve its world-class range autonomy.

Through bright trim colors inside, Nissan LEAF creates a pleasing and stylish cabin environment. An environmentally friendly "blue earth" color theme originates from the Aqua Globe body color of Nissan LEAF's introductory model. This theme is carried into the interior through blue dashboard highlights and instrument illumination.

CONNECTED MOBILITY IT SYSTEMNissan LEAF employs an exclusive advanced IT system. Connected to a global data center, the system can provide support, information, and entertainment for drivers 24 hours a day.

The dash-mounted monitor displays Nissan LEAF's remaining power - or "reachable area" - in addition to showing a selection of nearby charging stations.

Another state-of-the-art feature is the ability to use mobile phones to turn on air-conditioning and set charging functions - even when Nissan LEAF is powered down. An on-board remote-controlled timer can also be pre-programmed to recharge batteries.

"The IT system is a critical advantage," says Tooru ABE, Chief Product Specialist. "We wanted this vehicle to be a partner for the driver and an enhancement for the passengers. We also wanted this vehicle to help create a zero-emission community, and these IT features will help make that possible."

HOLISTIC APPROACH TO ZERO-EMISSION MOBILITY AND ECO-FRIENDLY INNOVATIONNissan LEAF is a critical first step in establishing the era of zero-emission mobility; however, Nissan recognizes that internal-combustion engine (ICE) technologies will play a vital role in global transportation for decades to come. Because of this, Nissan is implementing its zero-emission vision through a holistic approach, which provides consumers a comprehensive range of eco-friendly technologies from which to choose.

For some consumers, Nissan LEAF will be the perfect match, and the only car they will ever need. For others, Nissan LEAF will be a logical addition to the family fleet - the optimal choice for the daily commute, for example.

While zero-emission is the ultimate goal, the company is committed to ongoing innovation in eco-friendly technologies that increase efficiency and reduce emissions. As a result, Nissan offers a comprehensive suite of automotive technologies, including CVT, Idle Stop, HEV, Clean Diesel, and ongoing research and investment in FCV technology.

WORLDWIDE PARTNERSZero-emission mobility programs under the banner of the Renault-Nissan Alliance include partnerships with countries such as the UK and Portugal, local governments in the Japan and the USA, and other sectors, for a total of nearly 30 partnerships worldwide.

In these partnerships major efforts focus on three areas:1) Development of a comprehensive charging infrastructure through public and private investment,2) Incentives and subsidies from local, regional, and national governments, and3) Public education on the individual and societal benefits of zero-emissions mobility.

ZERO-EMISSION VEHICLE PRODUCTIONNissan LEAF is the first in the company's forthcoming line of EVs and is a major milestone in the realization of the Renault-Nissan Alliance's vision for zero-emission mobility. The first of Nissan's EV's will be manufactured at Oppama, Japan, with additional capacity planned for Smyrna, Tennessee, USA. Meanwhile, lithium-ion batteries are being produced in Zama, Japan, with additional capacity planned for the USA, the UK and Portugal, and other sites for investment are under study around the world.

ABOUT NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. is a global automotive company with vehicle sales of 3.411 million in 2008. Nissan is present in all major auto markets worldwide, selling a comprehensive range of cars, pickup trucks, SUVs, and light commerical vehicles.

NISSAN BLUE CITIZENSHIPNissan is committed to making a better world through its commitment to corporate social responsibility. This includes programs that focus on technological innovations that focus on people and care for the planet. Our vision for zero-emission mobility is an outgrowth of our CSR approach, which we call Blue Citizenship. Together, we are working with our Alliance partner, Renault, to make a better world through zero-emission mobility.

For more information, please visit the Nissan Zero-Emission website:http://www.nissan-zeroemission.com

FIRST!that would be nice for commuting, and it looks like it doesnt come with the snobbery that comes with owning a prius.

Can I stick an SR in it?

The car is the embodiment of Nissan's radical, transformative vision for the future and the culmination of decades of investment and research.

"Nissan LEAF is a tremendous accomplishment - one in which all Nissan employees can take great pride," said Nissan President and CEO Carlos Ghosn. "We have been working tirelessly to make this day a reality

for people all over the world, for Nissan and for the industry."

