Nissan hasn't seemed anxious to lead the green car race. While other automakers worked to bring hybrid vehicles to the mainstream, Nissan has appeared to sit on the sidelines, content to offer only the Altima Hybrid, using a Toyota-built powertrain, in just a handful of states.
But Japan's third largest automaker, it seems, was simply biding its time.
The company may actually be the first major automaker to begin widespread sales of an all-electric car. The Nissan Leaf was unveiled to the press for the first time this weekend. The Los Angeles Times notes, "Depending on how you define your terms, the Leaf will be the first mass-market EV sold in the U.S. since the 1920s."
Autoblog reports, "Designed as a four-to-five seat, front-drive C-segment hatchback, Nissan says the Leaf is not just for use as a specialty urban runabout, but rather, it was designed as an everyday vehicle - a ‘real car' whose 160-kilometer+ (100 mile) range meets the needs of 70% of the world's motorists." The Leaf looks a bit like a Nissan Versa hatchback, with a shorter nose (electric motors take up less space than gasoline engines) and a roofline reminiscent of the Murano SUV.
Inside, Autoblog says, "The interior is at once handsome and spacious, with what appears to be plenty of room both front and rear for real-sized adults, and the cargo area is very deep, as it is unencumbered by a gas tank assembly (the batteries are mounted beneath the seats within the wheelbase)."
Edmunds Inside Line explains, "The five-seat, electric-blue Leaf hatchback is to be launched in select U.S. and Japanese markets next year to begin what Nissan hopes will become an era of global leadership for the company in a growing EV market." The car has, according to Nissan engineers, "a top speed of 90 mph, a range of 100 miles per charge with a 30-minute recharge where quick-charging stations are available (6 hours with a 220-volt current) and seat cushion-compressing acceleration that will launch it from zero to 30 mph faster than an Infiniti G37, thanks to 207 pound-feet of torque from its 80 kilowatt (107 horsepower) electric motor."
Some media outlets are referring to the Leaf as a 2010 model, others a 2011, since its precise launch date is uncertain. As for final pricing, The L.A. Times notes, "Nissan officials have quietly hinted at a price less than $30,000 retail (that's before any tax credits), the goal being to make the EV a no-cost option. That would be the LEAF's greatest trick." A government tax rebate of up to $7,500 for electric vehicles, signed into law last year, will probably apply to the Leaf, theoretically knocking its price down into the mid-$20,000 range.
If you're in the market for a new car, check out the U.S. News rankings of this year's best cars as well as this month's best car deals.
