All of the news on the Nissan LEAF has been promising. The LEAF is an all-electric 5-seater with 4 doors and a 100 mile range. After federal tax savings, the hatchback will cost just over $25,000 in the United States. Compared to other electric vehicles in testing or on the market, this price seems too good to be true. How did Nissan do it?
The LEAF vs. Mitsubishi’s i-MiEV
Along with the LEAF, Mitsubishi’s i-MiEV will be one of the first widely available electric vehicles. According to multiple sources, Nissan’s recent press release on the LEAF’s $25,000 price tag has sparked a price war with Mitsubishi. Mitsubishi responded with an announcement that it is aiming for a 2011 i-MiEV price tag of $22,500 after federal tax savings.
The Mitsubishi i-MiEV - Hot or not?
This price advantage over the LEAF is enticing, but the i-MiEV comes with more caveats, even though both electric vehicles offer a 100 mile range. First of all, the i-MiEV is only available with a right-hand side steering wheel, even in the United States. Secondly, the i-MiEV is rather ugly, in my opinion. It looks like a Smart car and seems like a minor improvement on an electric golf cart. Surprisingly, the Nissan LEAF is only slightly larger than the i-MiEV, but it much more closely resembles a highway-ready vehicle for some reason. Maybe it’s the small wheels on the i-MiEV that make it look less highway-ready.
The LEAF looks great and is available with a left-hand side steering wheel. Even though it will cost $2,500 more than the i-MiEV, the LEAF is a more attractive electric vehicle option to me.
The LEAF vs. the Chevy Volt
The Chevy Volt is also on schedule to be released at the end of the year, but the official price is yet to be determined. Will General Motors get pulled into the price war? They were initially aiming at a $32,500 price tag after federal tax savings, but now I think they will have to bring the price under $30,000. With the recent announcements by Nissan and Mitsubishi, I’m sure we’ll hear news on Volt pricing soon.
The main advantage that the Volt has over the LEAF and i-MiEV is that it has a backup gasoline engine. Therefore, this plug-in hybrid does not have range limitation (as long as there’s a gas station nearby). Initial testing has confirmed that the Volt will have a 40-mile all-electric driving range and then get 50 MPG afterwards.
The Chevy Volt Back Seat - Is it a Deal Breaker?
Even at $30,000, the Volt sounds equally promising as the LEAF, that is until I discovered that it only has two seats in the back (see image above). With the gasoline engine in the front, engineers were left with no room for the battery pack. Therefore, what looks like a nice center console in the back seat is actually the battery pack that runs through the middle of the car. To many families in the United States, the split back seat will be a deal breaker.
The LEAF is $25,000 and doesn’t seem to come with any of the caveats of the i-MiEV and Volt. How did Nissan do it?
First, Nissan is subsidizing the battery pack to hit their price point.
Second, most of us drive less than 20 miles per day (51% according to U.S. DOT) So charging once a day will not be an issue for most of us. If it is an issue – then the car may not be for you.
Third, I would much rather pay 5 cents per mile to a US power producer than pay large amounts to import oil.
Remember the first PC’s price and performance?
Remember the first cell phone battery cost and performance?
Now that we have started to electrify the transportation sector, good things will happen!
The Leaf will change the world – for the better.
So, if you’re stuck in traffic, due to an accident and the battery needs to be charged, where does one go and how long does it take to charge?
Presumably, if you are stuck in traffic your battery would not be working very hard because you aren’t going far. It’s the 100-mile range that matters. A key question is, how do all of the other things like lights and A/C affect the battery.
I found the answers…wouldn’t purchase the LEAF even though I’m in a small town. I think having to recharge a battery would be a major inconvenience!
Going to the gas station is also inconvenient. We have to make a choice between two inconveniences. I’d be great to have a car that doesn’t need to be brought to the gas station or plugged in.
Once you try it, you’ll see that charging the battery is a non-issue for daily use. Just plug it in when you get home, and you are freed from having to plan trips to the gas station!
Now, if you don’t have a “home base” to charge from (whether that’s home or work), then it might be more of an issue.
having driven an electric car for more then 15years. I find the gas station more of an inconvenience. with the electric you park your car at night walk aroung the front of the car connect the plug and in the morning it is full. the only time I go to the gas station is to buy coffee. Pretty convenient!
I look forward to the time when electric cars, cleanly generated power and a power infrastructure is in place that fits the general consumer modus operendi! Electric cars hold great promise, but the current versions have some real challenges as does the supporting infrastructure. Remember that most of our auto pollution and gas wasting commutes pertain to driving in major metropolitan areas and between them.
