Related concept cars

Leaf Aero Style

Nissan unveiled the Nissan Leaf Aero Style concept car at the 2011 Tokyo Auto Salon. The Leaf Aero Style exterior features a new front bumper, extended side skirts, restyled mirrors, LED daytime driving lights, and special wheels.^[409][410]

Leaf Nismo

Nissan unveiled the Leaf Nismo RC (Racing Competition) demonstration car at the 2011 New York International Auto Show. This electric car has the same battery pack and motor as the Leaf but is designed and constructed as a racing car with a full carbon fiber monocoque body which makes it about 40% lighter than the production Leaf.^[411] Leaf Nismo RC is projected to have a running time of around 20 minutes under racing conditions, and in preliminary testing it accelerated from 0 to 62 mph (0 to 100 km/h) in 6.85 seconds and has a top speed of 93 mph (150 km/h).^[412][413] Nissan built eight of these rear-wheel drive cars.^[411]

Another concept from Nismo was unveiled at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show, the Leaf Nismo Concept. It was designed as normal highway-capable automobile and uses the same 80 kW electric motor as the Leaf.^[414] In January 2013, Nissan announced that the Leaf Nismo will be produced in low volumes by mid-2013, and sold in Japan only. The Leaf Nismo uses the Leaf's all-electric drive train with no extra power or performance improvements, but has an aerodynamic body kit with styling influenced by the electric Leaf RC demonstrator, new alloy wheels, and interior improvements.^[415]

Infiniti LE

The Nissan Infiniti LE concept all-electric car was unveiled at the 2012 New York International Auto Show. It is based on the same platform as the Leaf, but it is expected to become Nissan's luxury electric car. It was expected to go into production in 2014.^[416] In May 2013 the company said that it was waiting for inductive charging industry standards before launching the vehicle.^[417][418]

Venucia e30

Nissan and its joint venture partner Dongfeng Motor unveiled a production version of the Venucia e30 electric car at the 2012 Auto Guangzhou. An earlier version, the Venucia E-Concept, was unveiled at the 2012 Beijing Auto Show. The car was initially scheduled for production in China by 2015. The Venucia e30 shares the bodywork, dimensions, electric-drive specifications and several other features of the Leaf. Dongfeng Nissan started pilot projects in 15 Chinese cities to promote the Venucia e30 with local governments.^[419][420] A total of 216 units were delivered in December 2013. These units were marketed as Venucia Morning Wind and they are badged Leafs since local production has not began.^[385] In April 2014 Dongfeng Nissan announced that retail sales of the Venucia e30 are going to begin ahead of schedule in September 2014.^[211]

Nissan Leaf Aero Style  Nissan Leaf Nismo RC  Nissan Leaf Nismo Concept  Infiniti LE concept car

Autonomous car

Nissan installed its autonomous car technology in a Nissan Leaf for demonstration purposes.

In August 2013 Nissan announced its plans to launch several driverless cars by 2020. The company is building in Japan a dedicated autonomous driving proving ground, to be completed in 2014. Nissan installed its autonomous car technology in a Nissan Leaf for demonstration purposes. The car was demonstrated at Nissan 360 test drive event held in California in August 2013.^[421][422] In September 2013, the Leaf fitted the prototype Advanced Driver Assistance System was granted a license plate that allows to drive it on Japanese public roads. The testing car will be used by Nissan engineers to evaluate how its in-house autonomous driving software performs in the real-world. Time spent on public roads will help refine the car’s software for fully automated driving.^[423] The autonomous Leaf was demonstrated on public roads for the first time at a media event held in Japan in November 2013. The Leaf drove on the Sagami Expressway in Kanagawa prefecture, near Tokyo. Nissan vice chairman Toshiyuki Shiga and the prefecture’s Governor, Yuji Kuroiwa, rode in the car during the test.^[424][425]

Motorsport[edit]

A 2011 Leaf won the Electric Production Class at Pikes Peak International Hill Climb

An Electric Production Class was formed for the 2011 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb and Chad Hord raced a Leaf in the event.^[426] The off-road racing driver ascended the 19.99 km (12.42 mi) course in 14 minutes and 33 seconds to win the class.^[427] The interior of the car was removed and replaced with mandatory racing seats, safety harness, and a roll cage.^[428]

Reception[edit]

The Leaf was enthusiastically received by consumers. There were 20,000 pre-orders in the United States for the vehicle's debut.^[429] After hitting this milestone in September 2010, Nissan stopped taking reservations in the United States until many of the initial orders had been delivered in early 2011.

