Nissan Considers Multiple Battery Size Options for LEAF Electric Cars

A common complaint about the all-electric Nissan LEAF has been its short range, officially 75 miles on a full charge according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. To address that challenge, Nissan could add options for consumers to purchase bigger battery packs to boost the LEAF’s all-electric range, Pierre Loing, vice president of product and advanced planning and strategy told PluginCars.com. “The packaging easiness (of the battery) makes it easier to put more batteries in the car, and you will see this,” Loing said during an interview this week at the 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show.

Loing wouldn’t give more details, but he pointed out that Tesla offers multiple battery options for its Model S, allowing a buyer to get more battery and thus more range for more money. “Maybe you will see the same from Nissan,” said Loing.

Consider that the current LEAF, offered with an attractive $199 lease, provides a 24 kilowatt-hour battery pack providing about 80 miles in real-world driving. It’s not inconceivable, if the car has enough room, to imagine an option for consumers to double down—with a lease or purchase at double the price for a LEAF with a battery providing range in the territory of 150 to 160 miles.

Nissan uses slim laminated lithium-ion batteries in the LEAF. The batteries are produced at the Automotive Industry Supply Corp., a joint venture in Japan between Nissan and NEC. In December 2012, Nissan also began producing batteries in Smyrna, Tenn.

Although Loing said that the battery was a competitive advantage for Nissan, the automaker has

reportedly recently tweaked the battery chemistry to address complaints by LEAF drivers in Phoenix, Ariz. that their battery range was depleted too much in an extremely hot environment. As for bigger changes that extend the range, however, Loing told PluginCars.com, “This is chemistry, so improvement is slow.”

The same slim laminated lithium-ion battery will be used in the next generation of LEAF, which will be launched “in due time,” said Loing. “We still believe lithium-ion laminated is the best technology.”

That is where adding an additional battery to some versions of the LEAF could enter the picture, said Loing. “After all, there are different sized engines offered” on gas-powered internal combustion models, he said.



Source: Plugin Cars

Carlos Ghosn at Detroit NAIAS about the LEAF

Nissan's CEO Carlos Ghosn talks about the LEAF price drop and the production facilities opening in the US and Europe along with customers expectations being taken into account - 2013 Detroit NAIAS

デトロイトで開催された2013年北米国際自動車ショーでゴーン社長はEV販売から経済状況まで、幅広く今年の展望について語りました。

Nissan Prices New LEAF S Model At $28,800, Puts Plug-In Competition on Notice

Nissan took a huge leap forward today in pricing the entry level LEAF at $28,800. That is $6,400 cheaper (about 18% less) than the most inexpensive 2012 model on sale today. With the federal incentive applied, you are talking a very enticing $21,300, and as low as $18,800 in California once their state rebate has been discounted.

Truly, being freed of the pressure from importing the car from Japan (and the yen) has meant a much more affordable car for North America.

Both the mid-grade SV and SL also got significantly cheaper at $31,820 and $34,480 respectively. As a refresher, the old SV trim level came in at $35,200, and $37,250 for the SL, a difference of only $2,050.





LEAF S Model ($28,800)
Standard features include a 6-way manual driver’s seat, 4-way manual front passenger’s seat, trip computer (instant and average energy consumption, driving time, outside temperature and autonomy range), Automatic Temperature Control (ATC), center console storage and 3.6 kW onboard charger, a 12-volt power outlet and 16-inch steel wheels with full wheel covers.

LEAF SV Model ($31,820)
The mid-grade trim level adds the Nissan Navigation system we have been used to in the past couple years, (7.0-inch color LCD screen, CARWINGS telematics, 6-speaker audio system), but also adds Pandora® link for iPhone®, 16-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, 6.6 kW onboard charger, hybrid heater system, cruise control, auto-dimming inside mirror, and “B-mode” regenerative braking.

