I’m always keen to learn the latest developments in electric vehicles and as we’ve spotlighted in the past the auto industry seems to be setting their initial sights on lower range urban commuter designated vehicles. Until the technology is both further refined and  more cost effective, the opportunity for a car with the range for a days long distance driving (300 miles / 500 km) may still be 5-10 years down the road. While such designs are apparently plausible at present the cost of the fuel cells and related technology would make purchase prices too high to launch on a competitive market. Hence hybrid vehicles look set to fill the transitional phase of a gas/fuel cell alternative.

The better news is that lower range urban cars can be cost effective and mass produced in the very near future and the Nissan Leaf looks set to be one of the forerunners in this market. Nissan have debuted the car via their website and are now taking advance orders for delivery in 2011 and 2012. While the cost seems a little high you really need to look at the longer term environmental and fuel cost savings. The car is set to retail at around $33,000 but alternate fuel tax rebates will bring the costs down to nearer $26,000. That would still be $7,000-8,000 above what you might expect to pay for a similar vehicle with the same specs, manufacturer and ‘rating’. At that point a little math is worthwhile, the average driver in the US is estimated to drive 12,000 miles per year. Over the course of 4 years (a typical vehicle loan) those 48,000 miles might require 1846 gallons of gas based on 26mpg. Fuel prices in the US have ranged betweeen $2.40 and $4.50 per gallon the last three years but we’ll take an aggregate cost of $3.40 – fuel savings alone over the four years would be in the vicinity $6,000 which essentially covers the additional cost for the vehicle initially. Of course there are the environmental benefits which in my mind are impossible to associate a cost with but removing traditional vehicles from the roads over the coming years is of paramount importance.

The Nissan Leaf, full roll out by 2012

As for the Nissan Leaf, its a functional urban/suburban car with a limited range. If your daily commute is 8 miles each way it still leaves you plenty of room for evening events, shopping and local trips. The vehicle is driven by an electric motor which is powered by a lithium-ion battery pack which will raise 107 horsepower. The car has a listed range of 100 miles per full recharge. Nissan make it clear that the range will change plus/minus up to 35% based on many variables. The traffic you encounter, the loaded weight of the vehicle , weather and the way you drive will each impact the range of the Leaf. The dashboard is packed with information providing readouts that will assist the driver in getting maximum range and performance from the current charge of the vehicle. While that sounds like a lot of extra work I’m sure after a week or two of driving it would all become second nature. The car offers eco-mode which will improve the range of the car but limit some of the performance (standard performance is 0-60mph in 6 seconds).

Nissan advise that a potential buyer should know that frequent adverse weather conditions such as extreme heat or cold and wind will impact the car’s range to a notable extent, naturally this is a consideration that also should be made. Estimated costs for a full home recharging are around $2.50-$3.00 per session which seems reasonable. We may still be 5-10 years away from public recharging stations being available on a widespread basis although states such as California are looking to speed up that process significantly. At present over 15,000 pre-orders have been made for the Nissan Leaf and I’d bank that many more to follow.