Nissan LEAF 2013 News

...that previews a number of ‘green’ technologies, with particular focus on electric vehicles (EVs). The EV and Green Technologies Showcase is jointly sponsored by the Department of Business and Innovation and the Department of Transport, with support from the Federation of Automotive Products Manufacturers. The Victorian Minister for Manufacturing, Export and Trade, the Hon Richard Dalla-Riva MLC presented the EV and Green Technologies Showcase to about 70 international automotive visitors as part of the 2011 Automotive Week activities. There are 14 participants involved in the showcase, with three EVs as the centrepiece of the exhibit – the Nissan LEAF, EDay’s E15 and the Mitsubishi i-MiEV. These three vehicles are all participants in the Victorian Government’s EV Trial. The three EVs are supported by 11 Victorian-based component suppliers and R&D organisations, highlighting the excellent range of Victorian designed and engineered green technologies. There’s also an opportunity for AIMS attendees to test drive the Mitsubishi i-MiEV and Nissan LEAF. Interested patrons should visit the Mitsubishi and/or Nissan stands where they will be given a token to take to the Test Drive event reception in the foyer. Australian International Motor Show event director Russ Tyrie says the government showcase is an example of the technology focus at this year’s show. “With the amount of spectacular technology on show at this year’s event, a display like the EV and Green Technologies Showcase is a perfect complement. “Motor shows these days are as much about educating visitors as about exciting them,” he said. “This showcase exhibits the sort of cutting-edge technology – like super lightweight wheels and manufacturing materials – that Australian companies are currently working on, while highlighting ‘green’ cars that the government is genuinely looking to introduce to its everyday operations.” For more information on the EV trials, click on the Department of Transport’s website: http://www.transport.vic.gov.au/evtrials The Australian International Motor Show runs through until Sunday 10 July at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. For all of the latest news and information surrounding the Australian International Motor Show, follow @themotorshow on Twitter.

….were handed to the Victorian Government at the Melbourne Motor Show today. The Leaf EVs will be trialled over five years with the cars in 180 households for three months at a time. Nissan boss Dan Thompson says he hopes it will be the beginning of similar co-operation with other governments around Australia ahead of the launch of the Leaf early next year. "It's important to get feedback on what it's like to live with a 100 per cent electric vehicle," he says. The Leaf will be available early next year with a price tag a bit over $40,000. Nissan also showcased the fresh face of its 2012 Murano SUV, arriving in September. It features newly designed grille, bumper, headlights, 18-inch alloys, roof rails and the addition of rear privacy glass. They come with rain-sensing wipers, while the ST model adds fog lamps, Bose sound system, reversing camera and heated front seats as standard. The ST will cost $47,990 and the Ti $58,930.

China is clearly on top of the car world in 2011.

The carmaker has turned its electric Leaf into a race concept, the Leaf Nismo RC, revealed this week in New York.Nissan says it hits 100km/h in6.85 seconds and has a top speed of 150km/h. It can recharge up to 80 per cent capacity in 30 minutes, and has an estimated race running time of 20 minutes - which looks to make for some very short races or very long pit stops.Wrapped in a in a lowered lightweight carbon-fibre body, the lithium-ion battery pack, 80kW electric motor and inverter are mid-located, with drive to the rear wheels rather than the front as in the Leaf.Created at the Nissan Global Design Center in Japan, the concept's three-piece bodywork includes removable front and rear sections, fixed windows, LED headlights and taillights and driver-adjustable rear wing.It sits on a shorter wheelbase than the Leaf, but is slightly longer and wider - and about 35cm lower, with a ground clearance of just 6cm (10cm less than the production car). It also weighs 40 per cent less at about 940kg.

Nissan, which withdrew from car making in Australia in 1991 and has mostly flown under the radar since that time as a manufacturer of aluminium components, has just landed a massive deal that will protect the jobs and earn more than $150 million over the next five years. It won a global tender for cast aluminium parts for the company's new worldwide flagship, the battery-powered Leaf. It will earn more than $30 million a year by exporting three cast aluminium parts in the Leaf's inverter box, and is also tendering for a fourth piece. "We now have a very aggressive and growing business in Australia," says the head of Nissan Australia, Dan Thompson. "We've been able to compete with some very, very aggressive neighbours, whether that's Thailand, China or Mexico." Nissan Casting in Dandenong won the business, which will add more than $30 million a year to Australia's automotive exports until 2015. The new deal saved the Nissan factory at Clayton in Melbourne from closure and will provide the foundation for a local development program on aluminium accessories including bull bars for Nissan's four-wheel drives. Nissan stopped making the Pulsar at Clayton in 1991 - in a giant factory complex that now houses Holden Special Vehicles as one tenant - but its casting plant survives and has now been operating for more than 30 years. It gets a major update under the new deal, with $13 million for tooling and another $8 million for upgrading of the factory. Nissan also landed a $3.5 million bonus from the Federal government's Green Innovation Fund, which has since been chopped, to help fund the deal. Thompson admits the Dandenong casting plant was close to closure last year, but a change of management and the aggressive export drive has secured the jobs and kept the factory operating on three shifts, seven days a week. "Manufacturing in Australia has never been tougher," Thompson says.

