[Grim]

Originally Posted by NeilBlanchard

I am responding to the Five Critical Changes post on Plugin Cars: Five Critical Changes for the Next Nissan LEAF | PluginCars.com

My list of 5 improvements for the Leaf (or any EV!):

1) Lower aerodynamic drag, by lowering the Cd from 0.28 (claimed, or 0.32 measured by Car&Driver: Drag Queens: Aerodynamics Compared – Comparison Test – Car and Driver ) down to 0.21-0.23. This is entirely possible with the same general chassis for, as shown by the Renault Eolab. Make the active elements fixed in their lower drag positions, and the range of the Leaf would be increased.

A lot. Possibly as much as 2X what it is now.

This can be done by moving the cabin forward, and making the back a bit longer - and taper the top and sides (and the underside) so the air is able to flow back into the place it was before the car punched its way through. The rear wheel track needs to be (slightly) narrower than the front - when the car is lower drag - it coasts much better. (See #4 below.)

2) Direct heating windshield defroster. This would make the penalty of running the defroster almost negligible.

3) Reconfigure the battery pack to provide more rear seat legroom. Put some additional modules under the hood, and under the hatch floor.

Make the seats much slimmer - if they are well designed, they will be more comfortable, weigh less, and take up a lot less room inside the car - making that space available for the people in the car.

4) Make coasting the default, and add 3 levels (or continuously variable of) regen controlled by the shifter, or paddles on the steering wheel. This would encourage ecodriving, and increase the range by using the kinetic energy of the moving car the most efficient way possible - by using it to move the car forward.

Regen is great - for slowing the car.

5) Use video mirrors. (And if required, put tiny optical mirrors, as well.) This will reduce the frontal area and the Cd - and it will eliminate the need for the bulging headlights. I have been driving with video mirrors for about 6 years now, and they work very well, and they are better than optical mirrors in many ways. Mine are inexpensive backup cameras, so with better "F stop" controls, they will be better than optical mirrors in virtually every way.

I think these changes will make the range with the same battery it has today much longer than it is now. If/when we get a better battery, then the range gets even longer and/or the price comes down.

It's all good.

I understand the reuse of an exist chassis for build cost reduction but I agree that the platform has a lot to be desired. The versa it's built on is the lightest chassis in the Nissan line up at a 2400ish pound curb weight. The Leaf is 850 ish pounds more at 3250ish.

I have no need for back seat. I do need a 200 mile range at hwy speeds several limes a month and what I would save in fuel over my current vehicle would pay for it as a second vehicle. Why not offer something 1st gen insight sized semi sporty looking commuter? Between a better Cd and if it could get back that 850lb it gained as a EV I see that 200 mile range is easily met.

The versa and leaf is really not a visually pleasing car so almost zero attraction by younger drivers so I see broadening the customer base.

Offer a range extending battery packs (possibly capacitor based) that can be easily installed by the owner. Make it portable about the size of a large briefcase adding about 10-15 miles to the range. Make it where it can be charged independently of the car. This feature alone would be bennificial if somebody ran the car dead, they could grab a charged pack plug it in and get the car to a place to charge the onboard battery. AAA keeping them on their rescue vehicles could get their customers off the road. You get somewhere that plug in is not available where the car is parked you could take the battery in and charge it at say hotels or even office during the day if your range is borderline to the next place you can get a full charge.


The car as it sits:
I have a buddy that's into EV and been riding EV bicycles for years. He recently picked up a Leaf and I've had a few rides in it. It's amazing how well it works. It drives like another economy car. It's his only car (if you don't count his RV converted 40ft long bus that he is trying to figure out if he can make a toad out of the leaf and have it charge while being dragged behind the bus) but he has good friends that live next door that he can barrow a vehicle when longer range is needed. It covers about 90% of his travel needs the rest are mostly battery range issue or just plain the size. His complaints are the same as mine, single guy and the only time his back seat has been sat in giving people rides showing them the car. He would actually like a big flat cargo area of a hatch back for his dogs

The thing I like the best is the electronic package and link to his smart phone. He has his car programmed to warm up or cool down depending on the season so it's ready to go in the morning while it's still plugged into th charger. Just unplugs from his house and off he goes. Same deal with going home just before he leaves he picks up his smart phone and tells the car to turn on the a/c. I think he now has access to charging at work (purchaser for local transit) if needed but lives only 6 miles away so rarely needed.