Category Archives: Nissan

News and reviews of Nissan electric cars (including plug-in hybrids).

Lease costs for electric vehicles fall in 2018

January 22, 2019BMW, e-Golf, Electric Cars, I-PACE, i3, Jaguar Land Rover, Leaf, News, Reviews and Comment, Nissan, Renault, Sales, Volkswagen, ZOE, ZOE Z.E. 40Repost

Leasing costs of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) have fallen throughout 2018 according to data experts at Cap HPI.

The study looked at five of the best-selling models in the UK and discovered that monthly lease costs had fallen by 9.5% on average.

The UK’s best-selling electric car, the Nissan Leaf saw monthly lease values fall by 6.6% between January and November 2018. Monthly lease prices for the Renault Zoe fell by 16% between June and November.

Between in the 12 months up to November 2018, the BMW i3 saw lease prices drop by 9.2%. The Volkswagen e-Golf saw prices drop 14% over the same period.

The Jaguar I-Pace saw the smallest price drop with a fall of only 1.7% since April 2018.

Mark Turnbull, global head of consulting at Cap HPI, said: “Over the next few years the new price of BEVs will come down as more affordable ‘mainstream’ model ranges are introduced by many manufacturers.

“Used buyer perception will continue to improve as battery ranges are extended and charging times are reduced, and electric car technology proves to be robust and reliable. So subject to adequate investment in charging infrastructure, and positive government legislation, I believe their residual values will be stronger.

“A pincer movement of lower new prices and improved RVs will mean less depreciation in pound terms, and cheaper lease rates will speed up the adoption of this technology.”

OVO installs its first domestic vehicle-to-grid charger

January 4, 2019Charging, Electric Cars, Leaf, News, Reviews and Comment, Nissan, Ovo EnergyRepost

OVO has successfully installed its first vehicle-to-grid charger in a customer’s home, after the charge point was unveiled at the Energy Technology Product Showcase earlier this year.

The 6kW OVO Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) domestic bi-directional charger offers drivers of certain electric vehicles the opportunity to discharge excess electricity from their cars back to the electric grid to help supply energy at times of peak demand.

Available to Nissan Leaf drivers with a 30 or 40kWh battery, the vehicle-to-grid charger could enable Nissan drivers to have free power for their electric vehicles by selling energy back to the grid, says OVO.

It is part of the Innovate UK Vehicle-to-Grid competition, funded by the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) and the department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), in partnership with Nissan, CENEX, Indra and OVO.

Baby Named Lief after Nissan Leaf

December 27, 2018Electric Cars, Leaf, News, Reviews and Comment, NissanRepost

HONOLULU (KHON2) – Friday, Oct. 26, 2018 was anything but normal for Lori Kohara and Kyle Shimoda, who were expecting their second baby.

“I had contractions the night before so I couldn’t sleep the night before,” Kohara said.

She knew the baby was coming that day.

“In our birthing class they told us treat it like any other day,” she said.

And that’s what they did, Kohara working from home throughout the day.

Picking up the Leaf in Wolverton early in the morning (Image: T. Larkum) — A similar Nissan Leaf (Image: T. Larkum)

Kohara said it was her last day of work before maternity leave. She thought she had another two weeks to prepare for the baby.

“I finished my last meeting at 4 p.m., and I told Kyle [my husband], I’ll hop in the shower and then we’ll head to the hospital,” she said.

They grabbed their things and walked to the car. Kohara’s dad driving while the couple sat in the back seat.

“Maybe about three minutes after we left, my water breaks, and I’m like ‘oh my goodness,’ Kohara said.

“The first thing that goes through my mind is there goes the seat,” Kyle Shimoda said laughing.

The family got on the freeway at Kahala, but didn’t make it far.

Longer-range Nissan Leaf intro reportedly delayed due to Ghosn scandal

December 4, 2018Electric Cars, Leaf, News, Reviews and Comment, NissanRepost

Nissan doesn’t want chairman’s arrest to overshadow the Leaf’s debut.