Despite the fact it has not even gone on sale in its key markets it is a sell-out in the United States and Japan.  Nissan dealers in the US hold 13,000 pre-orders for the cars, with customers putting down $US99 refundable deposits to reserve a vehicle.  In Japan 6000 people have put deposits on cars. The plug-in Leaf goes on sale in both countries later this year and is due to hit local Nissan showrooms some time in 2012.  The company is aiming to sell 50,000 electric cars in the US, Europe and Japan next year.  It is currently installing fast-charging stations at all 2200 Nissan dealerships in Japan, which allows the car to be charged to 80 per cent capacity in 30 minutes. The Tiida-size Leaf hatch is the first of several Nissan and Renault EV vehicles planned.  By 2013, the company has plans to build eight electric vehicles, including sedans and commercial vehicles. Nissan has just announced pricing for the Leaf in Europe.  In most of its European launch markets it will cost under $45,000 after government incentives, about the same as a comparably-equipped diesel or hybrid car. The Leaf uses a lithium-ion electric motor to produce 80kW/280Nm. It has a range of about 160km and top speed of 140km/h.  The Nissan-Renault chief executive officer, Carlos Ghosn, told the Detroit Economic Club last week that it wants to sell 500,000 electric cars by 2012. However, some critics argue that he is being overly optimistic, given obvious shortcomings of pure-EV cars like their higher cost and range compared to conventional petrol or diesel vehicles.  "We understand that when you go into innovation or new technology, some people are more bullish and some are more bearish," Ghosn says. "Five hundred thousand units is only 0.8 percent or 0.9 percent of the car market."  Ghosn is trying to sell more electric cars through both companies than the sales forecasts of its rivals. General Motors is aiming to built 45,000 of its Volt electric car, which also uses petrol, annually by 2012. California-based start-up Tesla Motors Inc, which already builds the electric Roadster, wants to sell about 20,000 of its Model S family sedan in 2012.

But Nissan boss, Dan Thompson, warns that without some level of government support Australian buyers could be forced to pay more than Japan or US buyers."We've just announced pricing in Japan and the US and they’re both around the mid-$30,000s and then with government incentives it’s about US$25,000," Thompson says."Certainly the whole strategy behind EV is to deliver an affordable proposition to the consumer. It's too early to talk about local pricing for Leaf but what you've seen in Japan and the US is very much aligned with global positioning and strategy for the car."Nissan Australia has signed memorandums of understandings with the ACT, NSW and Victoria governments to explore how best to adopt EV cars. Thompson is keen to get federal support too.

