An electric car causes you to rethink how you drive because the distance left on a charge, or range, always lingers in the back of your mind.
I recently drove the all-electric Nissan Leaf for a little more than a day, and it was a tiny window into what it might be like to live with an electric car because I found myself constantly calculating each trip distance. The distance-to-empty figure depends on how you drive and how much you use accessories, such as air conditioning.
The Nissan Leaf doesn’t have an on-board gasoline engine like the Chevy Volt, so if you drain the battery there is no backup. It would be like running out of gas with no station nearby.
The car’s range is roughly 100 miles on a full charge. The average daily commute is 40 miles or less, so for most drivers, running out of electricity isn’t an issue. But tack on the occasional trip to the airport, or a last-minute change in plans, and the amount of juice left in the battery can be an issue.
I borrowed a car from a suburban dealer and I consumed most of the car’s charge in a day of errands, even while driving in the most conservative manner. When I had to make a last-minute change in plans and deviate from my planned route, I had to re-calculate to see if I had enough charge left in the battery. As it turns out, I drove about 65 miles that day, and I still had about 20 miles remaining, but it seemed closer than that. I plugged the car into my garage’s standard 110-volt outlet for the night.
The next morning, with the trip computer showing a range of 98 miles after charging for about 10 hours, I headed back to the dealership. Fourteen miles of driving briskly and running 70 miles an hour in rush-hour traffic sapped the battery rather quickly, and the distance-to-empty shrank to 53 miles. That’s a good example of how driving style affects mileage.
Kansas City Power and Light is partnering with LilyPad EV to install 10 charging stations around the city. They should be installed and operational by fall. They will be at Black and Veatch in Overland Park, at the Lee’s Summit city hall, Commerce Bank in Kansas City, the Harley-Davidson plant, Johnson County Community College, Park Place in Leawood and at Union Station.
The Leaf is on sale in selected markets until the fall, when it should be available more widely. Prices are $32,780 for the SV and $33,720 for the SL. Navigation, Bluetooth, satellite radio, vehicle stability control and traction control are standard. The SL adds a roof-mounted solar panel, rearview camera, automatic headlamps, fog lamps and a cargo cover. A federal tax credit reduces the effective price to $25,280 and $26,220. Some states offer additional tax incentives and some even have cash rebates.
During my day with the Leaf, I enjoyed trying to squeeze as many miles as possible out of the batteries. I accelerated gently, coasted whenever possible, and applied the brakes well in advance of a stop. When an electric car is slowing or braking, the electric motor becomes a generator and it returns energy to the battery. That’s why I coasted up to stops and used the brakes lightly for as long as possible. It was fun watching the distance-to-empty readout increase as I coasted down hills and used the brakes to regenerate electricity. I also tried barely pulsing the throttle – push a little, coast a little – at steady speeds and that seemed to increase the mileage.
The Environmental Protection Agency has given the Leaf a MPG-equivalent rating of 92-106.
Nissan says driving the Leaf costs roughly 3 cents per mile compared to 12 cents per mile for a gasoline-powered car that gets 25 miles per gallon.
Electric motors deliver all of their torque from rest, so the Leaf’s 80-kilowatt motor accelerates nicely if you mash the throttle (although range suffers dramatically). Acceleration from 50 to 70 miles per hour isn’t quite the same as a gasoline engine. Top speed is 90 mph.
Because the Leaf has a 106.3-inch wheelbase, the EPA considers it a midsize car. The cabin is reasonably spacious. The batteries diminish trunk space a bit.
The Leaf handles well. The car feels as if it has a low center of gravity and that makes it agile in turns.
Charging takes eight hours with a special 220-volt charger that costs about $2,000 with installation. The car also plugs into a standard 110-volt outlet, but a full charge can take up to 20 hours, according to Nissan.
The 600-pound lithium-ion battery pack consists of 48 modules, and each module contains four laminated cells. Each flat cell is about the size of a license plate. The pack is placed under the seats for optimum weight distribution and for the least intrusion into the passenger compartment. The batteries are covered by an eight-year, 100,000-mile warranty.
The styling is unique. Electric cars are so quiet that items such as the windshield wipers seem louder, so Nissan worked to make the car as quiet as possible. Nissan said the side mirrors were particularly noisy in early testing, so the designers created headlights that protrude from the fenders and direct wind past the mirrors. At 60 mph there is hardly a whistle.
Recycled material is used when possible, and the seat fabric is made from recycled water bottles.
Currently, the Leaf is built in Japan, but in 2012 it will also be built at Nissan’s plant in Smyrna, Tenn. The plant will have an annual production capacity of 150,000.
Price
There are two models. The base price of the SV is $32,780. The SL adds a photovoltaic panel on the roof spoiler to charge the battery that runs the accessories, fog lights, backup camera and automatic headlights. Its base price is $33,720.
Warranty
The basic warranty is for three years or 36,000 miles. The powertrain is covered for five years or 60,000 miles and the battery is covered for eight years or 100,000 miles.
To reach Tom Strongman, send e-mail to tom@tomstrongman.com
At a Glance
Point: The Leaf is pleasing to drive. It accelerates well, rides smoothly and feels solid in turns because it has a low center of gravity. The cabin is quiet and has plenty of room for four people.
Counterpoint: You have to pay attention to your driving habits and trip distance because there is no backup if you deplete the battery’s charge.
Specifications:
2011 Nissan Leaf SL
Motor: 80-kW electric
Front-wheel drive
Wheelbase: 106.3 inches
Curb weight: 3,366 lbs.
Base price: $33,720
As driven: $33,720
MPGe rating: 92-106 mpg.
