Nissan showed off the Leaf and its charger panel this month in Seattle as part of its U.S. tour. (Photo by Jeff Layton)
Other than bumper cars at the state fair, getting behind the wheel of the new Nissan Leaf was my first experience driving an electric vehicle. I'm not sure what I expected, but it wasn't silence.
The lack of sound as I circled the course inside the parking garage of the Qwest Field Event Center was the most noticeable difference between the battery-powered Leaf and gasoline-powered cars. It moved as quietly as a golf cart.
Leaf facts
- Power: The lithium-ion batteries and AC motor are expected to deliver 107 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque with no tailpipe emissions.
- Charge time: Eight hours at home, 30 minutes at charging stations in development around the Puget Sound region.
- Operating cost: The Leaf will cost about 2 cents per mile to operate, versus 13 cents per mile for standard cars.
- Battery life: Nissan projects that the Leaf's batteries will retain 70 percent to 80 percent of their capacity after 10 years of use.
But the quiet ride didn't mean this electric vehicle was underpowered. In fact, the Leaf's punchy acceleration on the track's straightaway was downright impressive -- better even than most gas-powered sedans that I have driven.
Nissan brought the Leaf -- a midsize hatchback prototype -- to Seattle this month as part of a nationwide promotional tour. Seattle will be among the first markets for the car when it goes on sale in the U.S. in about a year.
"When I took my foot off the brake, the car rolled forward a little. I think that's important because it does everything a regular car does," Seattle resident Don Rimmer said after his test drive. "It's fairly modern, but not too radical to scare people away. Most people will feel comfortable in it."
Rimmer considers himself an electric-vehicle hobbyist who wanted to be one of the first in Seattle to drive the Leaf.
The car's launch is sure to attract environmentalists and self-proclaimed "EV junkies" like Gene Seymour, of Tacoma, who took time off work to try out the Leaf. "I like to drive, and I don't want to keep burning fossil fuels," he explained while waiting his turn in the sub-freezing weather.
Nissan is intent on marketing the Leaf to the general public, not just to those who are already passionate about eco-friendly vehicles. The automaker is pricing it competitively with other family-size sedans, according to Tracy Woodard, Nissan's director of government affairs. She estimates that the sticker price will be between $28,000 and $35,000 and that it will qualify for state and federal tax incentives.
The big question yet to be answered is whether consumers will widely buy into the idea of a general-use, all-electric family car.
The Nissan Leaf at its stop in Seattle. (Jeff Layton)
"The fear-of-range anxiety is the biggest hurdle that electric vehicles have to overcome," says Steven Lough, president of the Seattle Electric Vehicle Association. Consumers are still worried about getting stranded, he says.
Nissan cites research saying that the 100-mile range is more than adequate for 70 percent of the world's drivers. Lough agrees, noting that the average daily commute in King County is from 30 to 35 miles per day.
Many EV devotees agree that hybrids have been a nice transition, but the dual system means owners have to carry and maintain a battery system and a gasoline engine.
The Leaf "isn't a compromise," says Rimmer. "It's the first AC-drive system viable for the average commuter. I'm impressed."
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