It looks like a fishim sorry im more sorry for Nissan

It looks like something that would eat a leaf.

im a hard core nissan fan but the leaf and the cube are very ugly cars.

I like the Cube (Not sure why....). Electric vehicles bother me though. What are they going to do with all these gigantic batteries after they can no longer hold their charge? The first gen Prius' are worthless when they're battery goes and replacing one costs almost as much as the car......

Don't ask logical questions like that! You are a plant for big oil aren't you?

all they're gonna do is switch the high energy cost from gas to electricity. You won't be able to afford to use power in your house after that happens.

Kira-Hachi wrote:I like the Cube (Not sure why....). Electric vehicles bother me though. What are they going to do with all these gigantic batteries after they can no longer hold their charge? The first gen Prius' are worthless when they're battery goes and replacing one costs almost as much as the car......

Not sure if Nissan has similar plans, but GM has plans for their "dead" Volt batteries, so I assume Nissan will go with a similar replacement program. Since the car's operation requires the batteries to retain a narrow margin on the upper end of their charge capacity, they'll be unusuable in the car before they're completely devoid of charge capacity. So they can still be used in other ways that aren't so critically capacity-dependent after they've been replaced in the car.

Since the Leaf and Volt both use lithium ion batteries (but the Leaf will probably have higher tech batteries due to the efforts put forth by Nissan and NEC specifically for this car) I assume Nissan will be able to get similar "residual use" out of old batteries removed from Leaves.

Of course, that's just me speculating.

Its like a Versa had intercourse with a Prius.

in the end is electrical power better than gas?mining the resources for the batteries destroys the ecosystem around it and than you have to burn coal or oil to get your poweror nuclear or windmill or that wave thingbut the large percentage of the energy we use is coal/oilso these are no more environmentally friendly than any of our conventionally powered petrol vehicles

its more of a shift of where the pollution takes place not really eliminating it at all

(on a side note i cant help but like how it looks :3 reminds me of the fit or maybe an old suzuki alto vaguely anyways XD)

Yes, but there's more to it than that.

Electric motors are significantly more efficient than internal combustion motors. But petroleum fuel is a more energy-dense energy STORAGE medium. So the choices are lots of energy capacity but inefficient, or very little energy energy capacity but very efficient. Until we can improve significantly on battery technology, electric cars will be seriously limited by short operating range and long refueling times...things that are not a problem with internal combustion powered cars.

Otto MCR wrote:Its like a Versa had intercourse with a Prius.

... that's exactly what I said when I first saw it ... with pretty much the same reaction ...I'm trying not to notice it's "fish face."

No, this generation of EV's won't be the answer, but they're a good first step for people who want it. I would never get rid of the Camel in favor of a Leaf, but I might add one to my driveway...

In Europe, they're talking about leasing the Leaf battery for $150 per month instead of including the battery in the cost of the car. The gas for my commute (currently) is about $115 per month (if gas stays around $2.50) so the $150 would cost more. Then again, the battery leasing won't fluctuate with jumping gas prices. Then there's the issue of the extra electricity usage... Here electricity is pretty cheap, but I can't brain enough to figure out how much that would cost per month. Plus, that's 50 miles a day no longer going onto the Camel... 1,075 miles a month. So there's 1/5 of an oil change (which I usually pay around $27 for... so $5.40) and additional wear and tear on the Camel due to parking garages... I hate parking garages... so freaking much!

Then again, something money just can't buy... I certainly can't afford a Leaf and the Camel currently (plus a house) ... but if I could, I'd likely get a Leaf. My reasons would be 1) to give the Camel a break (just passed 66k and I'm barely half-way to year three), 2) to support EV technology and development, and 3) because it'll make me squeel and dance like a little girly... I'll admit it.

But as I'm sitting here in the store and we've had no traffic (even though everybody has encouraged and asked us to be open on Sundays) I'm not seeing me having the money for a Leaf at the end of 2010... at this point I'll just be happy to still have a store...

It looks like a fish or a frog. It's interesting but I would never drive it, total chick car. Plus, I'm sure its going for around 30k I like the whole electric, plug-it-in type of car, which may have some good advantages..

