Nissan 2010 Annual Report Download - page 19

Nissan LEAF
Entering the Next Phase Product Plan Performance
17Annual Report 2010NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
A True Game Change in Lifestyle
Nissan LEAF and the EVs that follow will also change
lifestyles. For example, instead of hunting for a gas station
and refueling, you just go home and plug it in. You’ll also be
able to use quick chargers at shopping centers and other
gathering places, allowing you to power up even while you
dine or shop. Using a 200-volt power source, you can
charge up to 100 percent in around eight hours, and the
quick-charging system takes about ten minutes to provide a
range of fifty kilometers.
Consumers occasionally express concerns that they will
exhaust the battery while out on the road. However, over 80
percent of the world’s drivers average less than one
hundred kilometers (62 miles) each day, and many far less.
As measured by the U.S. LA4 standard, Nissan LEAF has a
cruising range of 160 kilometers—100 miles—on a full
charge.
There are various aspects to alleviating range anxiety
that involve what the car can do and support outside of the
car. Incorporating the latest information technology, Nissan
LEAF vehicles will be in contact with our global data center.
The system will show route suggestions and provide the
location of the nearest charging station. Information is
updated and accessible on demand so that drivers will
always have the latest, accurate information. A user-friendly
onboard screen provides continuous feedback, including
battery capacity and maximum driving range.
When the air conditioner is on, the driving range can be
affected. However, the vehicle can be pre-cooled or heated
while it is still plugged in, so that the car is ready and
comfortable for the driver. This will reduce the energy
required to cool or heat the car after you embark on your
trip.
Nissan LEAF’s regenerative braking system also
increases range. By applying the brake or reducing the
speed by decelerating, the electric motor acts as an electric
generator. To encourage the use of this regenerative
braking capability, there is a driver-controlled Eco mode
setting, which can also be used to reduce acceleration
power and air conditioning, and improve driving range by 10
percent when driving in urban areas.
In addition to the technologies featured in Nissan LEAF,
we are analyzing various other solutions to ease range
anxiety. These include rent-a-car services at exceptional
bargain rates for particularly long trips and the feasibility of
24-hour support lines in certain countries.
The spread of electric vehicles promises to reduce CO2
emission, transform our cities and towns into more
people-friendly places and change our lifestyles for the
better, especially as more key infrastructure elements like
non-contact charging stations and park-and-ride lots
appear. Quiet, non-polluting EVs can also travel in areas that
restrict the entry of gasoline-powered cars because of their
emissions. Those are just a few of the reasons Nissan is
determined to build a sustainable global society filled with
EVs.