Fully Charged - Test Drive of the Nissan Leaf

[Daox]

The Prius (2nd gen at least) uses an SLA of some form. I'm not sure if its AGM or not, but it really doesn't last that long. The owners get roughly 5-6 years out of them. I'll probably be replacing mine this year before winter.

[Automcdonough]

i agree it was a lame car review.. like most that skip pretty much the whole car because of fixation on one particular feature.. this guy couldn't get past the electric is neato factor. From watching this I wouldn't even have learned anything relevant to compare, even something as basic as if it's FWD or RWD.

[Clev]

Originally Posted by Daox

The Prius (2nd gen at least) uses an SLA of some form. I'm not sure if its AGM or not, but it really doesn't last that long. The owners get roughly 5-6 years out of them. I'll probably be replacing mine this year before winter.

Maybe that's their one concession to the dealership parts/repair departments, who will otherwise see a lot less business. :-)

[AJI]

Originally Posted by RobertSmalls

Also, while the EV1 was a new car from the ground up, the Leaf rides on a modified Versa platform. There's nothing wrong with platform sharing, just things wrong with Llewellyn's facts, as usual.

Originally Posted by Automcdonough

i agree it was a lame car review.. like most that skip pretty much the whole car because of fixation on one particular feature.. this guy couldn't get past the electric is neato factor. From watching this I wouldn't even have learned anything relevant to compare, even something as basic as if it's FWD or RWD.

Whilst I understand what you guys are saying, I also think you slightly miss the point of the show.

Robert isn't a motoring journalist, and he's not even an expert in the field of EVs. He's an EV enthusiast though, and like many of us non-experts he's happy just to drive the cars and be enthusiastic and report about them to further their cause. It's a little harsh to criticise him for little factual errors when he's not claiming to be an expert in the field.

I don't know about everyone else but at this stage, and until I drive the production model myself (I've already driven the prototype, photos here), I'm quite happy to see what other people think in their first impressions.

Some big magazines have already driven the car and their impressions are freely available on Youtube - so if you're looking for more detail then I'd suggest viewing those.

[NeilBlanchard]

I'm pretty sure that the Leaf is it's own platform.

[RobertSmalls]

Originally Posted by NeilBlanchard

I'm pretty sure that the Leaf is it's own platform.

2011 Nissan Leaf Preview . Automobile Magazine and others could be wrong, but whether Nissan says it's all-new or a modified Tiida/Versa doesn't matter as long as it gets the job done.

Any platform that offers four wheels, two CV shafts, and room for 600lbs of battery can underpin an EV. No need to re-invent the wheel (or chassis).

I would certainly hope, to cut costs, that the Leaf dips into the Renault/Nissan parts bin for just about everything but the powertrain.

[NeilBlanchard]

The Leaf's wheelbase is ~4" longer than the Versa, and the battery pack sits in the floor pan, so they have completely different underpinnings. The Leaf is also ~3" wider overall.

[RobertSmalls]

Completely different, or streched four inches? The Honda Odyssey and Accord ride on the "same" platform, despite the very obvious difference in size. And then there was the case of Chrysler's cars in 1990... why not build one good platform, then build a complete line of cars and minivans on it?



Now you've got me curious... where is this packaged, and what goes in the trough in the battery? Rear legroom?

Having no exhaust tunnel will free up space in the back. I hope they find a way to make good use of it.

[AJI]

Originally Posted by NeilBlanchard

The Leaf's wheelbase is ~4" longer than the Versa, and the battery pack sits in the floor pan, so they have completely different underpinnings. The Leaf is also ~3" wider overall.

The Nissan rep when I had my drive in the prototype told me that the Versa-based prototype had been stretched, so it's entirely possible the Leaf is based on a stretched Versa platform.

[NeilBlanchard]

The trough is where the rear passenger's feet are. The higher hump is (I believe) under the rear seat.

The 3" increase in width is very different, and the floor pan is completely different.