LEAV SL Model ($34,840)
At the top end of the lineup, added features are a (mostly just for show) photovoltaic solar panel spoiler, fog lights, auto on/off headlights, cargo cover, Quick Charge Port, leather seats, LED headlights and 17-inch aluminum-alloy wheels.

Nissan also highlights three option packages.

The Quick Charge Package (S grade only – $1,300) includes the 6.6 kW onboard charger, Quick Charge Port and RearView Monitor.
The LED Headlights + Quick Charge Port Package (SV grade only – $1,630) includes LED headlights, auto on/off headlights, fog lights and Quick Charge Port.
The Premium Package (SV and SL grades – $1,050) offers the advanced Around View® Monitor and Bose® 7-speaker audio.

There is also a $850 destination charge, and Nissan is already promoting a $199 lease deal (which includes the destination).

While this price reduction out paces that of the Japanese-spec model that was released publically a couple months ago (12% less), we have been told to likely not expect a besting of the 14% increase in range announced in Japan (228 km vs 200 km) due to US EPA testing methodology.

Apparently, the US Monroney sticker (EPA) for such data as energy usage and range, either has not yet been finalized, or Nissan is not wanting to drop that information at the this time, but will be released soon according to sources.

To see all the technical specs and a model overview, check out the full recap here. More photos of the 2013 LEAF can be found at the gallery here.

Source: Inside EVs

Nissan Gives Leaf Owners a Preview of the 2013 Model

SAN FRANCISCO — Nissan will not formally announce the 2013 version of the all-electric Leaf until early this week at the Detroit auto show, but on Saturday the company offered a sneak preview to the Bay Area Nissan Leaf Owners Association.



Nissan showing a preproduction 2013 Nissan Leaf to a meeting of the Bay Area Nissan Leaf Owners Association, the largest and most active group of Leaf owners in the United States. The San Francisco group has been active in suggesting enhancements to Nissan’s small electric vehicle.

It was an apt setting for the global unveiling of improvements — better range, faster charging and a lower starting price — intended to address shortcomings of previous versions of the Leaf.

“I can point to a half-dozen things on this 2013 car that directly resulted from meetings this group had with Nissan,” said Gary Lieber, co-founder of the owners association, informally known as the BayLeafs. “They really listened to us.”

The meeting, attended by about 60 people, took place at Luscious Garage, an auto service shop specializing in hybrid and electric cars in San Francisco. (Full disclosure: I was invited to the meeting because I lease a 2011 Nissan Leaf.)

Tim Gallagher, a Nissan spokesman, said the 2013 enhancements were “simple, small changes, a nice generational move of the car.” He said the simultaneous increase in content and the lowering of the price was made possible, in part, by the shift of production for 2013 Leafs to the company’s assembly plant in Smyrna, Tenn.

When asked if the pricing reduction was significant, Mr. Gallagher replied: “I was impressed. It’s a good number.” He declined to give the exact figure before the official announcement.

The strategy for affordability is primarily based on the advent of a stripped-down S model that comes without a navigation system or a Quick Charge port, and with only a basic radio-CD player. Premium features like the Quick Charge port, previously available only on the upscale SL model, are now included in the SV version. The SV, which was the cheapest model, is now the midrange Leaf.

New features, including LED headlamps, fog lights, 17-inch alloy wheels and leather seating, will now be reserved for the SL. Additional premium upgrades to the SL include a Bose seven-speaker audio system and “around view monitor,” which puts cameras in front, in back and on the side mirrors for parking assistance.

Nissan is adding “improvements for range management,” without actually providing a bigger battery in the Leaf. The implication is that many owners will drive farther than the 80 or so miles typically possible with the 24-kilowatt-hour battery — but the company did not offer an estimate of how much farther the 2013 Leaf would go on a single charge, either in miles or on a percentage basis.

