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Nissan Collects 6,635 Leaf Orders in 3 Days
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Written on: 26 April 2010 [02:58]
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iafb83
Topic creator
registered since: 20.08.2009
Posts: 5
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I was quite surprised that electric-only was so mainstream. Looks like Nissan expects 25,000 pre-orders before the Leaf goes on sale in December, and racked up over 6000 in three days. I thought diesel and hybrids would be the only real 'green' options but I may be wrong. I don't think I could own a Leaf as my only car, especially due to the difficulty of road trips, but I'd be curious to see how many people here would seriously consider an all-electric vehicle? Here's the article on the Leaf sales if you're interested: http://acceltimes.com/news/2010/4/nissan-collects-6635-leaf-orders-in-3-days-042410.php Thx |
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Written on: 01 June 2010 [17:39]
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kensingtongreen
registered since: 11.02.2010
Posts: 7
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By the end of May 2010 they've already had around 20,000 pre-orders (the majority from the U.S.). For me, personally, cars like Nissan Leaf (and Optimal Energy Joule to some extent) represent the most favourable course of development. It is a proper-size car, it will do OK in a crash-test and LOL, it has a longer range than an egg-shell three-wheeler (which will not do OK in a crash-test). It should be a no-brainer, really. I'm not endorsing people to buy Nissan, I'm just saying that a 5-seater family car is the best way forward in order to make the BEV segment look remotely mainstream. Now it's a battle, who will survive the losses because all the BEV makers will suffer losses in the first couple of years, including Nissan. |
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Written on: 19 July 2010 [21:29]
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insight
 registered since: 26.04.2008
Posts: 34
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The Leaf is very impressive and the first years production is already sold out. In April I was able to test drive the mule that has been touted around the world and then sit in the pre production prototype. The test drive revealed the car has plenty of acceleration,is quiet,very smooth and handles well. However it was on a perfect surface so don't know what the ride comfort or road noise will be like. The blue pre-production show car was a beauty and had normal space inside as well as in the trunk/boot area. Considering the battery packs are distributed under the floor and seats there was no indication of this from inside the passenger compartment.I suppose when one considers the size of a gas tank and exhaust system there must be considerable space under the rear seat for batteries. Battery configuration appears as flat modules the size of a laptop which can be stacked in different numbers to suit the void. Opening the hood revealed nothing more than plastic covers like in most ice cars today but obviously the motor was somewhere under there with control units,charger,A/C and heating units. Drive selection is similar to the Prius with a stubby drive by wire selector and of course there are no gears or clutches.In case anyone wonders I haven't ordered one yet but will when the time is right financialy. |
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Written on: 03 August 2010 [03:27]
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childress
Administrator
registered since: 14.08.2007
Posts: 140
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kensingtongreen wrote: It is a proper-size car, it will do OK in a crash-test and LOL, it has a longer range than an egg-shell three-wheeler (which will not do OK in a crash-test). It should be a no-brainer, really. Hmmm... not the first time I've been called brainless  I just got back from the Progressive Automotive X PRIZE and after years of being told by physicists, engineers and common folk that 'three wheels bad/four wheels perfect' I got to see two three-wheelers glide through the moose test (double lane change) and two four wheelers fishtail wildly on the brink of going out of control after the second lane change. The TW4XP went up on two wheels but was in control (which I define as going in the direction the driver was steering it) the whole time, and the aptera was so smooth it looked like it was in slow motion! one, two, three or 8 wheels, stability and crash-test survivability depend on design, not the number of wheels or vehicle size. The egg, after all, is one of the strongest biological structures (http://www.abc.net.au/science/surfingscientist/indestructible_egg.htm)! All of the vehicles at the PIAXP that made it out of Knockout (and some that didn't make it out of knockout) did the 100 mile, 50 lap course -- again, distance is a matter of design -- primarily lightweighting, Cd/slipstreaming and tire rolling resistance (and after that how much money you have to throw at battery packs!) Commute suck? Twike it; You'll like it!
http://www.uiuc.edu/goto/twike |
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Written on: 03 August 2010 [10:03]
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insight
registered since: 26.04.2008
Posts: 34
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The success of the Aptera performing as it does through the moose test is down to compromise in another department. Any three wheeler with the Aptera layout that does'nt lean or bank will need a very stiff front suspension to counteract roll thus making for a stiff uncomfortable ride. This stiffness together with the tripod layout introduces another negative trait in the form of upper torso stress on occupants. When either front wheel hits a pot hole or bump the upper body is jerked sideways off vertical. This same characteristic is present in four wheelers but much subdued. This is due to the extra suspension unit of the fourth wheel plus the sharing of stress by the other three units. The vertical movement is absorbed without tilting the car body off its vertical axis to the same degree. This is not a theory but a fact as I have owned several trikes and built at least one. The egg shape is strong but only if the forces exerted against it are uniformly distributed. This is hardly so in automotive crashes so don't be misled by hype. Insight |
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