Nissan Leaf with the 2011European Car of the Year logo

The Leaf has received awards from multiple organizations. Notable awards include the inclusion byTime magazine as one of the 50 best inventions of 2009.^[430] At the 2010 Washington Auto Show, the Leaf was given the 2010 Green Car Vision Award by the Green Car Journal (GCJ), who noted that the Leaf "will provide the features, the styling, and the driving experience that will meet the needs of a sophisticated and demanding market, while producing zero localized emissions and requiring no petroleum fuels."^[431] Popular Mechanics, upon awarding the Leaf its 2010 Breakthrough Award, explained that the Nissan Leaf is "not the first pure EV, but [...] hits the mainstream like none of its predecessors." Popular Mechanics also alluded to the Leaf's 160 kilometres (100 mi) range, which is said to be "enough for most commuters for the price of an average vehicle – and with a much lower operating cost than gasoline-powered vehicles."^[432]

Other awards received by the Leaf include the 2011 European Car of the Year,^[433] EV.com’s 2011 EV of the Year,^[434] 2011 Eco-Friendly Car of the Year by Cars.com,^[435] 2011 Green Fleet Electric Vehicle of the Year,^[436] it was listed among the 2011 Greenest Vehicles of the Year by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy,^[437][438] also listed by Mother Earth News among its "Best Green Cars" of 2011,^[439] and also was ranked first in Kelley Blue Book Top 10 Green Cars for 2011.^[440] The Leaf won the 2011 World Car of the Year,^[441] and was a finalist for the 2011 World Green Car.^[442] Ward's Auto listed the Leaf's 80 kW electric motor in Ward's 10 Best Engines for 2011.^[443] Until October 2011 the Leaf was ranked as the most efficient EPA certified vehicle for all fuels ever.^[444][445] In December 2011 the Leaf was awarded with the 2011-2012 Car of the Year Japan at the Tokyo Motor Show.^[446]

Criticism

In 2009, a former Tesla Motors marketing manager criticized Nissan about the cooling system chosen for thermal management in lithium-ion battery packs,.^[447] He also claimed there may also be an overestimation of the 160-kilometre (100 mi) range that was computed using LA-4 or "city" mode, which may underestimate the energy draw during highway driving conditions.^[447][448]

Nissan Leaf with Level 2 recharging station unit displayed at the 2010Washington Auto Show

The American magazine Consumer Reports noted that while charger costs vary between US$700 and US$1,200, an at-home charger and its installation cost more than US$2,000 even for simple installations.^[449] Nissan estimates a typical charger installation costs US$2,200. The article did not mention that home charger installations are eligible for a 50% federal tax credit up to US$2,000.^[450] Consumer Reports noted that the first 5,700 Leaf buyers will get free chargers with federal support in 13 cities. The consumer group also reminded that many older houses with only a 60–100 amp supply may need a panel upgrade to install a 240-volt circuit, which can cost several thousand dollars.^[449] The additional 220–240-volt charger is only required for countries (mainly the North / South American continent) that do not have a 220–240-volt domestic grid and want faster charging than under 110–120-volt.

There are a variety of EVSE manufacturers for the Nissan LEAF including SPX, Schneider, Leviton, Aerovironment, Blink and GE. Some are priced at less than $850. Since the on-board charger in the LEAF only draws 16 Amps, many home installations can be as simple as adding a dedicated 20 Amp circuit and receptacle in the garage.

Consumer Reports also called buyers' attention to the fact that the Leaf's total out-of-pocket costs include a US$595 acquisition fee and aUS$395 disposition fee. The consumer group also emphasized that the lease price of US$349-a-month applies only to buyers with good credit (Tier 1, or a FICO score of 700 or above); for those with less than optimum credit, the monthly rate would increase. They reminded buyers that the lease comes with a 23,000 km/year (15,000-mile-per-year) allowance, but additional miles will cost extra.^[451]