KingNub wrote:in the end is electrical power better than gas?mining the resources for the batteries destroys the ecosystem around it and than you have to burn coal or oil to get your poweror nuclear or windmill or that wave thingbut the large percentage of the energy we use is coal/oilso these are no more environmentally friendly than any of our conventionally powered petrol vehicles

its more of a shift of where the pollution takes place not really eliminating it at all

(on a side note i cant help but like how it looks :3 reminds me of the fit or maybe an old suzuki alto vaguely anyways XD)

Let's make sure we're comparing apples to apples here. Doesn't drilling for oil often destroy the ecosystem around the drill site as well, even effecting sites nowhere near the oil well sometimes? How many oil spills have we seen over the years?

Yes, a large portion of the United States electrical energy is generated from coal or gas which does pollute, but recent objective studies have shown that, even from current sources, the net pollution would be significantly less with electric cars. Besides, with electric cars there is the opportunity to increasingly supply power from renewable resources like solar, wind, and hydro. It is IMPOSSIBLE to supply power to a gasoline powered vehicle from renewable resources.

Additionally, by using electricity, reliance on foreign sources of power are greatly reduced or totally eliminated.

So, in my humble opinion, electrical power is better than gasoline in three ways:- Electric cars are less expensive to operate and maintain.- Electric cars are friendlier to the environment, even when you account for the source, transmission, storage, and usage of the power.- Electric cars reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

relytgerg wrote:
but recent objective studies have shown that, even from current sources, the net pollution would be significantly less with electric cars. Besides, with electric cars there is the opportunity to increasingly supply power from renewable resources like solar, wind, and hydro. It is IMPOSSIBLE to supply power to a gasoline powered vehicle from renewable resources.

i dont care what kind of objective studies you looked at, it is impossible to measure opportunity cost with oil on an enviromental standpoint. you cannot measure per say the effects of future oil spills that haven't happened and things of those nature. there is no hard evidence of a significant difference. if you ask me, they are both just as bad as the next, and if electric powered is a bit better, it's marginal. I honestly think that there are still other alternatives that without enough r&d, they can become much more efficient than either of these. take hydrogen power for example.

relytgerg wrote:
So, in my humble opinion, electrical power is better than gasoline in three ways:- Electric cars are less expensive to operate and maintain.- Electric cars are friendlier to the environment, even when you account for the source, transmission, storage, and usage of the power.- Electric cars reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

100% electric cars are not less expensive to maintain. find me one good mechanic to work on them, especially for a normal price. also, how often do you drive by a recharging station on your daily commute?the only true measurements show electric cars are marginally friendlier to the environmentand there are other ways to reduce our dependency on foreign oil, like say...oh i dunno...maybe start using our own damn oil. but again, my real argument is that we steer away from both gas and electric powered vehicles. i never ever ever ever ever thought i'd ever say this, but honda has the right idea with the clarity. unfortunately, they still cost so damn much to make they are subsidizing most of the cost right now. but just as with any other technology, with enough r&d they will find a way to reduce cost, increase efficiency, and find better more enviromentally friendly ways to obtaining the hydrogen power (which actually seems like it'll be the easiest feat).

now onto the topic of being real. this car would ONLY be good for the local commuter. not in a city though, as local commuters in cities use public transportation. it's good for local commuters in small towns. how big is this market segment in all actuality? now lets add another factor in: most of this segment are usually younger adults and teenagers, as they work around town close to home. how many of them do you think can afford this car? and how many will actually 'want' this car. i think they can afford, and would prefer, cars like the 240sx, Z cars, Altima coupe, etc. it would be 100% impossible to travel either if you decided to. i don't think that's anywhere near worth the value.

