11.22.2010

Nissan Leaf to get equivalent of 99 mpg

Nissan Leaf to get equivalent of 99 mpg

Excerpts:

Nissan Motor Corp. said Monday the Environmental Protection Agency's fuel efficiency window sticker, which provides information about the car's energy use, would estimate the electric car will achieve the equivalent of 106 mpg in city driving and 92 mpg on the highway.

EPA's tests estimate the Leaf can travel 73 miles on a fully charged battery and will cost $561 a year in electricity. Nissan has said the Leaf can travel 100 miles on a full charge, based on tests used by California regulators.

...

EPA calculated the Leaf's fuel economy based on a formula that says 33.7 kilowatts per hour holds the energy equivalent of one gallon of gasoline. The label estimates a charging time of 7 hours on a 240-volt charge. Cost estimates were based on 15,000 miles per year at 12 cents per kilowatt-hour.

Comment: See I reserved a Nissan Leaf

5 comments:

  1. Hey Jim, have they said anything about how the batter will do in severe weather conditions like MN cold or AZ heat?

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  2. Um, at current prices for gasoline, I'm getting about 75mpg equivalent, not 99. You only get to 99mpg at California fuel prices.

    And then there is the "little issue" of burning coal instead of gasoline, environmentally speaking.

    Regarding Daniel's comment, the reality of Arrhenius acceleration and thermal losses in a battery does mean that performance is going to suffer to some extent in the winter, especially as you start using a lot of "juice" to heat the car. Heated seats would be a good way to start working this, and perhaps a heat pump instead of a heater/AC unit.

    That said, most heat pumps stop working at about 20 below. There would be times here in Minnesota where they won't exactly work, to put it mildly.

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  3. Thanks for the comment about MN weather affecting the battery. I also wonder about AZ heat, because that drastically reduces a normal car battery's life. I know there were some years where my parents went through a new battery every year.

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  4. EPA label

    Not sure if this is just a mock up or the real thing.

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  5. If it's the real thing, and the Times article indicates it could be, the EPA should be prosecuted for fraud. Burning coal to power a car generates a significant amount of carbon dioxide and pollution.

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