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Nissan's all electric Leaf goes into mass production next year.
(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)Automakers tend to agree that the electrification of the car is inevitable, but Nissan is leading the way by readying a mass-market, affordable electric car for production. The Leaf is a midsize hatchback with a range of a little more than 100 miles, according to Nissan. Although Nissan didn't let us drive it, the company brought the Leaf to CNET's headquarters so we could get a close look at what might be the future of driving.
When Nissan first released pictures of the car, commenters found it ugly, with its bulbous headlights giving it a frog-like appearance. But in person, the length of the car mitigates that criticism. And looking over those headlights, we could see that they are longer, and more fin-shape than bulbous. The lights are LEDs, used because of their low power draw. The shape of the headlight casings has an aerodynamic purpose, splitting airflow around the side mirrors.
A hatch in front of the car conceals two plug-in points, one a standardized socket for electric vehicles and the other a proprietary Nissan design that can charge the batteries to 80 percent in 30 minutes. The Nissan plug, which would only work with very specific charging stations, uses DC power so that the onboard inverter doesn't have to convert external AC power for the DC batteries. The standardized plug will work with more sources, taking AC power from the grid and running it through the inverter, lengthening the time it takes to charge the batteries.
Nissan developed the lithium ion batteries for the Leaf in conjunction with NEC. The batteries are flat slabs that fit in the chassis of the car. Weighing about 500 pounds, the battery placement and distribution helps to lower the Leaf's center of gravity. Beyond charging from a plug, the Leaf also incorporates regenerative braking. Similar to the Tesla, as soon as you lift off the accelerator, regenerative braking kicks in, sending juice to the batteries and slowing the car.
The Nissan Leaf goes on sale in December of 2010 as a 2011 model. Nissan is counting on 20,000 preorders for the car, and will initially build them in Japan. By the third model year, the company expects to start producing them from its plant in Smyrna, Tennessee.
A group of CEOs on Monday came out favor of a regional roll-out of electric vehicles in up to eight cities to demonstrate the viability of the technology and incubate the fledgling industry.
The Electricifcation Coalition held a press conference in Washington, D.C. and released an Electrification Roadmap, which prescribes the business and policy steps required to ramp up electric vehicle adoption.
There are 13 members of the coalition, including the CEOs of Nissan Motor, FedEx, Pacific Gas & Electric, and battery maker A123 Systems. The coalition was spun out of Securing America's Future Energy, a lobbying group focused on reducing U.S. imports of oil.
The Electrification Coalition argues that light-duty electric vehicles are the only technology that can cut oil imports and reduce carbon emissions in the near term. Its report (click for link) focuses on what's required to make electric cars available at large scale.
"I think we have the conditions for the mass market. But it's going to take more time," said Carlos Ghosn, the president and CEO of Nissan. "The investments to be made are huge. To make 50,000 batteries is a $250 million investment."
Of all the major automakers, Nissan is the most bullish on electrification. It is releasing an all-electric family sedan called the Leaf in the U.S. and Japan next year. It projects that 10 percent of new cars sales in 2020 will be electric, which is higher than most analysts' projections.
The shift presents challenges to auto makers that are unsure of consumer acceptance. Utilities and municipalities need to prepare in order to make these vehicles more consumer-friendly but they, too, are unsure what the volume of sales will be.
To take some uncertainly out of the picture, the Electrification Coalition advocates a "foothold strategy." Six to eight cities would create a number of incentives for electric vehicles, such as preferential parking and public charging stations. They would apply for government incentives and then test out the system to help bring electric cars to "critical mass," explained David Crane, the president and CEO of power generator NRG Energy.
In the first phase, the plan calls for getting 50,000 to 100,000 light-duty plug-in vehicles on the road per year in certain areas starting next year and then expand to 25 cities. Its report sets a target of having 25 percent of new vehicle sales be plug-ins by 2020, which is 5 million vehicles. A jump to 90 percent of new vehicle sales being plug-ins by 2030 would represent roughly 17 million units, according to data from consulting company PRTM.
For consumers, batteries should be owned and financed separately from the car itself, Crane said. Because batteries are an expensive component that makes it more expensive than a comparably-sized gasoline car, auto makers, including Nissan, are looking at ways to keep monthly car payments roughly the same by leasing batteries.
Governments around the world have established financial incentives for electric vehicles because it improves national security and addresses environmental problems, Nissan's Ghosn said. He noted that France, the U.S., and Japan each have established a tax credit of about $7,500 to consumers who buy an electric car.