As mentioned above, the move towards any next generation is a series of steps that take time. Also, the 100-mile estimate is an optimal estimate. Remember the initial EPA gas mileage estimates and how the producers biased there performance number? The only time my 78′ Firebird got 20 mpg was drafting a semi-trailer at 55.
One thing that came to mind on the LEAF is that it is rumored to have only right side steering even for its U.S. model. Second, how far can any electric vehicle drive on a charge when 2-4 full size adults are in tow?…and with lights and other amenities turned on? Next, can any of these perform in the deep South during long (e.g., 20-50 miles) summer (e.g., 90-100+ degree, high humidity days) commutes with the A/C blasting? How about in the mountainous areas with serious elevation challenges? If they need to recharge while at work, where are the parking facilities that provide the recharge capability and at what cost (this is peak time and peak rates apply for power)? What happens when an owner is caught in an extended traffic jam and runs out of power? As of today, I have not seen a rapid charge capability nor have I heard of AAA and competitor services offering anything more than a tow. Battery life, replacement and disposal are also considerations. A high cost for the battery and any replacement as well as handling the disposal of environmentally hazardous battery materials is rarely discussed. It is for these reasons and more that the hybrid appears to be better economic choice in the near term for the majority. For the urban living and working commuter who has limited parking space and short commutes, the initial electric offerings are likely a great fit.
If you get the LEAF you will definitly want to get the 220V charger or else you will have it plugged into your standard 110V outlet from the time you get home from work until the morning when you leave for work. I live in Texas so I will have the A/C on with full fan speed and then the radio going to and if its raining the windshield wipers. Add head lights at night and that 100 miles is cut down drastically. I might find myself driving without head light just to make it home.
Being a Aggie Engineer, I do like the direction with EVs. No more oil and filter changes or transmission problems, A/C compressors, water pumps, starters, alternators, belts, air filter, fuel filter, etc…
lets see headlight 60w each tiallight 15w each thats 150watts drawn for 1hour is what? Now if you are drawing from a 22kWh scource turning off the headlights will save you a few feet in the over all range.
Good point, and I think they are LED light which mean even less watts.
Rick, What EV have you been driving for 15 years? Don’t get me wrong, I think EVs is a great thing, I even told myself to keep buying used cars until a good EV comes out.
I live in a town of 60,000. One can get from one side of town to the other in 15-20 minutes (10 miles of traffic or less).
If I were looking for a car, the Leaf would be perfect.
My gas mileage in town is about 10 mile/gal with all the start/stops throughout the week.
However, since my car is paid for, I will have to wait until it completely breaks down before I look to replace it.
I think that is going to be the largest obstacle to sales. People are holding on to their cars longer.
All are interesting as an engineering exercise – but is there an overwhelming consumer demand for pure electric cars in the USA? Seems philosophically at odds with American culture on a very fundamental level. The car is a freedom-machine. Having a car that tethers the driver to a plug seems like an extension of the growing nanny-state.
Paul,
You have obviously not driven an electric car over any period of time. Once you have, you will see that being tethered to the gas station is so last century and having the freedom to fill up in your own garage is a great breakthrough. You can even make your own fuel with solar panels and cut your reliance on big business for your daily transportation needs. You will never want to go back.
Jenn
I understand your personal attraction to electric cars and as a mechanical engineer who worked for quite a while in the battery industry I’m right with you. Question still stands where is the overwhelming market demand?
For price of a Prius I can buy two cars that get nearly the same mileage. Just like wind power – the technology is not financially viable without government support.
Your comment on reliance on big business is interesting too… who do you think is developing electric cars, batteries, etc? It’s a great marketing effort. If you want to buy one you certainly should be free to do so.
There are other directions that are equally as interesting. Energy content of liquid fuels is so much higher than electric drive packages. Rudolf Diesel 100+ years ago designed his engine originally to run on peanut oil – not petroleum. There are a host of companies around that offer conversions around to run diesel cars on vegtable fuels directly…check out frybrid, greasecar, etc.
My dad served in the Navy in WWII stationed in Guantanamo Bay Cuba. All the cars, trucks, trains there at that time were run on straight alcohol made from their sugar cane.
Another interesting effort is OSGV.org – Open Source Green Vehicle. This is an open source car development group made up of american aerospace folks and european car pros. Designed with modular power plant. Idea is to be able to easily swap out an electric drive, gas, or diesel. One highest mileage options is a hybrid diesel
We may be able to find a compromise however! How about a VW Passat TDI (turbo diesel) wagon hybrid with vegtable oil conversion! I’ll grow my own fuel.
