Nissan produce e cars

[Old Timer]

slightly off topic but I just saw on the news that Nissan are to make 50,000 electric cars that will do 100miles per charge Not sure what the price will be but 100miles will fit the bill for a lot of people who want to use a car local.

 

[Tim]

I think it's the Nissan Leaf. Four-door, five-seat, top speed 90mph, charge time 8 hours on 220V. Range of up to 100 miles (which would leave me stranded at Leicester Forest East services on my trips up to the warehouse). Here's what it looks like:

There's an article on Wired all about it

 

[eddieo]

And Mandelson announced this morning on BBC news that it will be built in Sunderland!

 

[flecc]

Nice, but I'm cautious. Every e-car range to date has proved to be well under half the claimed figure in practical use.

Just read a brief car magazine test on the Smart e-car which uses a "salt" battery and has been developed by Mercedes for many years, probably longer than any other e-car. The verdict was pathetic performance and a huge reduction in charge on a short trip to a supermarket, indicating a range of under 30 miles!!!
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[eddieo]

Nice, but I'm cautious. Every e-car range to date has proved to be well under half the claimed figure in practical use.

Just read a brief car magazine test on the Smart e-car which uses a "salt" battery and has been developed by Mercedes for many years, probably longer than any other e-car. The verdict was pathetic performance and a huge reduction in charge on a short trip to a supermarket, indicating a range of under 30 miles!!!
.

Should have bought a wisper!

Seriously though, while 30 miles is pathetic 100 is just not enough either..needs to be 160'ish IMO. If my wife could get to Birmingham to visit family I would consider one, as we have the Motorhome for longer journeys

 

[flecc]

I think they have a future as town cars. I was in the market for a town car two years back but had to resort to a petrol one in the end. I only need a genuine 40 miles max for a town car, but none could even indicate a promise of that.

Anyway, the range when the battery is new isn't what to go by when it can go down by as much as a third with each year, i.e.

45 miles could mean 30 miles second year, and 20 miles in year three, before spending a small fortune on a replacement battery. Very many years ago that was £4000 on the Peugeot e-207.
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[Tex]

no way i'd buy a second hand electric car.

 

[Lloyd]

Well timed by Nissan, only a week after Beardie-Bransons rant about fuel.

 

[Old Timer]

I think it is about time a major player made the move. For me around the local villages and shops(which is all my car gets used for mostly now) it would work.
My wifes Renault clio has done 8,000 miles in 7 years so she would certaily be a contender.

I say, bring them on and that way facilities will be provided for maybe charging them away from home if you get caught out. BTW, I just gave my son a really small generator that would easily fit into any space and possibly charge the car up in an emergency.

 

[Barnowl]

Expected to roll off the production line in 2013. 15 hours to recharge.

BBC News - Nissan Leaf electric car to be built in Sunderland

 

[eddieo]

I think they have a future as town cars. I was in the market for a town car two years back but had to resort to a petrol one in the end. I only need a genuine 40 miles max for a town car, but none could even indicate a promise of that.

Anyway, the range when the battery is new isn't what to go by when it can go down by as much as a third with each year, i.e.

45 miles could mean 30 miles second year, and 20 miles in year three, before spending a small fortune on a replacement battery. Very many years ago that was £4000 on the Peugeot e-207.
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There was talk recently of an astra style chinese contender with 160 mile range...what has happened to that If it was truly 160 I would go for one. would it mean free parking everywhere?

 

[flecc]

There was talk recently of an astra style chinese contender with 160 mile range...what has happened to that If it was truly 160 I would go for one. would it mean free parking everywhere?

More than just talk Eddie, it's the Chinese BYD car and has been in production for almost a year now. However, it's not a true e-car only, it's also got a petrol engine which takes over when LiFePO4 battery runs out.

The claimed electric range was only for perfect circumstances, they admitted it was more like 80 miles, but that when the batteries were new of course. Since they are intended to last for ten years, the range could be very small as time goes by.
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[eTim]

And new purchase price will be? Thinking ahead to 2013 it will be heading for £30,000, I can't see many sales when you can buy a small 'city' car for £5-10K new that will do 60mpg.

Pointless for the market - good for innovation and competition.

 

[Barnowl]

And new purchase price will be? Thinking ahead to 2013 it will be heading for £30,000, I can't see many sales when you can buy a small 'city' car for £5-10K new that will do 60mpg.

Not quite new but VW Polo Bluemotion 75mpg - fill & forget.

 

[flecc]

And new purchase price will be? Thinking ahead to 2013 it will be heading for £30,000, I can't see many sales when you can buy a small 'city' car for £5-10K new that will do 60mpg.

£14,000 is the typical ballpark UK figure for current smaller e-car designs. I think that's what Nissan might aim towards at today's levels. The exchange rate shouldn't come into it too much since even the batteries are intended to be made here. Presumably that will also be their policy in Japan and the USA where they will also be made.
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[Barnowl]

Not allowing for inflation, and based on the figures mooted in the states I'd expect a price somewhere between £16,000 and £24000. There's no battery leasing with this car.

Could make some sense in 2013 for someone doing local commutes in heavy traffic if petrol prices and taxes continue to rise. Hard to say and I'd rather use a bike for short distance travel.

 

[mapman]

Good news for me seen as i work at the factory, job security for the next 10 years i hope.

mapman.

 

[Barnowl]

Good news for me seen as i work at the factory, job security for the next 10 years i hope.

mapman.

Yes, it's alway good to new production coming into the UK rather than being shipped overseas. Good luck with that. I hope the cars a success. Maybe you'd get a discount.

 

[flecc]

Not allowing for inflation, and based on the figures mooted in the states I'd expect a price somewhere between £16,000 and £24000.

£16,000 in 2013 would be a very good price, but £24,000 would be out of the question and I couldn't see Nissan asking or expecting that.

Less than twenty years ago, Nissans were expensive, but those days have changed as the extraordinary value of my Sunderland produced Qashqai Acenta at the £15k I paid shows. Britain can do it! Maybe we'll show the way with e-cars too.
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[NRG]

I really think battery powered cars are a dead end due to the limited range and recharge times....until these issues are cracked they will just remain curiosities IMHO. I saw a Top Gear repeat the other day where the Honda Clarity fuel Cell based car was tested...its still in production and only sold in CA AFAIK but why has it not come to Europe yet.....more issues or is it just the infrastructure is not in place to support it...

Honda FCX Clarity - Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle - Official Web Site