now where i am, for my daily commute it would be fine, but what if i wanted to hit the city one night. i'm not gonna drive to a bar/club, and then first have to charge my car for 30 min before i go in (assuming there will be these high capacity charging stations, otherwise it's an 8 hour wait!!!!), because im sure as hell not waiting til afterwards. what if i meet someone while im there. am i gonna tell some girl i just picked up that they gotta wait 30 min before we can go? (or 8 hours? lol i would just hope we can stay at her place for the night then)

or

say you spend the 30 minutes to charge it 80%. that's only 80 miles you'll get out of it. so say i decide i want to go home for thanksgiving to visit my mom. its about 320 miles. i would drive 100 miles on my initial full charge, have to stop for 30 minutes, drive 80 more miles, stop for another 30 min, etc etc. by the time i get there, what's normally a 4 hour drive with no stops just became a 5.5 hr drive with 3 30 minute stops. that's absolutely retarded. and this is all assuming there will be charging stations along the way.

this is the least applicable automobile to ever be made. it's strictly for a small niche market segment and that's it. i honestly don't know why nissan would bother.

MinisterofDOOM wrote:Yes, but there's more to it than that.

Electric motors are significantly more efficient than internal combustion motors. But petroleum fuel is a more energy-dense energy STORAGE medium. So the choices are lots of energy capacity but inefficient, or very little energy energy capacity but very efficient. Until we can improve significantly on battery technology, electric cars will be seriously limited by short operating range and long refueling times...things that are not a problem with internal combustion powered cars.

until they can seriously improve battery tech, cars like this are 95% pointless. that sums up everything i wanted to say in one line.

but just outta curiosity, what's your standpoint on diesel fuel and efficiency?

Diesel has a lot of great qualities from a fuel/energy storage perspective, and from a powerplant perspective. But the US vehicle and petroleum markets and infrastructures make it impractical. A LOT of things would need to change before diesel cars could become realistically beneficial over gasoline counterparts. Some of those things are BIG things that are involved in more industries than just automobiles. The predominant form of petroleum cracking in the US is a huge one. Another is the automotive world's habit of putting markups on diesel variants of cars. The former is hard to change...so many things depend on how things are. The latter is easier to change.But recent stringent federal fuel standards and emissions laws have really taken diesel a long way back in terms of fuel economy and cost benefits. Diesel cars used to be appealing in their simplicity. Now, diesels have more emissions garbage crammed under the hood than gasoline cars. It impairs power production and thus efficiency. So the fuel economy margin has decreased while there has been little change in the pricing difference. Unless diesel fuel prices were to fall to somewhere around the price of regular grade gasoline (something that would require switches in cracking techniques) diesel cars will never be a realistic practical solution as far as fuel economy. You end up paying the same or even a little more in most cases because the fuel costs outweigh the fuel consumption benefits. Some rarities like the diesel Rabbit exist, but even that is hampered by the cost of fuel.

One interesting thing to consider is that if we WERE able to switch large portions of our refining industry over to diesel-oriented cracking processes and reduce the cost of diesel fuel, the majority of our commercial transportation infrastructure would benefit hugely. Diesel trains, buses, trucks. But it's a big change that would require money investment in addition to sending ripples into countless industries.

DroptopDrifting wrote:
if electric powered is a bit better, it's marginal. I honestly think that there are still other alternatives that without enough r&d, they can become much more efficient than either of these. take hydrogen power for example.

If electric powered is marginally better, then as an emerging technology, it is only going to continue to improve to the point where it is significantly better.

I think there may be a future for hydrogen power. I will continue to follow this technology with interest. Areas of concern, as have been mentioned in this forum, include the environmental aspects and the well to wheel cost. How is hydrogen going to be produced stored and delivered? What will this cost. If you're concerned about the delivery infrastructure for electricity, it is all but non-existent for hydrogen. One might also note that most hydrogen powered vehicles are electric vehicles using the hydrogen in a fuel cell to provide power.

DroptopDrifting wrote:
100% electric cars are not less expensive to maintain. find me one good mechanic to work on them, especially for a normal price.

I guess we can agree to disagree on this point. Electric cars are less expensive to maintain because they are simpler with vastly fewer moving parts. There are no oil changes, no cooling systems maintenance, no exhaust system maintenance, no fuel filters, oil filters, air filters. The list goes on and on. Granted, at first knowledgeable mechanics will be more difficult to find and may charge a premium, but as with any new technology, maintenance and repair costs will go down over time.

