Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. of Japan offered media people a chance to test-drive its "Leaf" electric vehicle (EV), slated for release in December 2010. In addition to demonstrating its handling performance, Nissan also revealed the range of actions taken to resolve the various problems of the EV.
The outstanding impression after the drive was that the car was so quiet you couldn't feel the acceleration. Road noise and even wind noise have been cut, and total quiet is on a level with high-class engine vehicles. Even at speeds of up to 100km/h, total noise was still on a level with a standard volume-production engine vehicle running at 60km/h.
Nissan Motor plans to release a succession of EVs through 2013, starting with the Leaf, then a commercial vehicle, a compact two-seater, and a sporty model. By 2012 the firm plans to have a production stance capable of turning out 200,000 units a year. The onboard Li-ion rechargeable batteries will be manufactured in Japan, the US, Portugal, the UK and France, under current plans (Fig.1). Annual battery module unit production will reach 500,000 units, with supplies also going to Renault of France.
The Leaf mounts a 24kWh Li-ion rechargeable battery and is capable of driving at least 160km on a charge. This is still only about a third the distance that an engine vehicle gets on a single tank, though. The Leaf has been provided with a variety of measures to alleviate user worries about running out of power and recharging.
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