In addition to federal tax credits, the coalition endorses incentives for municipalities dedicated to bringing in electric vehicles. Also required is technology to allow consumers to charge at off-peak times.
Speakers at the coalition launch also underscored the economic reasons for which governments are pushing electrification. Reducing oil imports would mean that billions of dollars of U.S. wealth would stop being exported, said Crane.
Government programs to drive investing in electric vehicle manufacturing also help the U.S. auto industry adapt to emerging technologies.
"We can do this. This is something we have the ingenuity for--we have enough innovation. What we need to do is capture that and use that to our advantage to build factories," said David Vieau, the CEO of A123 Systems.
Click for larger image.
(Credit: Electrification Coalition)
TOKYO -- Infiniti will get an electric vehicle as early as 2012, and Nissan Motor Co. also will create an electric commercial van to sell to governments and fleet customers.
Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn said the electric Infiniti will be "a compact luxury car--a stylish, high-performance four-seater with zero emissions."
He did not say whether the electric Infiniti would use a unique platform or one derived from the Nissan Leaf family car. For several years, Nissan has been engineering separate platforms to keep the Nissan and Infiniti brands distinct.
Nissan says it's considering a production vehicle based on the Land Glider electric concept, which has only a driver's seat and a one-person back seat.
(Credit: Nissan)Nissan is ramping up to produce its electric five-passenger Leaf starting in late 2010, with hopes for sales as high as 150,000 units a year.
Ghosn said the commercial van will be an electric version of the NV200, a small light commercial van Nissan is preparing to build in Canton, Miss.
Andy Palmer, Nissan senior vice president in charge of zero-emission vehicles, Infiniti and global light commercial vehicles, suggested the electric vans could be used as taxis or postal delivery vehicles.
He also said Nissan was motivated by requests from governments and large delivery services for an electric delivery vehicle.
Separately, Nissan officials indicated that Infiniti also is considering a production vehicle based on an electric concept vehicle called the Land Glider. The futuristic concept is a narrow motorcycle-shaped car with only a driver's seat and a one-person back seat.
(Source: Automotive News)
DETROIT--For plug-in electric cars, it's no longer a question of if. It's a question of when and how.
After many years of buildup, plug-in vehicles aimed at mainstream buyers are set to come to the market starting next year. But even with the momentum around plug-ins, many questions remain unanswered over how this technology transition will impact the ailing auto industry and how the cars will received by consumers.
"You have the feeling that we're at the beginning of something that could be very special," said David Cole, the chairman of the Center for Automotive Research, which is funded by government and corporate sources, during the opening of the Business of Plugging In conference here on Tuesday. "There are a great many uncertainties, but we have to recognize that the key invention is here with the lithium ion battery."
The sold-out conference, which attracted about 600 people, represented the varied groups needed to deliver these vehicles: automakers and supply chain suppliers, electricity utilities, policy makers, tech entrepreneurs, and investors.
Regardless of the initial volumes of electric-vehicle sales, the stakes in this shift are high. Electric vehicles promise to reduce pollution from transportation, decrease oil imports, and provide economic opportunity for a broad number of businesses.
Compared to biofuels or hydrogen fuel cell technologies, the large automakers and several start-ups have coalesced around electrification, to a greater extent. But there still remains the question of how much money consumers are willing to pay and how easily they can adjust strong habits.
"We've placed big bets in this area...(but) the question is: will consumers want these vehicles?" Bill Ford, the chairman of Ford Motor, said during a Wednesday talk. "The short answer is, it depends on how many trade-offs they need to make...and I think customers aren't prepared to make many trade-offs at all."
Hybrid premium
Plug-in cars come in various forms, but the larger battery means a higher purchase price than today's hybrids or equivalent gasoline models. If consumers are going to accept that up-front cost, automakers need to convince them that owning an electric car is cheaper in the long run. One idea that automakers are seriously considering is leasing batteries, which could make the monthly payments for a new electric car comparable to a gasoline version.
The actual prices for many cars aren't yet known, since companies have not yet decided. Nissan's all-electric Leaf sedan, set for its U.S. debut next month and availability next year, is said to be in the $25,000 to $30,000 range. Industry executives estimate that the electric Chevy Volt, due late next year, will be in the $40,000 range.