Problems Reported

Initial issues

In April 2011 Nissan announced that customers in the United States and Japan reported problems in restarting their Leaf vehicles after switching the motor off. Nissan said the problem does not pose any accident risk.^[387] On April 15 Nissan announced that the problem only affected a small proportion of Leafs. Nissan engineers identified a programming error in an air conditioning system sensor that sometimes triggers an erroneous high voltage alert when the air conditioning unit is switched on, due to the increased demand for power. The system issues an Inhibit Restart command, which does not prevent driving the vehicle, but does prevent it restarting after it is turned off. The solution requires reprogramming of the Vehicle Control Module by a Nissan dealer. Nissan announced a "service campaign" to apply the software fix to all 5,300 Nissan Leafs in operation around the world, but it was not an official recall because it was not a safety issue.^{[388][389][390]} The applied software update also improves the car’s on-board range calculation system, which several Leaf owners reported was overestimating the number of miles left. In addition, the update changes the state-of-charge bars display to provide a true reserve capacity; the driver now has up to five miles to find a charging spot after the car reaches the zero miles remaining mark.^[391]

A number of customers have reported safety problems with the antilock brakes: after an emergency braking event, and once the driver has released the brake pedals, the brakes remain in full force for some amount of time, increasing the risk of rear collisions.^[392]

Battery capacity loss

In May 2012, several U.S. owners reported seeing only 11 of 12 battery capacity bars on the in-car display which led them to believe they had lost some battery capacity. As time went on, more people reported seeing the issue, and some had lost two, three, and even in rare cases, four battery capacity bars. The battery capacity loss problem seems to be concentrated in regions with hot climate, and Phoenix, Arizona and the state of Texas in particular. In July 2012 Nissan responded by saying they were investigating the issue, and a carmaker spokesman also said that "the problem is isolated to maybe 0.3 percent of the 13,000 Leafs on U.S. roads, and the company reportedly has loaned cars to some Leaf owners in Arizona as it researches the issue." This is equivalent to around 40 vehicles have experienced a loss of any battery capacity bars.^{[393][394][395]}

Crowd sourced reports of Nissan Leafs with premature battery degradation have been collected at the MyNissanLeaf.com forum ^[396] and have been tracked on the website's wiki page.^[397][398]

By early September 2012, Nissan Executive Vice President said that there is “no problem” with the LEAF battery, and that the any customer complaints were merely the result of instrument problems."^[399] As a response, a group of 12 Phoenix Leaf owners participated in an independent test in controlled conditions organized by LEAF driver and EV advocate Tony Williams that took place on September 15, 2012. The test confirmed that the Leaf has poor instruments, but the test also found significant loss of range in some cars reflecting battery capacity loss. The worst affected Leaf showed around 60 to 65% of its original battery capacity remaining, and was only capable of driving 59 mi (95 km) before running out of charge.^{[399][400][401]}

Based on a complete evaluation that Nissan Americas conducted with seven different Leafs in its Arizona Testing Center, the carmaker found that the common link among the seven Leafs from Arizona was that all of them had covered much higher mileage than the 12,500 mi (20,100 km) Nissan used to estimate the rate of battery capacity loss over time. All of them had covered at least 50% more than Nissan estimated average, with 19,600 mi (31,500 km) as the average mileage for the cars evaluated. According to Nissan, that average is "more than double the average Phoenix customer mileage of 7,500 miles per year." Nissan concluded that "the cars and the battery packs are behaving as we expected."^[402][403] As a result of this assessment, Nissan published an open letter to Leaf owners explaining the results of the assessment and the details of normal battery capacity loss expected over time. The company also decided to set up an independent advisory board to study how the company may improve its communication with customers about the performance of the Leaf. The group will be led by Chelsea Sexton, known for its prominent role on the marketing of the GM EV-1 electric car. She will select the members of the advisory board that would make recommendations to Nissan.^[403] By late September Nissan reported that around 450 Leafs have been sold in Arizona, and in the interest of customer satisfaction, two units with battery loss problems were repurchased using the buyback formula modeled on Arizona's lemon law.^[404][405] One of the owners that had their Nissan Leaf repurchased established a blog in order to persuade other potential Nissan Leaf buyers in hot climates to reconsider buying this particular vehicle.^[406]By mid September, Nissan's CEO Carlos Ghosn announced that there is an improved second generation battery coming online that will cost less than the previous one.^[407]

A federal class action lawsuit was filed by a California Leaf owner accusing Nissan of concealing in its advertising that its Leaf vehicles have a design defect that causes them to prematurely lose battery life and driving range. The class action suit says that “before purchase or lease, Nissan failed to disclose its own recommendations that owners avoid charging the battery beyond 80% in order to mitigate battery damage and failed to disclose that Nissan’s estimated 100 mile range was based on a full charge battery, which is contrary to Nissan’s own recommendation for battery charging.”^[408]

