.
Nissan Blow Their Trumpet
Announcing the Leaf EV
Announcing the Leaf EV
Here is what the Nissan publicity people say about the new electric car, interspersed with some of my sarcastic comments. At around €30,000 plus taxes and delivery etc. I don't think I would be rushing out to get one. The mileage per charge is only a joke. We will need the new generation of battery now coming available to make the electric car anything but a novelty.
features
- zero tailpipe emissions (You don’t say really!!!!!)
- 100% electric – no gasoline required - (On an electric car you use no gas? wow!!)
- high response synchronous AC motor 80kW (80 kW motor but only a 24kWh battery - a bit of an imbalance here don’t you think?)
- range –100 miles/charge based upon US EPA LA4 City cycle2 (let me see, if I want to drive to Dublin from Kerry, I have to stop about half way and charge the battery and that will take how many hours??)
- speeds up to 90 mph (sounds good - but for how long can you go before the battery runs down?)
- 5 passengers, 5 doors (One door per passenger - how convenient)
- Nissan Navigation System ( Wow- - a SatNav)
- Nissan Connection powered by CARWINGS (CarWings - Does that mean it will fly too?)
mechanical
- 80 kW AC synchronous electric motor24 kWh lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery3.3 kW on-board charger (That means the on board charges would take 7.50 hours to fully charge the battery)
- Emissions – Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) (Except from the passengers, especially after beans and chips)
- Power-assisted vented front disc/rear disc brakes
- "Coasting" regenerative brakes4-wheel
- Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)
- Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist (BA)
- Electronic parking brake
- Front and rear stabilizer bars
- Vehicle speed-sensitive power-assisted steering
Manufacturers Sales Pitch
Did you ever notice that the people who write advertising blurbs for cars can sound very like estate agents. I never cease to marvel at the spin doctoring skills of these people. They manage to make a tiny dirty little dump of a house sound good; "Ideally situated, compact property, good location, bright airy property with good views."
Translation: Old urban terraced house near gas works, tiny box rooms, outside toilet, no heating, damp walls, drafty and overlooking a stagnant pond.
Yea yea - I am a bit too cynical at times I know.
.
Have to disagree that current battery technology makes EV's a novelty. Maybe for some, but there are millions who can and will use a 100 mile range EV on a daily basis right now. I use a 40 mile range home conversion EV every day. The Leaf will sell for $25K after rebate here in the US, making it fairly affordable. Nissan and others are working on building the fast charge infrastructure that will allow longer distances.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with John. The EVs currently available are not there to replace a car that is used for regular long journeys. There are plenty of people in this country with 2 cars, generally one small and one big. the small one is normally used for commuting to work or going shopping - this is where the market is. It is not suppose to be a blanket replacement. For longer journeys there are hybrids that will go as long as any car. If you need a car to go up and down to Kerry from Dublin all the time then yes, the current EV cars are useless to you
ReplyDelete