Fueling up an electric car is less expensive than running the equivalent gasoline-only vehicle, and auto industry executives say the maintenance is simpler on electric drives (no more oil changes, for example). Jonathan Lauckner, General Motors' vice president of global program management, on Tuesday said the cost per mile of the Volt could be a sixth of a gasoline car's, offering as much as $1,500 a year in savings. Those savings get better, if gas prices go up and if drivers can charge up more than once a day.
And consumers want this information. Surveys show that consumers are drawn to plug-ins for environmental reasons, but fuel savings are actually more important, according to a survey of U.S. drivers done by Ernst & Young. Safety, of course, is another high priority.
"We've always had a disconnect between the purchase price and the usage cost, where consumers way undervalue the usage costs, which will continue to be a problem here," Richard Curtain, of the Institute of Social Research at the University of Michigan, said during a panel on Wednesday. "If it got to less than a $5,000 premium, that would allay many of the concerns of the consumer."
Industry executives say volume production, a goal of the Department of Energy's $2.4 billion grant program launched in August, will help bring down costs in the coming years, much the way hybrid components fell in price. But that up-front premium is tough to totally erase, given that electrification is competing with a deeply entrenched technology: the internal combustion engine.
Battery improvements will help the cost picture as well. Many companies are working on batteries--a new generation of lithium ion batteries and other chemistries--that can pack more energy. More "energy-dense" batteries means that drivers will get a longer driving range from a battery of a given size. Ultracapacitors, another storage method, have also been proposed as way to work with batteries in vehicles.
Technology horse race
The different routes automakers are taking to electrification affects costs. General Motors' Chevy Volt has generated plenty of buzz, but company executives say its design will make at least the first generation of the car pricey. GM hopes to wring thousands of dollars from the Volt power train, notably the battery and power electronics in the second generation of the car.
Fisker Automotive, a start-up that received a $528 million loan from the Department of Energy, is using a similar power train for its planned Karma and Nina high-end luxury cars. Called an extended-range electric vehicle or a series hybrid, these cars will run on battery charge only in the beginning--40 miles in the case of the Volt--and then use an internal combustion engine to operate a generator for the electric motor on longer trips.
A handful of automakers--Ford, Nissan, Think, and Coda Automotive among them--are making all-electric vehicles, also called battery-electric vehicles. Because of the limited range of about 80 miles to 100 miles, these cars are being sold as second cars in the United States or Europe or for city driving.
By contrast, Toyota, which has already sold millions of Priuses, believes that the way to sell large volumes of plug-in cars is to build on the existing hybrid technology, where batteries and the gasoline engine both propel the car.
"We think that blended (mode) is going to be the only way to reach the cost parity that the consumer is going to want," said Justin Ward, the advanced power train program manager at the Toyota Technical Center. "There (are) a lot of high-end cars, but how high do you go before it becomes unattainable for the general consumer?"
Infrastructure
Electric and hybrid cars aren't going to take over the market any time soon, because of cost and because they face competition from more efficient gasoline engines and diesels. Market researcher IHS Global Insight projects that pure-electric and range-extended electric vehicles will account for just more than 1 percent of the total market by 2014, with hybrids and plug-in hybrids being nearly 21 percent.
But even though plug-ins of various types will be a niche in the early years, utilities need to start preparing now. On a local level, utility executives are concerned that just a few plug-in cars, which can pull as much juice as a whole house when charging, will strain local power grids. That's particularly true, if consumers install faster 220-volt charging ports, which will cut charge time to about two or three hours, from six or eight.
The way to avoid stressing the grid is to charge cars at off-peak times, utility executives say. Pacific Gas & Electric, considered one of the most aggressive utilities in embracing new technologies, plans to offer customers a 220-volt charger that has a timer so consumers can take advantage of lower rates at off-peak times. Using a smart-grid technology, a car charger could pick its charge time and rate by communicating through a smart meter.
But what if someone can't charge at home? Like others, utility industry group the Edison Electric Institute advocates new building codes demanding that all new buildings are wired so that charging stations can be added in places such as underground parking garages in apartment buildings or retail areas, according to Anthony Earley, the chairman of the institute and CEO of utility DTE Energy.
A few charging stations will go a long way, according to people who spoke at the conference. "We act like this is a chicken-and-an-egg problem, but it's really not," said Mark Duvall, the director of electric transportation at the Electric Power Research Institute. "They are not enabling technologies, in my opinion, but they can help."
If plug-in electric vehicles are wildly popular with consumers and fleet owners, the industry will then face the challenge of having sufficient capital to scale up. During a discussion on battery technologies, academics said that even now, there isn't a sufficient workforce to do the engineering required for electric vehicles, with the most glaring hole in materials science.