In January 2013 Nissan USA announced that it will offer an extended battery warranty on the 2013 model year Leaf and will include 2011 and 2012 model years as well.^[44]

Airbag Failure

In March 2014, Nissan is recalling nearly one million vehicles for a problem with the airbags. The occupant classification system (OCS) may incorrectly think that the passenger seat is empty when it is occupied by an adult, failing to activate the airbag in a collision. Cars affected include the 2013-14 model year Leaf, Altima, Pathfinder and Sentra, as well as the 2013 NV200, 2013 JX35, 2014 QX60 and the 2014 Q50. Recall documents say that due to the sensitivity of the OCS software calibration, the system may not sense a passenger. That combined with high-engine vibration at idle when the seat is empty and then becomes occupied, or unusual occupant seating postures, can cause the system to fail. If the car crashes during this time, the airbag won't deploy. Nissan will notify owners, and dealerships will fix the OCS software free of charge.^{[citation needed]}

Car Rental Availability,Warranty,Marketing

Car rental availability

The Nissan Leaf will also be available through two car rental companies and carsharing services in selected markets.^[323][324] Enterprise Rent-A-Car initially plans to offer about 500 vehicles at dealerships in Los Angeles, San Diego, Portland, and Seattle beginning in January 2011.^[323][325] The Leaf became available for rental at their Santa Monica, California location in late March 2011.^[326] Hertz Rent-a-Car plans to offer the Leaf and other electric cars at select locations in the US and Europe, including New York City; Washington, D.C.; and San Francisco in 2011.^[327] The Leaf will also be available at some Hertz on Demand carsharing locations, a service with operations in London, Paris, Madrid, Berlin, and 150 locations in the United States.^[324] The carsharing rental by the hour of the Leaf began in New York City in March 2011.^[327][328]

Warranty

The 2011/12 Leaf's battery warranty is for eight years or 160,000 km (100,000 mi).^[39][40] The warranty covers defects in materials and workmanship, but initially did not cover gradual loss of battery capacity, nor does it cover damage or failure resulting from not following the preventive actions recommended in the Leaf Owner's Manual for the lithium-ion battery, such as exposing the car to ambient temperatures above 120 °F (49 °C) for over 24 hours, or storing the Leaf in temperatures below −13 °F (−25 °C) for over 7 days.^[329]

Before the Leaf's market launch, Nissan conducted an e-mail survey in July 2010 among the 16,000 individuals that made a reservation in the US and a sample of other potential customers regarding the terms of the battery pack guarantee. The survey was sent two days after General Motors announced that the Chevrolet Volt's battery was guaranteed for eight years or 160,000 km (100,000 mi).^{[330][331][332]} The multiple-choice survey had a batch of battery warranty related questions focused on the responder's preference between a five-year or 97,000 km (60,000 mi) warranty or an eight-year or 160,000 km (100,000 mi) warranty.^[330][331] A Nissan spokeswoman commented that the company wanted to hear from future Leaf drivers to ensure Nissan was meeting the expectations of the marketplace before making a decision on its warranty policy.^[330][331]

The 2013 model year Leaf battery warranty covers a gradual loss of charge for five years or 60,000 mi (97,000 km).^[333] In Europe the battery warranty is for five years or 100,000 km (62,000 mi).^[45] Under the new warranty, Nissan will repair or replace the battery over the warranty period if it loses more than 30% of its charge capacity (below nine bars). This warranty is in addition of the original Leaf's batteries that covers defects and flaws for up to eight years or 160,000 kilometres (100,000 mi). But even with the new warranty, Nissan says the fix may only restore a diminished battery's capacity to nine bars out the twelve of a new car, as Nissan clarified that batteries aren't designed to last forever, and some loss of capacity is to be expected. According to Nissan, "the intent of this warranty is to provide consumers with confidence that despite this normal battery capacity loss, they will be assured of a minimum level of capacity throughout the warranty period." The new loss of charge warranty also benefits owners of the 2011/12 model year Leaf.^[333]

Marketing

Nissan Leaf used for test drives at the Drive Electric Tour opening in Santa Monica, California

