Nissan LEAF News

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.

Electric vehicles are hampered by limited range and the slow process of recharging their batteries. But rather than wait for the infrastructure to be established, car companies are forging ahead with plans for electric vehicles.In the next couple of years our market will see electric vehicles from Mitsubishi, Nissan and GM.So what do motorists do about charging them? Most batteries take about eight hours to fully charge on 240-volt mains power and have a range below 200km, which means they need recharging almost daily. Even quick-charging high-voltage solutions can take up to 30 minutes to get a battery up to 80 per cent charge.Motorists are used to fuelling the tank on their internal combustion engines at a convenient service station in about five minutes, so having to stop for half an hour would be a huge impost.Nissan, whose Leaf electric hatchback goes into production next year and will arrive here in 2011, believes motorists will have to change the way they live with their vehicle, but can still enjoy convenient motoring.There are several options for recharging electric vehicles such as mains trickle charging, quick-charging stations and even battery replacement facilities. Which solution emerges as the most popular will be much like the 1980s battle between VHS and Beta technology or the current DVD versus Blue-Ray.Nissan global zero emissions business unit general manager Hideaki Watanabe says he doesn't care which option wins, but believes all could succeed and live together. "It will be a race between all the options. There could be some other new solutions for infrastructure as well," he said. "It may depend on which one becomes mature first and which one the customers want."He sees a future with electric vehicles as a blend of these solutions with mains trickle charging at home overnight when electricity charges are low and top-up quick charges in public places such as shopping centre carparks throughout the day. "Some retailers are showing an interest in EV," he said."Malls are interested in providing the infrastructure to keep people shopping longer. Maybe shops will offer discounts on charging if they buy products from them like they do now with parking charges."However, he said the industry also needed government help with establishing infrastructure as well as providing incentives for motorists to go electric such as reduced stamp duty and registration, priority lanes, parking concessions and education of the public. "You have to give some benefits to people to switch to electricity," he said.He isn't concerned with the criticism that vehicles powered by electricity from coal-fired power stations — such as in Australia — only shift the emissions from the street to the factory. "I don't care about how the electricity is generated," he said. "It's like the chicken and the egg. Do we wait for environmentally friendly electricity generation infrastructure or not?"I believe we have a responsibility to introduce a zero emission vehicle now. If we introduced the zero emission vehicle then people and governments and the private sector will do their part to provide zero-emission power."

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.