Although higher manufacturing should significantly cut battery prices, there were regular questions about the supply of lithium at the conference. Overall, auto and battery company executives said lithium supply is not a pressing concern. Lithium could be extracted from different sources and can be recycled, said Yet Ming Chiang, the chief scientist of battery upstart A123 Systems and professor of ceramics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The U.S. auto industry has an opportunity to be reinvigorated with electric auto technologies, as its seeks to transition from the "rust belt to the green belt," Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm said Wednesday. China, meanwhile, is investing heavily in electric transportation, which national leaders see as a way to "leapfrog" to the latest technologies, said Yibing Wu, the managing director of Legend Holding, the company that makes Lenovo laptops and is moving into clean energy.
On an environmental level, plug-in hybrid cars have 30 percent lower carbon emissions, even if a car is fueled by coal-fired power plants, Earley said. That's particularly important on a global level, since hundreds of millions of cars are expected to be sold in the coming years in developing countries, said Ann Marie Sastry, a University of Michigan professor and a co-founder of a Khosla Ventures-backed battery company Sakti3.
"The small car is absolutely going to be essential for electrification and to all of us because it doesn't matter where the carbon comes from--whether we generate it or it comes from the emerging economies," Sastry said. "It's imperative (that) the United States play a role in this technology development because of our own interest in climate change."
NASHVILLE--A year ahead of selling its first electric car, Nissan North America is already wondering whether it will need more factory capacity for batteries.
The potential U.S. demand for electric cars is far from clear, but Nissan could find itself without enough batteries to meet its plans, says Carlos Tavares, Nissan Motor Co.'s chairman for the Americas.
The company is spending $2 billion to expand its plant in Smyrna, Tenn., to produce 150,000 five-passenger Nissan Leafs a year in 2012 and 200,000 lithium ion batteries to power the hatchbacks and serve as replacement batteries.
But Nissan also is developing two more electric vehicles to follow the Leaf, Tavares says.
And in addition to the three new electric models, the company eventually wants to convert some existing gasoline models to battery power, Tavares says.
"It would trigger additional capacity," he told a small group of reporters.
"The current invested capacity is not going to be enough."
U.S. Nissan dealers will not be the Leaf's only customers.
The $2 billion Smyrna investment is intended to supply dealers in all markets, from Canada to South America, Tavares says.
... Read more
The Nissan Land Glider concept solves it's narrow track problem by leaning into the turns to gain traction.
(Credit: Nissan)
If you like what you've been hearing about Nissan's Leaf electric car, but think it looks too much like a futuristic Versa 1.6 for your tastes, then maybe Nissan's other zero-emissions concept will pique your interest.
The Nissan Land Glider concept is a tiny electric vehicle that features a computer controlled steering system that leans the car into the turns. The pilot driver is seated centrally in the cabin with space for a single passenger directly behind in the narrow cabin. At least, it looks like that's where the passenger would sit. Although the photos clearly show a driver's four-point harness, none of the pictures show a rear seat belt.
The steering wheel has been replaced with what looks like a flight yoke. The rear view mirrors have been replaced by cameras and monitors. The dashboard definitely looks like it belongs on a vehicle of the future.
Now THAT is a cockpit!
(Credit: Nissan)
Ultimate speed is not this vehicle's goal.
(Credit: Nissan)Details about the drive train are scarce, but we do know that it will be motivated by all-electric power. Expect the battery technology to be similar to that of the Leaf, albeit on a smaller scale. With its narrow profile and potentially lighter weight, we presume that the Land Glider will get by with less horsepower than the Leaf requires.
The Land Glider will be displayed at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show, alongside the Leaf production concept. Stay tuned for more details as they emerge. In the meantime, check out the embedded video of the Land Glider in action after the jump.
... Read more
The Honda EV-N concept looks like a cross between a robot pug and an electric panda.
(Credit: Honda)
The EV-N pays homage to the Honda N compacts of the '60s and '70s.
(Credit: Honda)The Honda EV-N will be on display at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show as a part of Honda's "HELLO! Zone" electric vehicle showcase. While details about the power train are still fuzzy and vague, we do know that it's all-electric and is cute as a darn button. Here's what else we know:
The EV-N appears to be a futuristic homage to the Honda N 360s and N 600s of the 1960s and '70s. It is a microcompact with a short wheelbase and seating for four passengers (only two of whom will probably be comfortable). Solar panels on the roof will either supplement battery charging or supply power to auxiliary systems--similar to the 2010 Prius' solar climate control system.
