JULY 19 - 25 | 2019
New Nissan Leaf drops hints of the future
Ŷ GAME CHANGER: Under cover of a conventional looking hatchback, says Nissan, the Leaf hides the future of motoring. By DEREK OGDEN 270 km with no nasty tailpipe emissions. Plugging into a 15A 240V home wall socket the Leaf will recharge from ‘battery low’ warning to full charge in around 24 hours. Alternatively, depending on the fast charger used, it takes about 7.5 hours from empty or with the more powerful box to 80 per cent full from low warning in just 60 minutes. But more than that, the Leaf has the capability of returning power from its battery to the grid for home or business use. This means the car can be charged during offpeak periods, say overnight, and plugged in to the home to power the kettle, cooker or even hairdryer in the morning high-rate period. Alternatively, the Leaf can be charged ‘on
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the run’ at any of 783 public stations around Australia, of which 69 are of the quick variety, doing the job in 60 minutes. Queensland government, for example, has installed a string of 18 DC chargers between Coolangatta and Cairns. Battery power is sent to the powertrain delivering 110 kW and 320 Nm, 38 per cent and 14 per cent more, respectively, than the previous Leaf. The motor is up to a third quieter than ICE / hybrid rivals. A feature of the set-up is the operation of the e-Pedal, which at the flick of a switch on the centre console, allows the vehicle to be driven using the accelerator alone. By simply taking the foot off the accelerator, the car comes to a smooth, gradual halt and is held without the use of the brake pedal. Thus, the need constantly to shift the
foot between pedals (that is if you’re not a left-foot braker), especially in heavy traffic, is reduced and driving becomes more relaxed. In aggressive braking situations, which Nissan puts at about 10 per cent of the time, the driver can return to using both feet. Both situations were given a solid workout during a launch drive in the Melbourne CBD and suburbs. With little practice, both situations were easy to use and stress free. Unruffled is the perfect description of the Leaf’s performance. To match the improved output of the electric motor and converter, engineers enhanced the car’s chassis to improve stability. Also, the heavy battery is situated at the centre of the body to achieve better balance than with a front-engine vehicle.
Ŷ Continued page 3 j/21d13123-v50/2319
WHO would have thought during the global fuel crisis of the 1970s that less than 50 years later motorists would be laughing in the face of the avaricious petrol barons at the demise of the internal combustion engine? The time has not come yet but if the development of electric vehicles such as the Nissan Leaf continues, that day is just around the corner. Light at the end of the tunnel. The Leaf first saw the light of day in 2010, arriving in Australia two years later. Since then more than 410,000 have been sold in 51 markets, making it one of the most popular electric vehicles in the world. In those days a 24kWh lithium-ion battery gave the Leaf a range of 170 kilometres. The new second generation Nissan Leaf, with its 40 kWh 350V battery, is capable of travelling
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