When it introduced the second generation of the Leaf electric car in 2017, Nissan promised that a “higher power, longer range version at a higher price” would arrive in 2019. However, with Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn embroiled in a scandal, it seems we’ll have to wait a little longer for that long-range Leaf.

Reuters quoted an unnamed Nissan spokesperson as saying the introduction of the long-range Leaf has been delayed because of Ghosn’s legal troubles. The automaker reportedly wants to time the car’s introduction, “to ensure that this important product unveiling could receive the coverage it merits.” The car was reportedly scheduled to debut this week at events in Japan and Amsterdam. Nissan apparently has not yet set a date for the reveal of the new model, and it’s unclear whether or by how much this delay will set back the retail launch of the bigger-battery Leaf in 2019.

Hyundai Kona Electric vs Nissan Leaf

November 28, 2018Electric Cars, Hyundai, Kona Electric, Leaf, News, Reviews and Comment, NissanRepost

What’s the best affordable small electric car on sale? We test the new Hyundai Kona Electric against the Nissan Leaf to find out…

For years the Nissan Leaf had the affordable electric car market to itself, sewing up the sector with a balance of range, practicality, performance and affordability that made electric cars viable for many, if not the masses. But now there’s a new challenger.

Hyundai has launched its Kona Electric, and with a choice of battery sizes available packaged in an SUV body, it’s an appealing choice that matches the second-generation Leaf for price, range and performance.

EVs are here to stay, but has Hyundai nailed it with the Kona Electric? Or have Nissan’s years of experience with its all-electric hatch paid dividends and put it ahead of the competition? We find out.

Hyundai Kona Electric

For: Range, infotainment, slightly cheaper than the Leaf but just as well equipped as standard.
Against: Boot not as big as the Nissan’s, ride can sometimes be a little lumpy.

Hyundai’s compact Kona SUV was designed with an all-electric variant in mind, so buyers don’t have to make too many compromises with the packaging when compared with a petrol or diesel model.

The electric motor is mounted up front in place of a conventional engine and gearbox, and drives the front wheels through a single-speed automatic transmission. This means there are no gears; you simply select ‘D’ and drive, which makes it a smooth experience, just like in the Leaf.

Nissan Leaf gets approval for vehicle-to-grid use in Germany

November 3, 2018Charging, Electric Cars, Leaf, News, Reviews and Comment, Nissan, V2GRepost

So-called vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology is a connection between the EV and the grid through which power can flow from the grid to the vehicle and vice-versa. That potentially enables car owners to sell energy to the network, while utilities could use electric cars as a backstop if demand rises.

Nissan said it would initially target corporate clients with fleets of more than 60 electric vehicles, adding that services based on V2G technology would be offered in Germany from next year onwards.

There will be 280 million electric vehicles by 2040, according to estimates by the International Energy Agency, compared with more than 3 million last year.

“We strongly believe in an emission-free future,” Guillaume Pelletreau, Vice President and Managing Director, Nissan Center Europe, said. “Leaf batteries could make an important contribution to energy transition in Germany and a sustainable future.”

185,000 Plug-In Cars Were Sold In Europe In First Half Of 2018

August 21, 2018BMW, e-Golf, Electric Cars, i3, i3 94Ah, Leaf, Mitsubishi, Model S, Model X, News, Reviews and Comment, Nissan, Outlander PHEV, Renault, Sales, Tesla, Volkswagen, ZOE, ZOE Z.E. 40Trevor Larkum

June was the second-best month all time for plug-in electric car sales in Europe with more than 38,000 units put on the road.

With year-over-year growth of 37% in June, market share jumped to 2.4% (2.2% for the first half of the year).

The total sales in the first six months nearly hit 185,000 (43% more than a year ago) and it’s expected that more than 400,000 is possible in all of 2018.