In November 2009, Nissan launched the Zero Emission Tour, with stops in 22 North American cities.^[334] At each stop on the tour, visitors were able to view the car and learn about the benefits of zero-emission driving. The first stop of the tour was in Los Angeles on November 13, 2009, a event that marked the unveiling of the Leaf in North America.^[335] Other stops on the tour included San Francisco; Seattle;Vancouver; Las Vegas, Nevada; Houston; Washington, D.C.; and Orlando, Florida.^[336] The tour ended in February 2010 in New York Cityafter visiting 24 cities, including two (Atlanta and Boston) that were added to the original itinerary due to requests. Nissan estimates that 100,000 people saw the company’s lithium-ion battery car.^[127][131]

Nissan conducted a test drive tour—dubbed the Drive Electric Tour—in several cities in the initial US launch markets. The tour began on October 1, 2010, at the AltCar Expo in Santa Monica, California, and continued in Anaheim, San Diego, Los Angeles, and San Jose. In November, the tour moved to Hillsboro, Oregon; Seattle, Washington; and San Francisco. The following month the tour continued inTucson and Tempe, Arizona; and Austin, Texas.^[337][338]

As winner of the Taxi of Tomorrow competition, Nissan is sponsoring a pilot program in New York City with six Leafs and their charging stations to study the use of zero-emission electric vehicles as taxis.^[339] The program was launched in April 2013, and by June 2013, four Leafs are providing cab service in the city.^[340][341]

Other countries[edit]

Brazil

In April 2010 Nissan signed an agreement with the municipal government of São Paulo to deploy 50 Leafs for use in the city's Traffic Engineering Agency fleet. In exchange, the municipality had to conduct feasibility studies regarding the use of the electric car in the city, including the deployment of the charging infrastructure required, and how it will help to reduce air pollution.^[342][343] Deliveries were scheduled to begin during the first semester of 2011 and the demonstration project would end on December 2012.^[344] In another agreement between São Paulo's Municipality, the Renault-Nissan Alliance, AES Eletropaulo and the Association of Taxi Fleet of São Paulo, ten Leafs were deployed for taxi service on pre-defined routes in the city. The first two units began service in June 2012, and the remaining eight were deployed in December 2012. A total of 15 dedicated charging stations were installed around the city designed to offer recharging, of which Eletropaulo provided five to allow rapid charging.^[345][346]

Nissan Leaf taxi at a Petrobrascharging station in Rio de Janeiro,Brazil.

In March 2013, the first two Leafs out of a fleet of 15, were deployed in Rio de Janeiro to operate as taxis. This program is a partnership between the government of Rio de Janeiro City, Nissan do Brasil (NBA) and Petrobras Distribuidora. The first two electric taxis are available at the Santos Dumont airport stand, and charging is provided in two Petrobras service stations at the Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas and in theBarra da Tijuca neighborhood. The program is part of the city's goal to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases by 16% by 2016 compared to emission levels of 2005.^[347]

According to Nissan, a timeline for retail sales has not been set because of the high prices of electric cars in Brazil. The car maker is pursuing an exemption from the 35% import tax and the enactment of other federal government incentives to make the car affordable and competitive within the Brazilian market.^{[343][344][348]} In June 2013, Nissan and the government of the State of Rio de Janeiro signed amemorandum of understanding to study the possibility of manufacturing the Nissan Leaf in the state, and the entire infrastructure necessary for running electric cars. The state government would provide fiscal incentives during the investment phase, and the electric car will be exempted from import taxes.^[349][350]

Costa Rica

In February 2012 Nissan signed an agreement with the Costa Rican government to implement a pilot program as part of the introduction of the Nissan Leaf in the country. A task force was created through the agreement to assess the infrastructure requirements for the deployment of electric cars and the identification of necessary government incentives for consumers to purchase electric cars.^[351] Retail sales were scheduled to begin by late 2013.^[352]

Hong Kong

In March 2011 an EV Pilot Program was launched in Hong Kong as a collaboration between the government of Hong Kong special administrative region and Nissan. The program began with a four-day test drive event open to the public. Nissan scheduled to deliver 200 Leafs to be used by the government, power companies and other private companies.^[353] During 2012 a total of 89 Leafs were delivered.^[354]

Malaysia

A pilot program began in May 2012 with 10 Leafs. The pilot will be conducted mainly in the Klang Valley, where the general public will have the opportunity to test drive the Nissan Leaf. Also some volunteers will be selected to keep the electric car for daily use for an extended period of up to two months.^[355]