Nissan
- Luigi
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Nissan
http://www.pddnet.com/news-nissans-new- ... ar-080309/
I'll pass!
-Luigi
YOKOHAMA, Japan (AP) — Nissan Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn made a quiet entrance Sunday at the Japanese automaker's new headquarters building — driving the company's zero-emission vehicle on stage for its inaugural public viewing.
Nissan Motor Co.'s environmentally friendly automobile — a blue hatchback with a sporty design and a recharging opening in the front — is set to go on sale in Japan, the U.S. and Europe next year.
Designer Shiro Nakamura said the vehicle was intentionally 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.
The car has a range of 100 miles (160 kilometers) on a single battery charge, according to Nissan. The company is targeting initial annual production of 50,000 units for the Leaf at its Oppama plant in Yokohama, including export models.
Ghosn drove out on stage with former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi sitting next to him, and a Yokohama governor and mayor in the rear seats.
"This car represents a real breakthrough," Ghosn told reporters and guests in the new headquarters' showroom.
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.
Nissan, Japan's No. 3 automaker, which has an alliance with Renault SA of France, has fallen behind Japanese rivals Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. in gas-electric hybrids that have become increasingly popular recently.
Nissan said the new 22-story headquarters was designed to be energy-efficient to qualify as one of the most ecological buildings in Japan. The company, which is losing money amid the global downturn, is selling its old Tokyo headquarters as part of efforts to cut costs.
Koizumi said environmentally friendly auto technology holds the 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."
Nissan received a $1.6 billion loan from the U.S. Department of Energy to modify its Tennessee-based plant to produce electric vehicles and batteries to power them, with production starting in 2012.
Other carmakers, including U.S.-based Tesla Motors, are also racing to make electric automobiles.
In June, Nissan's smaller Japanese rival, Mitsubishi Motors Corp., launched its electric vehicle, the 4.59 million yen ($48,300) i-MiEV. The company has acknowledged that may be too expensive for most consumers.
Toyota has said it plans to sell electric vehicles in the U.S. by 2012. Chinese automaker Dongfeng Motor Corp. has teamed up with a Dutch-based company to develop and make electric cars.
Ghosn said Nissan's electric vehicle will get a boost from the interest of governments around the world, adding tougher emissions regulations were expected to increase market share of such cars to 5 percent. Hybrid models only make up about 2 percent of the auto market now, he said.
- Luigi
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Re: Nissan
From AutoBlogGreen
Is the Nissan Leaf battery pack under-engineered?
Although many have expressed a strong preference for having the cost of the battery pack included in the price of their electric auto, might a separate leasing arrangement be a more prudent approach? Darryl Siry certainly seems took think so, at least when it comes to the Nissan Leaf. In his latest writings for Wired, the former Tesla Motors mouthpiece has expressed some doubts that the Japanese manufacturer's power supply will be up to the task for the long term. And he may well have a point.
It all comes down to the Leaf's power pack lacking an active thermal management system, relying instead on a passive cooling set-up which, essentially, relies on a single fan to distribute heat evenly throughout the interior of the pack. If heat is not effectively dispersed, it may lead to early degradation of overall energy capacity and a premature shortening of the vehicle's range. Nissan's director of product planning for the U.S. Mark Perry responded by saying:
We don't need thermal management for the U.S., but we are looking at the technology for Dubai and other locations like that.... We've gone on the record saying that the pack has a 70 to 80 percent capacity after 10 years.
While that sounds somewhat reassuring, an earlier conversation with a product planner lower down the totem pole left Siry with the impression that the company had gone with the passive design because of packaging concerns rather than sound engineering determination. He contrasts the approach taken in the Leaf to the active liquid temperature control design in the Chevrolet Volt and suggests that Leaf buyers opt for battery leasing to avoid potential longer-term short comings. Read the complete article for yourselves and let us know whether this issue affects your attitude about battery leasing.
[Source: Wired]
Is the Nissan Leaf battery pack under-engineered?
Although many have expressed a strong preference for having the cost of the battery pack included in the price of their electric auto, might a separate leasing arrangement be a more prudent approach? Darryl Siry certainly seems took think so, at least when it comes to the Nissan Leaf. In his latest writings for Wired, the former Tesla Motors mouthpiece has expressed some doubts that the Japanese manufacturer's power supply will be up to the task for the long term. And he may well have a point.
It all comes down to the Leaf's power pack lacking an active thermal management system, relying instead on a passive cooling set-up which, essentially, relies on a single fan to distribute heat evenly throughout the interior of the pack. If heat is not effectively dispersed, it may lead to early degradation of overall energy capacity and a premature shortening of the vehicle's range. Nissan's director of product planning for the U.S. Mark Perry responded by saying:
We don't need thermal management for the U.S., but we are looking at the technology for Dubai and other locations like that.... We've gone on the record saying that the pack has a 70 to 80 percent capacity after 10 years.
While that sounds somewhat reassuring, an earlier conversation with a product planner lower down the totem pole left Siry with the impression that the company had gone with the passive design because of packaging concerns rather than sound engineering determination. He contrasts the approach taken in the Leaf to the active liquid temperature control design in the Chevrolet Volt and suggests that Leaf buyers opt for battery leasing to avoid potential longer-term short comings. Read the complete article for yourselves and let us know whether this issue affects your attitude about battery leasing.
[Source: Wired]
- Luigi
- 15-PSI
- Posts: 1766
- Joined: Wed Aug 27, 2008 3:31 pm
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Re: Nissan
See http://www.nissanusa.com/leaf-electric-car/#/car/intro
Latest posted answers by @NissanEVs
Top questions
Q:If I want to "prewire" a new home for a future Leaf owner, what is required?
A:A home assessment will be part of the buying process. Sign up now to learn more when it's available.
Q:Will the "engine compartment" just contain the smaller electric motor or is there the potential for more trunk space?
A:There is no front cargo space, but we are working to maximize interior and cargo space elsewhere.
Q:how long will the battery remained charged if you leave it parked where you cannot charge it
A:This depends on factors like ambient temperature, age of the battery, etc.
Q:Is the home charging station weatherproof
A:A weatherproof charging station will be made available.
Q:is the leaf going to have the zero emission logo on it
A:Current plan is to include a zero emissions badge, but not the big body graphic.
Q:Is there a timeline for the development of sufficient "charging station" infrastructure to make this competitive with ICEs?
A:We're working all the time on developing infrastructure. By the time of mass-production, much of it will be in place.
Q:since the battery is on the front, is there something (reliable) protecting it in case of a collision
A:The battery is actually located under the seats. It has been tested for impact safety.
Q:When plugging the car in will it be possible that the car would be "smart"enough to pull electricity during non peak hours?
A:You can program the car to charge whenever you like. Most people will charge overnight at off-peak times.
Q:Will the Leaf have some sort of WiFi capabilites, since the IT tech will be able to assist in navigation?
A:The LEAF uses a cellular-type network. There is no WiFi capability at the moment.
Q:how much torque does the leaf have?
A:The exact specs of the LEAF are still under development. It does, however, have 100% torque at 0 RPM!