The interior is where things start getting weird. At least one of the doors houses Honda's UX-3 robotic unicycle, which is a whole different sort of quirky. If you don't like the red fabric seating surfaces, don't fret. Just pop the panels out and replace them with a color or pattern of your liking.
Stay tuned to our continuing coverage of the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show for more details as they emerge.
(Credit:
Nissan)
Nissan has announced that it will begin taking reservations for its upcoming Nissan Leaf electric vehicle starting in the Spring of 2010. The automaker predicts that it will have about 20,000 preorders lined up before production of the Leaf begins late next year.
According to Nissan's press release:
Nissan will invite people to "opt-in" and receive updates and information about Leaf through a reservation system that will tell them when the electric car is available--either for test drives or to take home. Participants will receive the latest news about the company's zero-emission activities as well as information about Nissan Leaf and how to become "plug-in ready."
Whether or not a deposit will be required to make a reservation is as yet undetermined, as is the final MSRP of the Leaf.
(Credit:
Arcimoto)
If you're thinking what I'm thinking, then you're probably looking at this picture and wondering, "What the hell happened to that Yaris?" Well, it hasn't been in a horrific accident. It's not even a Yaris (despite the fact that the nose looks identical to one.) What you see pictured here is the Arcimoto Pulse, a three-wheeled, two-seated electric car.
To be fair, I'm not even 100-percent sure that this thing even exists. The only photos on Arcimoto's Web site look heavily doctored and a few of the specs (most notably the range) are marked with asterisks that don't actually point to footnotes.
The Pulse should be powered by a 96-volt DC electric motor that twists the solitary rear wheel to the tune of 80 pound-feet. Range is between 50 and 100 miles and is, presumably, very dependent upon how heavy your right foot is. With a standard 110-volt power source, recharging the Pulse's batteries will take an estimated 6 hours.
Like all electric cars these days, the Pulse gets its requisite obscenely large miles per gallon rating (190+ mpg in this case) despite the fact that, as an EV, it doesn't even have a fuel tank. Seriously automakers, stop doing that. Counting imaginary gallons makes you look dumb.
Everything about this picture looks a little "photoshoppy."
(Credit: Arcimoto)The Pulse's narrow body requires tandem seating, but it's open front-wheel configuration seems to keep the footprint wide enough to be stable in the turns. I'm assuming that the lowish 55 mph top speed keeps the exposed rotating tires from being too much of a wind resistance issue.
Pricing hasn't been set in stone yet, but Arcimoto is aiming to keep the sticker price "under $20,000." I'll believe it when I see it, but--according to Arcimoto's own preorder counter--at least 10 souls have seen fit to plunk down their $500 reservation fee ($450 of which is refundable). The first 300 Pulses are due late 2010.
Electric vehicles are the clear favored technology for concept cars at the Frankfurt Motor Show this week. But Toyota, the leader in hybrid cars, thinks that the high cost of the lithium ion batteries will keep electric cars from penetrating the mass market for another decade.
Over the past three years, Toyota secretly tested lithium ion batteries as a potential replacement for the nickel metal hydride batteries now used in the Prius, according to a Bloomberg report
In its tests, Toyota concluded that lithium ion batteries were safe and reliable, but the higher cost doesn't justify a complete shift over for Toyota's hybrids, executives said. As a result, the company will remain with nickel-based batteries for most of its hybrid cars, according to the report.
Toyota will start testing plug-in Priuses that use lithium-ion batteries but is sticking with current nickel-based batteries for most of its hybrids.
(Credit: Toyota)The lighter weight that lithium ion batteries offer over other battery types has led automakers to that technology for all-electric sedans such as the Nissan Leaf and the Chevy Volt extended-range electric vehicle.
Toyota, too, this week unveiled a plug-in Toyota Prius based on the 2010 model that uses a lithium ion battery. It expects to start leasing them to fleet operators early next year. But when it comes to the "mass market," the company still considers costs and range of battery-electric vehicles a barrier until 2020.
"Electric vehicles of today are less costly than in 1990s, but if you compare them with the other vehicles out there they are still too expensive," Executive Vice President Takeshi Uchiyamada said at a news conference at the Frankfurt show. "Unless there is a very big breakthrough in battery costs I don't think electric vehicles can take a large market share."
Among the many electric-vehicle concepts expected this week are four sedans from Renault, including the Fluence ZE which can work with Better Place's automated battery-switching stations.
