autoevolution
 

Nissan Confident in Reaching Leaf Target

Fresh out of the assembly lines in Japan, the Nissan Leaf heads with confidence into unexplored territory, with the initial reactions to the car's launch building up the confidence of the manufacturer that the EV will be a hit on the local market.

Nissan plans to sell some 6,000 units of the Leaf on the local market by the end of the fiscal 2010 ending 31 March, 2011. The numbers registered in the pre-ordering process which started back in April show that the respective target is well within reach.

According to the car maker though, that is all Nissan can dare hope for now. The lack of a proper infrastructure in the country will cause the market to reach its capacity soon, if something isn't done.

Nissan itself has done its part, having installed, according to just-auto.com, 200 volt normal chargers and an equal number of quick chargers. Currently, at least one quick charge unit is available within a 40 km (25 miles) radius throughout the country.

Some type of cooperation with Mitsubishi is being considered, so that the electric vehicles of the two manufacturers, the Leaf and the i-MiEV, be able to use the chargers installed by both.

The Leaf can run for 100 miles (160 km) on a full charge, thanks to the laminated compact lithium-ion batteries that manage to develop 90 kW. The electric motors produce an additional 80 kW/280 Nm of torque.

Recharging the battery to 80 percent of its capacity can take as little as just 30 minutes thanks to a new charging system developed by Nissan. It will however still take 8 hours to bring the battery to full capacity from a 200V home outlet.
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Daniel Patrascu
Daniel Patrascu profile photo

Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories