Nissan is introducing the all-new 2011 Leaf; it’s just like any regular 5-seat, 5-door car. It has a 0-60 acceleration of 10 seconds, a top speed of 90 mph, Bluetooth, a navigation system, and many other features common to cars currently on the market. Except for one factor; it is electrically powered. This will be the first completely electrically run car the world’s market has ever seen.
Although on the outside it may seem just like any other car, many things differ when one compares a gas-powered car to an electrically powered vehicle. To begin with, the brakes use a regenerative breaking system, which prevent jolts or bumps in the ride. Furthermore, the steering is serviceably directional, allowing soft turns. Also, the engine makes virtually no sound. It is so quite that Nissan had to create noise for when the car is in motion as a safety precaution for pedestrians nearby. Ultimately the Leaf just provides a smoother ride; when a test driver was asked for his feelings towards the overall experience, he claimed that even a Ferrari pales in comparison. So one might ask, what is the downfall to the Leaf, which appears to be the perfect vehicle?
Many people are concerned about the look of the car; it has ridiculous headlights, a hatchback, and an overall frumpy look. But besides the superficial downfalls, the biggest problem is the known as “range anxiety.” People seem to stress out excessively about whether they will have enough battery power to make it to where they need to go.
Granted its flaws, I still believe that the Nissan Leaf will be a huge selling success. People will get over their “range anxiety,” because after the test driver traveled 80 miles in one day, the car still had over 20% battery life left. I also think the market will be able to looked past a less than perfect exterior because once they do purchasing the Leaf will lessen our imported oil dependency, diminish air pollution, and the drivers will ultimately get to experience a superior drive.
SOURCE: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703959704575453710456516180.html?mod=WSJ_Autos_LS_Autos_4
ReplyDeleteI think electric vehicles like the Leaf will slowly but surely enter the mainstream auto market. Take the Toyota Prius, the first gas/electric hybrid for example. At first people weren't sure of the strange combination and its looks wasn't spectacular. With the push for clean energy use in the early 2000s, Prius sales rose every year. Now there are many cars in the market that are hybrids. The recession was a bump in the road, but the trend for cars to go electric should continue. Once the Leaf has been out for a while and people realize they're not going to be stranded on the road, sales should pick up.
ReplyDeleteI think that this new vehicle will also slowly enter the auto market; however, once it's in, many people will start buying into the idea of having an electrically run vehicle. Many Americans are focusing on "Going Green" and like the Hybrid cars, this will help with this movement.
ReplyDeleteDo you guys think that the Nissan Leaf will have some competitors coming its way?
ReplyDeleteYes. Since the economy is in the situation that it is in, the auto market seems to be searching for many ways to create more electrically powered vehicles. This is a cheaper than using gas powered vehicles, which is the main interest of the buyers. Many other automotive companies need to jump on board if they want to continue to make a profit as the industry undergoes this change.
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