This is ture and if you think you will by an electric to replace you ICE car then you will find that you will be going to 30% less places then you use to. As a commuter car it is perfect I driven 48 mile one way to work, with an ICE that is $54 every 4days, With the electric it is if I paid Full electric rates that is $28 every for days, put I get an EV rate that works out to $14 every days. So in a month of commuting I pay $324 in Fuel for the ICE car and at normial house electric rates i would pay $ 168, but at the EV electric rate I pay $84 that is a $240 amonth saving. I can lease a VW Jeta also and still save $50 a month and meet all my travaling needs.
But I dont pay $84 amonth because I have solar on my roof and it pays for itself.
I think we need to stopp this electric car talk somebody is going to loose money on it
“Compared to other electric vehicles in testing or on the market, this price seems too good to be true.” Unfortunately, you don’t have all of the pricing. It is true that Nissan has published a starting price of $25,000 – for the car itself. Hopefully you can actually buy one for that. However, they are also going to lease the batteries to you, at approximately $300 per month. Also, you need to buy their battery charger and have it installed into your house wiring (by their exclusive contractor) at an approximate cost of $2000. The installation pricing is vague and might be higher based upon your situation.
Be cautious about the “100 mile range”. That number was calculated during optimal condition tests. “Your mileage could vary”, especially during cold weather (that can cut it in half). We’ll know for sure when the early adopters field-test them.
It’s great that a major automobile manufacturer is taking the lead and getting a product to the public. I just hope that they’re not rushing it out the door too quickly, and promising too much. It will be big news (and a black eye for EVs) if Leafs don’t live up to the marketing.
Update — just found that Nissan has reconsidered the battery lease. It will be included into the price of the car, so it is not the large extra expense it first appeared to be.
Also, the price actually starts at $32,780. You might get the cost down to $25,000 if you qualify for the Federal tax credit (but it’s still up to $7500 out of your pocket until next tax season). California buyers might qualify for an additional $5000 in State encentives (again, repaid during next year’s tax filling).
It might be appropriate to reflect on past technology developments and remember that we must take baby steps first as we migrate into the all electric transportation era. The first four engine commercial jetliners were terribly inefficient and prolific polluters. After many years this transportation mode continues to become more efficient and cost effective. In really matters not which car is better, better looking or whatever, this is the infancy stage of a major shift in the way we commute by auto. First will be to look at the mission capabilities of the vehicle we are choosing. The Volt and the Leaf do not offer a side by side comparison. It is a matter of mission choice. A range of 100 miles really means the vehicle is best suitted for the city.
I’ll take the Volt, because the backup of a gas engine (actually a high-efficiency turbodiesel would be even better!
is really a great idea. The Volt will be a real car, not a microcar. These aren’t really 5 passenger cars anyway (ever try to fit 5 into a Honda Fit? Uh huh … ).
Yes and try to fit 5 poeple into a Volt (sorry Gery inside comment)
How did Nissa Do what? They probably took a Toyota blueprint and made it an uglier version of it. Seems to be their approach to their line of automobiles- take the Altima vs Camry for example… All personal dislike for Nissan aside, I think the introduction of alternative clean vehicles are good but I wonder what type of consumer they are targeting. Is this electric vehicle targeted for progressive city folks or suburbia americans?
My concern is that 100miles until recharge will call for solid infrastructure changes- where are the charging stations?. I doubt Nissan will make huge profits unless consumers are well educated and confident that they will never be left stranded on the side of the road. For me( with my 80 mile to and from work commute), the Nissa Leaf is a weak as its name.
160 km (100mi) is more than enough almost anywhere in the world.
And maybe that’s what makes it different from Toyota, they are not thinking only in the US.
Who commutes more than 100 mi daily anyway? Moving closer to work probably makes more sense if possible.
I am a Por EV’er if you have already noticed. but I must warn you about Range number. There is an expresion in the electric industry. that goes like this “there are Liars, Damn Lairs, and Battery suppliers” so goes the EV marketers when it comes to range. This is a EPA dyno range number and not real world driving.
yes you may get 100 miles in real world city driving, but take it on the freeway and expect that number to fall by 50%. if you drive on egg shells and keep it to 50mph you may get a 65 mile range, not easy task on California freeways.
50 miles works for me on my commute as my employer provides electricity to charge my car.
How did this couple supposedly get 138 per charge then?
http://www.energydsm.com/2010/04/electric-vehicle-reaches-100000-miles/
If it was made in Canada… would it be a MAPLE LEAF?
LOL, nice one.
The Leaf would be my choice!