The improvements would result from a combination of an aerodynamic tweak to the front fascia, a more efficient heater and the addition of a driver-selected B-mode that increases regenerative braking. A feature long demanded by Leaf owners, a dashboard display of the battery’s state of charge on a percentage basis, will be offered in the 2013 model.

Charging times using 240-volt power will be faster in the 2013 Leaf with an upgrade to a 6.6-kilowatt onboard charger, from the 3.3-kilowatt charger on 2012 models. That means adding about 20 miles in an hour of charging, rather than about 12 miles. A full charge from empty to full will take about four hours, instead of seven hours.

The charge port area now comes with a much-needed light, not provided on earlier models, and the ability to open the port door from inside the car or by using the key fob.

The car’s driving range will be indirectly enhanced as well, because most Bay Area Nissan dealerships will soon install Quick Chargers, Mr. Gallagher said. The Quick Charger, capable of providing 50 to 60 miles of added range in about 25 minutes, will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week — at no cost to Leaf owners.

“I’m confident that in the next 60 days we’ll have a lot of Quick Chargers in the ground,” Mr. Gallagher said. “It’ll be great coverage across the state.”



Source: The New York Times

Tesla Model X Updated Design Revealed at 2013 NAIAS in Detroit

The updated design for Tesla's upcoming all electric SUV, the Tesla Model X, was revealed in Detroit on Monday, ahead of the company's official press conference on Tuesday.

On Monday, Tesla Motors unveiled a preproduction prototype of the 2014 Tesla Model X, at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. The Model X is an all electric luxury SUV designed by Tesla Motors, built on the same underlying chassis as the Tesla Model S, and is expected to go into production some time in 2014.

The reveal occurred on the show floor ahead of Tesla's official press conference, on Tuesday, at the NAIAS. Presumably more details will be announced shortly. Photos provided over the weekend by the Tesla press office go over design details, that we should interpret as a work in progress indicating the likely direction Tesla's staff will take for the final design. For our earlier coverage of the Model X, see Tesla reveals the Model X, an all-electric SUV that's faster than a Porsche 911

The most unusual feature of the Tesla Model X, the so-called "Falcon Wing" doors, will be retained. Essentially these are "gull wing" doors, in that the doors end up positioned above the roofline, but Tesla's implementation is different enough to warrant a new name. Hence, Falcon Wing. The difference between the typical gull wing doors, and Tesla's falcon wing doors, is that in Tesla's implementation the door is double hinged and opens upward rather than swinging outward. This means the Model X doors can be opened in a tight parking space without banging into the neighboring cars.

The exterior looks like a taller Tesla Model S. Unlike SUV's with flat rooflines, the Model X rear roofline slopes downward, and includes a large hatchback to provide entry into the rear cargo area. The tail has a sharp crease that one thinks might be for aerodynamics. The door handles, like on the Model S, are flush with the car surface, to improve aerodynamics.

The Model X interior features three rows of seats, and will seat either 7 or 8 people in total. The middle row of seats are on posts that in turn go into channels in the floor. This leaves a lot of space underneath the seats for storage, in an implementation that is unlike any other car. The rear trunk area will have a sliding shelf that fits on a pair of guide rails. The central area of the front console will, like the Model S, have a 17" LCD touch screen display.

It is is still planned to offer the Model X with different drive train choices, including an all-wheel-drive version with dual electric motors. One to power the front wheels, the other to power the rear. Unlike the Model S, the X will have only 60 kilowatt-hour and 85 kilowatt-hour battery packs.

According to the British website, AutoCar, Tesla is still mulling whether to introduce the Model X for Europe. SUV's are not as popular in Europe as they are in the US. Even if it does make it to Europe, a right-hand-drive version for the UK might not be ready until 2015.

A year ago when the Model X was first announced, Tesla expected to enter limited production of the Model X in 2013 with full production commencing in 2014. The reports circulating now say production won't commence until 2014. It may be that the production delays of the Model S affected the schedule for the Model X.



Source: Torque News