Nissan gives electric car the go ahead

Battery-powered four-door hatchback unveiled in Japan.

By Andrew English Published: 4:47PM BST 05 Aug 2009
Nissan's new electric car broke cover this week in Japan, with European sales expected to start next year.
Launched by Renault Nissan boss, Carlos Ghosn, the Nissan Leaf is a lithium-ion battery-powered, four-door family hatchback that will cost a similar amount to a conventional C-segment car of the same size; think Nissan Qashqai, which costs between £14,000 and £22,000.
Nissan's plan is to sell the car but merely rent the battery pack. It claims that when all additional costs are factored in, the cost of running the Leaf will be 20 per cent less than that of an equivalent petrol-powered car.
The 24kWh battery is made by Nissan partner NEC and is a sandwich construction mounted under the Leaf's seats and floor giving a range of more than 100 miles and a recharging time using a domestic 200-volt supply of less than eight hours.
The 80kW/206lb ft motor delivers a maximum speed in excess of 90mph. Nissan claims that 14ft 6in long Leaf has been designed with a new chassis floorpan to take advantage of the packaging qualities of its electric driveline. The Leaf will be built in Japan and eventually Tennessee in the US.
While Nissan has earmarked its Sunderland plant for lithium-ion battery production, it remains tight-lipped about whether the plant will built electric cars as well.
• Sister company Renault will be launching a range of electric vehicles at the Frankfurt motor show in September using the same technology as the Nissan Leaf.