Nissan said Friday it will launch its Leaf electric vehicle in Japan on Dec. 20, in its first major step toward its goal of becoming a leader in the electric car market.
Nissan, Japan's second biggest car maker by volume, has been slow to enter the increasingly important market for fuel-efficient cars, lagging behind rivals such as Toyota Motor Corp., which has dominated the market with its hybrid gasoline-electric technology.
Nissan rolled out its first mass-market hybrid powered by its own technology, the Fuga, only last month.
But with the launch of the Leaf, Nissan joins Mitsubishi and Fuji Heavy Industries, the maker of Subaru-brand cars, as one of the few Japanese automakers to offer a fully electric car for the mass market, jumping ahead of major rivals like Toyota and Honda Motor Corp.
"The time has finally come," Toshiyuki Shiga, Nissan Chief Operating Officer, said at a press conference.
   |
Nissan has set the price for the Leaf at
Y3.76 million, and customers in Japan can
currently receive a government purchasing
subsidy of up to Y780,000 per vehicle. The
Leaf, which runs 200 kilometers on a single
charge, can be charged with equipment
installed at each of Nissan's 2,200 dealers
in Japan.
The Leaf will also debut in the U.S. this
month, and in Europe early next year. The
company said the new electric hatchback will
hit showrooms in other global markets in
2012.
Shiga said the company received 6,000
advance orders for the Leaf just two months
after it started taking them in April, and
has received 20,000 orders in the U.S.
Nissan is also taking orders in Europe,
though it declined to say how many it has
received so far.
If Nissan can keep up that kind of momentum,
the Leaf is likely to become one of biggest
sellers in its class--at least for a while.
Mitsubishi Motors plans to produce 9,000
units of its i-MiEV electric car--for both
domestic and overseas markets--in the
current fiscal year through March 2011, with
18,000 units planned for the following year
and 40,000 for the year ending March 2013.
Fuji Heavy, meanwhile, plans to sell only
400 units of its Stella electric mini car in
the two years through March 2011.
But competition in the sector is set to
intensify over the next few years as General
Motors Co. begins selling its Chevrolet Volt
this month, while Toyota will launch
electric vehicles in Japan, the U.S. and
Europe in 2012. Honda Motor Co. is also set
to launch battery-powered models in the U.S.
and Japan in 2012.
However, the relatively short driving ranges
of electric cars and the scarcity of
charging stations will likely prevent them
from taking a big slice of the mass market
anytime soon. Nissan itself thinks electric
cars will account for 10% of global vehicle
sales by 2020, but an estimate by JP Morgan
puts that figure closer to around 1% or 2%.
Nissan's COO said that about 80% of drivers
in Japan have an average daily range of 50
kilometers or less. The Leaf, therefore,
should be able to cover most drivers' needs
in terms of range, he said.
But with production costs for electric
models remaining high, Nissan's Shiga said
that the company's electric car business
will be profitable once it can cut costs and
increase sales volume, though he declined to
elaborate.
The Leaf is the first of four electric
models that Nissan plans to introduce by the
end of 2014, with later models to include a
luxury-class electric car.
Specifications
The Leaf uses a front-mounted electric motor
driving the wheels, powered by a 24kW·h/90
kW lithium ion battery pack. The expected
cruising range is the same as the EV-11
prototype, as is the engine. The battery
pack is made of air-cooled stacked modules.
Although an exact price has not been
announced, the car is expected to cost
somewhere between $25,000 and $33,000.
Performance
The car has a top speed of over 87 mph. The
battery can be charged with 440 Volt, 220
Volt and 110 Volt sources. With 440 Volts,
it can be charged to 80% capacity in about
30 minutes with a special quick charger that
sends 440/480 volt direct current to the
battery. With 220 Volt, it can be charged in
4 hours, and in North America and Japan
using standard household 110 Volt outlets it
can be charged in 8 hours.
Connected Mobility
Nissan Leaf will employ an advanced IT
system. Connected to a global data center,
the system provides support, information,
and entertainment for drivers 24 hours a
day. The dash-mounted monitor displays the
Leaf's remaining power, in addition to
showing a selection of nearby charging
stations. User’s mobile phones can be used
to turn on air-conditioning, the heater and
re-set charging functions even when the
vehicle is powered down. An on-board
remote-controlled timer can also be
pre-programmed to recharge batteries.
 |
|
| Manufacturer | Nissan |
|---|---|
| Production | 2010 |
| Assembly | Smyrna, Tennessee |
| Class | Electric car, Zero-emissions vehicle |
| Body style(s) | 5-door hatchback |
| Layout | FF layout |
| Engine(s) | synchronous motor |
| Wheelbase | 106.3 in (2700 mm) |
| Length | 175.0 in (4445 mm) |
| Width | 69.7 in (1770 mm) |
| Height | 61.0 in (1549.4 mm) |
| Fuel capacity | 24 kW·h (Li-ion battery) |
| Electric range | 100 mi (160 km) on the US LA-4 driving cycle . |
