2011 Nissan Leaf

[ruimegas]

2011 Nissan Leaf

"The 2011 Nissan Leaf is the first battery electric car from a major carmaker built in high volumes for almost a century. Its distinctive five-door design makes it as recognizable and iconic on the road as the Toyota Prius hybrid, yet distinctively a Nissan. As the sole all-electric car sold in volume this year, it’s hands-down the greenest car on the U.S. market.
The Leaf does everything that a regular compact hatchback does, while using no gasoline at all. Everything, that is, except travel hundreds of miles at a time; the practical range of the Leaf is 70 to 100 miles.
The distance you get will vary with temperature, road speed, and how much you use the air conditioning or the heater. Range drops significantly if you travel at freeway speeds, blast the air conditioning, or (especially) use the resistance heater. To preserve battery life, top speed is capped at 90 mph.
The Leaf’s 24-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack is built into the floorpan. It powers a 80-kilowatt (107-horsepower) electric motor that drives the front wheels. Acceleration is adequate, at less than 10 seconds for the 0-to-60-mph sprint. Like other electric cars, the 2011 Leaf uses regenerative braking that recaptures energy to recharge the battery.
On the road, the Nissan Leaf is competent but not particularly inspiring to drive. It has the appliance-like feel of early Prius models, and it’s happiest up to 40 or 45 mph. It is definitely quiet, with only occasional and barely perceptible whine from the electric motor, making the Leaf a calm, pleasant vehicle to drive. It seats five, and holds sufficient goods in the load bay, though with the rear seats folded down, the floor is interrupted by a full-width hump with the charger inside.
Recharging the battery will mostly be done at night using a 240-Volt Level 2 charging station in owners’ garages. Many public charging stations are being installed, but in early years, home charging is the key. A fully depleted Leaf will take 8 to 10 hours to recharge using 240-Volt power (the same kind used by electric stoves), or up to 20 hours on standard U.S. wall current. Buying a Nissan Leaf gets you a visit from a local contractor, arranged through your dealer, to inspect your house and tell you what you may need to do to install a charging station."

Em: http://www.greencarreports.com/review/1 ... eaf_page_2