First family electric car from Nissan
03.08.2009 - Keith Collantine
(5)
Nissan is to sell an all-electric car which can seat five and cover 100 miles on a single charge. The Leaf will go on sale in Britain in 2012. It will be available in Japan and the United States next year.
It uses an electric motor powered by lithium-ion batteries, meaning it emits no CO2 while in use. As a result it will be exempt from vehicle tax and the London congestion charge.
The Leaf has a top speed of more than 90 mph. Nissan estimates the car's batteries - located under the seats and floor - can be charged to 80% of their capacity in 30 minutes.
A full charge takes eight hours, but these figures are based on a US-style 200V outlet - with more powerful 240V UK outlets charging should be quicker.
Among the features used to keep energy use to a minimum are the LED headlights, which consume one tenth of the power used by conventional bulbs. The aerodynamics of the car are designed to make it cut through the air as cleanly as possible.
The Leaf and its lithium-ion batteries will be manufactured in Japan, but Nissan says it is planning to produce some of its batteries in the UK.
Nissan has not confirmed the price of the Leaf but describes it as "competitively priced in the range of a well-equipped C-segment vehicle" meaning a likely price tag of around £20,000.
