Nissan LEAF Test Drive and Review

Nissan LEAF Test Drive & Review-

Green Energy News had the recent pleasure of test driving the brand spankin' new, highly-anticipated zero emission vehicle (ZEV) developed by Nissan, dubbed LEAF - or Leading, Environmentally Friendly, Affordable, Family Car. Mark Perry, Director of Product Planning for Nissan North America, talks about the vision behind the Nissan LEAF and touches on it's eco-friendly features, cost/price, battery/charging information, and availability.

The LEAF we drove is a pre-production prototype... basically the production model. This is NOT a "mule" or the VERSA "shell" which was making a tour across the US earlier this year.

Design: Smooth lines, aerodynamic, and pleasing to look at. The LEAF might not be the most eye-catching car on the road, but we feel like it will appeal to most consumers in the compact car market. We saw it as a cross between a luxury crossover SUV (think Lexus RX 350), a Toyota Matrix, and the Nissan Versa.

Performance- The 107 HP (80kw) motor puts out 206 lb-ft of torque which is readily available at 0 MPH! We were more than surprised with the amount of pep the LEAF showed off the line. At moderate speeds (approx 45 MPH) the LEAF had NO problems passing other vehicles with minimal efforts. Towards the end of the video, you can see the LEAF accelerating into a right turn, reaching speeds of almost 50 MPH from a creeping start with ease. The LEAF is responsive and fun to drive. Is it a sportscar... NO! Is it more fun to drive than a traditional compact... BY FAR! Handling is wonderful- the lithium ion battery pack is center mounted under the vehicle creating even balance and sturdy handling. Try it for yourself... this thing is FUN to drive!

Price- $32,000 might be a little steep for us, but after $7,500 in federal rebates/incentives... the LEAF is right up our alley. With California giving us an additional $5,000 in rebates, the LEAF would be a steal at just under $20k! Considering the Chevy Volt is priced around $40k before rebates/incentives, and DOESN'T qualify for the additional $5k rebate in CA due to it's gasoline engine/generator, the LEAF looks like a solid deal.

FULL review available at Green Energy News (http://www.renewable-energy-news.info/ )

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• Nissan LEAF
• Nissan LEAF electric car
• Nissan LEAF cost
• Nissan LEAF test drive
• Nissan LEAF review
• EV
• zero emission vehicles
• Nissan LEAF price
• LEAF Nissan
• LEAF vs VOLT
• green cars
• 2011 Nissan LEAF
• plug-in
• Nissan
• LEAF
• lithium ion
• interior
• performance
• acceleration

[TheTurbinator]

I want one, really bad. But I don't want to be the person that runs out of battery power in the middle of the night, on the highway, in the middle of the winter. However, for city driving, this car beats out any other car in existence. The only cost here is the price of the car. ju buy the car, and that is the last money you will spend on it.

[johnpaulsialafau]

why didn't they think of this 10 years ago? Bloody dumbasses

[DowncastParadox]

@yuprulesing I don't question the existence of the quote, I question its credibility. Don't get me wrong, I'm not "against" the Leaf - if I could get one for free, I'd drive it (as opposed to selling it) - but I see it more as a prestige item for rich people who want to be "green" than anything else. The average joe can't afford a car worth $35k, hell, I can't even afford a car worth $20k - and if I could, it would be much more cost-effective than the Leaf (and almost as "green").

[yuprulesing]

@DowncastParadox Sorry for the double post, not enough characters. Also, the batteries are expect to last 10 years. I'm sorry, I don't keep my car for 10 years! Even if the batteries last 8 years, I'm still in the positive because gas prices keep going UP and UP and UP.

[yuprulesing]

@DowncastParadox This quote from 2011 says other wise (google for it): "There's been a lot of chatter online about tens of thousands of dollars or euros to replace a whole battery pack, but really you want to focus on the modules and these will be in the hundreds, not the thousands".

[DowncastParadox]

@yuprulesing Mark Perry, Nissan's chief product planner for North America, told The Wall Street Journal that the actual cost is a little less than $750 per kilowatt hour, bringing the total to just below $18,000. Even if you replace every module individually you'd still have to pay for all of them and it's not like you can just buy one per year and be fine - that's not how they work. Btw., 1 kW hour is just barely enough to power the Leaf for 3 miles.

[yuprulesing]

@DowncastParadox Oil companies have flooded FALSE rumors about the cost of the battery packs. The CEO of Nissan says it costs HUNDREDS of dollars to replace, not THOUSANDS. CEO DIRECT quote: There's been a lot of chatter online about tens of thousands of dollars or euros to replace a whole battery pack, but really you want to focus on the modules and these will be in the hundreds, not the thousands.

[DowncastParadox]

@TheTurbinator yeah... except no. You'll have to pay for the electricity to charge it AND you need to change the battery every 5-10 years which costs about $18,000 EACH.

[bored1980]

If you don't like it don't buy it. Keep paying for gas. I'm sure gas will get cheaper, right?

[vwiseman88]

@johnpaulsialafau the biggest reason was battery technology has recently just got to the point where there is reasonable range. the other big factor is building the commerce for things like this such as factory's, public reaction and understanding, etc. especially at a time when there where so many alternatives trying to hit the market.

[mattread1000]

I'll just wait till autumn when there falling from the sky.

[mikqaz666]

ask saabkyle to do a nissan leaf! HAHA!!