Showing a prototype of the zero-emissions vehicle – due to go on sale in 2012 – in Sydney today,  Nissan Australia managing director and CEO Dan Thompson was coy about the car’s predicted price but said the federal government's involvement is critical to the financial proposition for the Leaf. "The Leaf will come with more spec than a low-end small car, for us it's about delivering that with the help of government incentives,” Thompson says."The car will come in 2012 – but the biggest task for us is to get much better traction with governments.  "We are working with NSW and Victoria, as well as the other states and the FCAI, but the federal government's support is critical. "We've had discussions at the federal level, but it's fair to say the states have been much more active in putting the discussions into action," he says.  Nissan Motor Company senior vice-president Andy Palmer is in Australia with the Nissan Leaf electric car – its first appearance in the southern hemisphere – and said the top end of the small car segment price range is where they want to see the car. "Our intention is basically the car itself is equal in cost to a normal C-segment car like a Tiida, the battery would then be leased, plus the charging cost would be less than the petrol of a normal car," Palmer says.  Palmer is in Australia to highlight the future of electric cars but agrees the company needs the support of government to make it happen. "To bring the vehicle here en masse we need the support of the federal and regional governments – here we're saying’ all the stars are in the right direction to bring EVs to Australia, now give us a hand’ – we're not making any money on this in the first instance.  "To make it affordable, we want to promote that but that's where we need the help of the government," he said. Palmer says Australia is well-suited to electric cars if people can make use of an electric vehicle with a range of 160km.  "There are many two-car families, one electric and one internal combustion (in each household) makes sense. A lot of cars here are stored in off-street parking in garages, which makes sense for charging. "One of the reasons for coming here with the car is to start the dialogue with governments, to make them aware that we have the solution at the vehicle level, now what we need the solution at the level of incentives and at the level of infrastructure," he says.  Nissan cites Ireland and the US as examples of pro-active subsidies for electric car customers, including free installation of the home-charging system to the first 2000 Irish customers, with a 5000 Euro rebate; while the US government has promised a $7500 rebate. Nissan Leaf electric car Body: Five-door hatchSeats:  five.Range: up to 160kmPowertrain: aminated lithium-ion 48-module (containing 192 cells) battery system.Outputs: 80kW/280NmCharging timer and information available via Bluetooth phone link.The climate control can be programmed via Bluetooth.10 minute fast charge can restore up to 50km of range; 30-minute fast-charge can restore 80 per cent of the battery's charge. Charging timer and information available via Bluetooth phone link.

... but have not been commercially viable or acceptable to the mass market because of limited battery technology. Nissan built its first electric vehicle, the Tama, with a lead-acid battery in 1947 before switching to using nickel-metal hydride batteries. The Japanese company started research and development into battery technology in 1992 with cobalt-based, cylindrical batteries. It later switched to cheaper and lighter manganese and then flat laminated lithium-ion batteries. Nissan battery pack design chief Sadao Miki said the company's development of lithium-ion batteries was the key to future electric vehicles. Company product planner Andy Palmer said the ‘breakthrough’ was the lithium-ion technology. "The battery is our piece de resistance," he said. Nissan's first electric car with lithium-ion batteries was the Prairie Joy SUV in 1996. The original Prairie EV was on show at the international launch of Nissan's new electric vehicle in Yokohama on Sunday. It was used by the Japanese government at the North Pole as an observation vehicle for three years and featured Japan's first non-contact charging system using magnetic induction technology rather than physically plugging into a mains outlet or charging station. It had a range of 200km and a power output of 62kW. The company has since produced the Altras and Hypermini electric vehicles and in 1997 established the Automotive Energy Supply Corporation in a joint partnership to produce lithium-ion batteries. The Leaf electric vehicle will be produced next year with two more electric vehicles to follow before the second generation of the Leaf. Palmer would not say what segment the other electric vehicles would fit into, but he ruled out large vehicles because of weight issues.

The Japanese company has opened its new global headquarters in Yokohama and unveiled the new platform on which its first production electric vehicles will be based. Nissan has been developing its electric vehicle program through a Tiida-based prototype with a compact lithium-ion battery under the floor. Nissan Australia senior corporate communications manager Jeffrey Fisher said the dedicated new electric vehicle to be unveiled today would go into production next year and be available in Australia in 2012. The electric vehicle features an IT system which integrates satellite navigation and the internet to ensure the car is always charged and available for use. This includes a display on the car’s satnav map that shows the maximum range of the vehicle for the current state of battery charge and the location of recharging stations within the range radius. It also features a timer function which will start the car’s airconditioner or battery charging at a specified time. The air-conditioner can be programmed to cool the cabin to a set temperature while the vehicle is being charged so that it doesn2t drain the vehicle's battery. Charging can be set to start at a specified time at night to benefit from cheaper electricity rates and can be programmed and monitored by mobile phone or the internet. A text message can be sent to the driver when the battery is fully charged and the vehicle is ready for use. The electric vehicle is powered by a Nissan-developed electric motor delivering 80kW of power and 280Nm of torque. The 24kWh laminated compact lithium-ion battery pack is housed under the floor so it doesn2t compromise cabin or cargo space. The battery layout also allows smooth air-flow under the car, reducing aerodynamic drag. While electric vehicles are quiet, Nissan’s model could be even quieter as the additional frame for the battery pack improves rigidity reducing vibration and external sounds. The electric vehicle uses a system of regenerative braking which recovers power from the brakes to recharge the battery as used in Toyota’s Prius hybrid car. Nissan claims the regenerative braking system extends the driving range to more than 160km, depending on how hard it is driven.