What is the Nissan LEAF?

The Nissan LEAF is a 5-door electric car (hatchback) created by Nissan. LEAF stands for “Leading, Environmentally Friendly, Affordable, Family Car.” The Nissan LEAF was introduced in both Japan and the USA in December 0f 2010.

Nissan Leaf Specifications
Production of the Nissan LEAF started in 2010. Even now, Nissan continues to produce this model. This electric car has a 5-door hatchback body style and has a front-engine and front-wheel drive layout. The Nissan LEAF has a 110 hp, or 80 kW synchronous motor and uses a 24 kWh battery (lithium ion). It is 175 inches in length, 69.7 inches in width and 61 in height. The Nissan LEAF has a curb weight of 3,354 lbs.

Benefits and Awards of the Nissan LEAF
Because it is an all-electric car, the Nissan LEAF does not produce any greenhouse gasses, nor does it produce tailpipe pollution. This kind of car has very little dependence on petroleum. Among the awards that this electric car has received include, the “Green Car Vision Award” in 2010 and the “European Car of the Year” in 2011. Among the list of EPA-certified vehicles, the Nissan LEAF has been ranked first in terms of efficiency for all types of fuels.

Problems About the Nissan LEAF
In April of 2011, some US customers were reported to be having problems with restarting the LEAF after the motor has been switched off. Nissan assured the public that this particular problem does not pose as a hazard. Nissan also added that the problem only affected a small portion of the total LEAFs produced and sold. Engineers at Nissan have reported that the cause of the problem is an air-conditioning system sensor error. This error sometimes triggers a wrong high-voltage alert whenever the air-conditioning system is switched on. The solution to this particular problem is a reprogramming of the vehicle’s control module, which is done by a Nissan dealer.

Markets for the Nissan Leaf
Nissan was first introduced officially in the company’s Yokohama global headquarters on December of 2010. The first customer delivery in the US was in Northern California and the first customer delivery in Japan was at Kanagawa Prefecture. Both deliveries happened in December of 2010. In Ireland, the first individual customer delivery of the Nissan LEAF happened in February of 2011. In the UK, the first individual customer delivery was in March of 2011 and in France, the first individual delivery happened in August of 2011. In Switzerland, Belgium, Spain and Norway, sales to individual customers began starting the second half of 2011. By 2012, the Nissan LEAF will be made available globally. As of June 2011, about 5,000 Nissan LEAFs have been delivered in its country of origin, Japan. In the US, more than 6,000 LEAF units have been sold as of July 2011.