Nissan EV driven
This is the Nissan EV (electric vehicle), a precursor to the company's Leaf electric car that goes on sale in the UK at the end of 2010.
Nissan's EV uses the Leaf's platform, motor and battery set up, but is housed in the Tiida small family car that's sold in Japan.
The car uses lithium-ion batteries to power the 115bhp motor. These are in 48 battery modules beneath the floor, with four thin battery cells in each module.
The car is expected to have a range of about 100 miles and a top speed of 90mph.
What's it like to drive?
We took the Nissan EV for a short drive round the company's development track at its Oppama factory in Japan, and the EV felt like a small car should, with just a few differences from a conventionally powered car.
In the electric car, power delivery is instant and extremely smooth. Nissan says that the initial surge of power comes more quickly than in an Infiniti G37, which is powered by a 3.7-litre V6 engine.
There are no gears, just instantaneous power as soon as you press the accelerator.
It's quiet, too: all you hear is a whine when you accelerate and a small amount of road noise.
The EV's rear legroom is compromised slightly, because the floor is raised to accommodate the batteries, and the boot isn’t the biggest, either.
We'll be stepping inside the Leaf when it goes on display at the Tokyo motor show on Wednesday, so will report back then on cabin space.
Nissan EV driven - Car and Car-Buying News - What Car?
Nissan's EV uses the Leaf's platform, motor and battery set up, but is housed in the Tiida small family car that's sold in Japan.
The car uses lithium-ion batteries to power the 115bhp motor. These are in 48 battery modules beneath the floor, with four thin battery cells in each module.
The car is expected to have a range of about 100 miles and a top speed of 90mph.
What's it like to drive?
We took the Nissan EV for a short drive round the company's development track at its Oppama factory in Japan, and the EV felt like a small car should, with just a few differences from a conventionally powered car.
In the electric car, power delivery is instant and extremely smooth. Nissan says that the initial surge of power comes more quickly than in an Infiniti G37, which is powered by a 3.7-litre V6 engine.
There are no gears, just instantaneous power as soon as you press the accelerator.
It's quiet, too: all you hear is a whine when you accelerate and a small amount of road noise.
The EV's rear legroom is compromised slightly, because the floor is raised to accommodate the batteries, and the boot isn’t the biggest, either.
We'll be stepping inside the Leaf when it goes on display at the Tokyo motor show on Wednesday, so will report back then on cabin space.
Nissan EV driven - Car and Car-Buying News - What Car?
