Nissan is intent on leading the automotive industry to mass-market zero-emission mobility. Since the introduction of their LEAF electric vehicle, the company has boldly proclaimed its zero-emission strategy and speaks about its holistic approach to business regularly. Corporate greenwashing or the truth? EV Authority spoke with Nissan’s Steve Yaeger to find out.
For most prospective EV buyers range is an exceedingly important factor. Nissan pegs the LEAF’s electric range between 62 and 138 miles when fully charged. Why the fluctuation?
Vehicle speed has the largest impact on energy use (whether vehicle is gas or electric). The reasons why you see less mpg at 70 mph than at 55 are the same factors in an EV. So the most prominent variables affecting EV range are speed and the use of heating, and to a lesser extent, air conditioning. Like an internal combustion engine-powered vehicle (ICE), an EV expends more energy going uphill than it does on a level road. Unlike an ICE-powered vehicle, EVs actually can regenerate energy on downhill sections.
Your website states that “100 miles is more than enough!” Is it really? What do you recommend people do when they want to take the occasional road trip with their LEAF?
Studies of conventional vehicle driving patterns find that 72% of American drivers travel less than 40 miles a day and 95 percent drive less than 100 miles a day. The network of DC fast chargers (480V) is expanding, making driving an EV between cities easier by the month. That said, most LEAF owners have at least one ICE vehicle in their household, which is an option for long trips. But early owner surveys are showing us that the Leaf usually becomes the primary-use car in these households. What owners find is that with the 37 to 40 miles of driving they are doing in a typical day, the Leaf is more than capable of doing it with ease.
What happens if a driver runs out of juice while on the road?
It’s the same thing that happens when you run out of gas. You’ve ignored multiple warnings and when you coast to a stop you call for help. We offer free roadside assistance and companies like AAA and Cross Country are introducing mobile charging into their tow truck fleets. With an on-board battery pack or generator you get a roadside charge to get you home. Just like picking up couple gallons of gas to make it to the next pump.
For electric vehicles to be viable, ample charging stations need to exist. Is Nissan actively investing in this infrastructure, lobbying the government or otherwise facilitating its creation?
Absolutely. We’ve established over 80 global partnerships and counting. In the U.S., we have more than 28 partnerships. Starting back in 2008 we signed our first partnership with the state of Oregon to work together to make zero emission mobility a reality. Since then our holistic approach involves states, cities, utilities, economic development offices, regulatory boards, even housing authorities. We are partners in the largest deployment of public charging stations, multiple solar charging projects, Oak Ridge National Labs, and we’re now in an electric vehicle taxi project with the city of New York.
Ford just announced the release of their 2012 Focus Electric. They claim their charging technology can power the vehicle in half the time it takes the LEAF (more than three hours). What technologies are Nissan pursuing to improve electric vehicle range?
Nissan LEAF offers ability to DC fast charge (480V). In fact, over 90% of LEAF owners have the ability to quick charge. You can get about a day’s worth of range in about five minutes. Ford Focus does not have the capability. With a DC fast charge, you can fully charge in under 30 minutes, much faster than Ford’s 3+ hours.
Their 2x claim only applies to charging with 240v power, and it will apply for less than a year. When we begin to build Nissan LEAF in the US by the end of 2012, we will offer the same 240V charging speed and Focus EV will still not have the option to DC quick charge.
Zero-emission mobility is the centerpiece of your company’s green technologies future. With the mass production of the LEAF and Nissan’s commitment to a growing range of electric vehicles, do you see EVs making up a large percentage of your sales in the coming years? Can you give an estimate 5 or 10 years down the road?
Every journey begins with a single step. Our CEO Carlos Ghosn has stated that the introduction of EVs into the marketplace will happen at a very deliberate pace. The Nissan-Renault Alliance’s stated goal is to have 1.5 million EVs on the road worldwide by 2016. The total industry volume of just the U.S. market alone is 13 – 14 million new vehicles per year. We believe things will begin to change quickly after 2016. Mr. Ghosn has also set a target of 10% market share for EVs by 2020.
With growth in the single household and elderly populations, Nissan’s New Mobility Concept envisages ultra-compact two-seaters as becoming more popular. Are these vehicles scheduled for production anytime soon?
We can’t comment on future product timing, but concepts like Pivo 3 are real-world solutions to future mobility that our company continues to refine and develop.
As part of its Zero Emission vision, Nissan is taking a “Holistic Approach.” In this sense, what is meant by holistic?
Nissan plans to introduce four EVs by 2015. At the same time, we are developing gas-electric hybrid systems, advanced fuel saving CVT transmissions and other alternative energy mobility systems that will reduce consumption. Nissan is committed to lowering our global carbon footprint – in manufacturing plants, in office buildings, in our workforce behaviors and processes. If you visit the Smyrna manufacturing plant where the LEAF will be built next year, you’ll see a commitment to recycling, composting and energy conservation that isn’t easily done in a huge 30-year old facility. We support projects like the Urban Green Lab in Nashville, the city’s first community center dedicated to sustainable living. Nissan has received an Energy Star “Partner of the Year” designation the past two years, and we are continually seeking new ways to become a sustainable organization.