DroptopDrifting wrote:
how often do you drive by a recharging station on your daily commute?...this car would ONLY be good for the local commuter. not in a city though, as local commuters in cities use public transportation. it's good for local commuters in small towns. how big is this market segment in all actuality? now lets add another factor in: most of this segment are usually younger adults and teenagers, as they work around town close to home. how many of them do you think can afford this car? and how many will actually 'want' this car. i think they can afford, and would prefer, cars like the 240sx, Z cars, Altima coupe, etc. it would be 100% impossible to travel either if you decided to. i don't think that's anywhere near worth the value.

now where i am, for my daily commute it would be fine, but what if i wanted to hit the city one night. i'm not gonna drive to a bar/club, and then first have to charge my car for 30 min before i go in (assuming there will be these high capacity charging stations, otherwise it's an 8 hour wait!!!!), because im sure as hell not waiting til afterwards. what if i meet someone while im there. am i gonna tell some girl i just picked up that they gotta wait 30 min before we can go? (or 8 hours? lol i would just hope we can stay at her place for the night then)

or

say you spend the 30 minutes to charge it 80%. that's only 80 miles you'll get out of it. so say i decide i want to go home for thanksgiving to visit my mom. its about 320 miles. i would drive 100 miles on my initial full charge, have to stop for 30 minutes, drive 80 more miles, stop for another 30 min, etc etc. by the time i get there, what's normally a 4 hour drive with no stops just became a 5.5 hr drive with 3 30 minute stops. that's absolutely retarded. and this is all assuming there will be charging stations along the way.

We can agree on this point. An all-electric vehicle is not for everyone and not for every purpose. If you're concerned about range, the time it takes to recharge, and the availability of charging stations, perhaps you should consider the Chevy Volt. I know - too expensive. An all electric vehicle is a great commuter car. With a range of 100 miles this vehicle would meet the commuting needs of the vast majority of Americans with no additional charging infrastructure beyond plugging in at home. Longer trips would have to be completed by other means; your second vehicle, bus, train, plain, rental car, etc. What you choose would depend on your own situation and the frequency of long distance travel. I would not recommend an all electric vehicle if it was your only vehicle.

DroptopDrifting wrote:
there are other ways to reduce our dependency on foreign oil, like say...oh i dunno...maybe start using our own damn oil.

We are using all of our own oil that we can produce and clearly it's not enough. Even if we produced more, it is a finite resource. We will one day run out. As it gets harder to find remaining supplies, gasoline will get increasingly expensive. Electricity is already being produced from clean renewable sources. These sources provide an unlimited future supply. They have been increasing as a source of our national energy supply and will continue to do so. So, as the technology behind electric vehicles continues to improve, the generation of electricity to power them will continue to get cleaner. The net result will be that electric powered vehicles will rapidly reduce our generation of greenhouse gases.

Okay, first thoughts, it looks like a catfish. Also, from all the views I've seen so far, the back side just looks wrong to me. But I've signed up to see it in San Jose on 12/3, so I'll withhold judgment until then.

On the positive side, it looks like the largest capacity electric coming out reasonably soon and at a (planned) affordable price. By largest capacity I mean the about of load it will carry. That is what may sell me on owning a Leaf...

relytgerg wrote:We are using all of our own oil that we can produce and clearly it's not enough. Even if we produced more, it is a finite resource. We will one day run out. As it gets harder to find remaining supplies, gasoline will get increasingly expensive. Electricity is already being produced from clean renewable sources. These sources provide an unlimited future supply. They have been increasing as a source of our national energy supply and will continue to do so. So, as the technology behind electric vehicles continues to improve, the generation of electricity to power them will continue to get cleaner. The net result will be that electric powered vehicles will rapidly reduce our generation of greenhouse gases.

You're joking right??? The US government has been reserving our own oil for decades! Tell me how much sense it makes to drill our own oil while we have people in the middle east practically giving it away. Let's not even get started on the greenhouse debate. Just imagine the tonnes of gases that will have to be produced by coal factories working at 200% because of the increased electricity demand from electric cars. Not worth it imo, there has to be another way...

Hi all,
I've recently hired a nissan leaf from http://www.centralcontracts.com/ hope this is of some use.
Katie