Ultra-low emission registrations up 386% on first quarter of 2014 (Image: OLEV) — Ultra-low emission registrations up (Image: OLEV)

The top five best selling models in Europe – for the year are:

Nissan LEAF – 3,377 and 17,944 YTD
Renault ZOE – 3,425 and 17,016 YTD
BMW i3 – 2,002 and 11,301 YTD
Volkswagen e-Golf – 1,447 and 9,796 YTD
Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV – 2,174 and 9,662 YTD

Renault ZOE this time managed to beat Nissan LEAF and close the gap a little bit in the race for the best selling model.

As usual, the last month of the quarter brings some decent numbers from Tesla – 2,105 Model S and 1,829 Model X in June and 7,699 and 5,600, respectively for the year-to-date.

All-New 2018 Nissan Leaf Conquers The 3 Highest Peaks In A Day

August 10, 2018Electric Cars, Leaf, News, Reviews and Comment, NissanTrevor Larkum

A team from Nissan, together with the all-new 2018 Nissan Leaf, were involved in an extreme test of both electric and human endurance in support of an all-electric attempt at the National Three Peaks Challenge in the UK recently.

The National Three Peaks Challenge involves ascending and descending the three highest peaks of Scotland (Ben Nevis, 1,345 metres), England (Scafell Pike, 978 metres), and Wales (Snowdon, 1,085 metres), and driving between all three, in just 24 hours.

With the Leaf offering a larger capacity battery (40 kWh) and longer range (270 km combined), and the UK’s rapid charging infrastructure well developed along the route, two teams joined forces on a warm June day to take on the challenge.

Split into two units of Nissan Leaf, the teams started at 12 pm at Ben Nevis on one of Scotland’s hottest days of the year, with temperatures nearing 30-degrees Celsius. Descending the mountain mid-afternoon, the journey continued south to England, the Lake District and Scafell Pike, which was climbed in the very early hours of the morning with ambient temperatures still topping 20-degrees.

The morning of the second day brought the teams into Wales and towards their final destination of Snowdonia and the final peak – Snowdon.

Europe Electric Car Sales Up 37% In June

August 9, 2018Electric Cars, Leaf, Mitsubishi, Model S, News, Reviews and Comment, Nissan, Outlander PHEV, Renault, Tesla, ZOE, ZOE Z.E. 40Trevor Larkum

The European passenger plug-in market continues pushing forward. In June, the continent registered some 38,000 plug-in electric vehicles (PEV), up 37% relative to the same period last year and the continent’s second best performance ever.

That showing pulled the year-to-date (YTD) count to some 185,000 deliveries (+43% year over year, or YoY). In total, the 2018 PEV market share of the overall car market there is up to 2.2% (2.4% in June).

This time, fully electric cars (BEVs) grew slower (+20%) than PHEVs (+55%). Will we see all-electrics bounce back in the second half of the year?

Looking at Europe’s fuel mix, diesel continues to drop significantly (-16% YoY) in a growing market (+5.2%), while all other fuels (including CNG, LPG, …) are on the rise, profiting from the diesel-fleeing stampede. At this pace, the new registrations of diesel-powered vehicles will be virtually dead by 2025.

June saw the Renault Zoe beat the Nissan Leaf for the first time since February, with BEVs continuing to own the top positions. The Tesla Model S, meanwhile, profited from the usual last-month-of-quarter peak to join the top 5. It landed in the #4 position.

The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV managed to score another top 5 presence as well, winning at the same time the bestselling PHEV award.

Among models that landed in 2018, the best selling one is the Land Rover Range Rover Sport PHEV, which registered 235 units in June, adding to the current 498 registrations made this year.

5 Reasons EVs Will Displace ICEs

July 8, 2018Electric Cars, Leaf, Model 3, News, Reviews and Comment, Nissan, Opinion, Sales, TeslaTrevor Larkum

My grandfather was quite intrigued with those horseless carriages. Here he is, with a big grin on his face, testing out a Model T back in 1913.

A few years earlier, Henry Ford had debuted his Detroit assembly line and began cranking out Model Ts – the world’s first mass-produced automobile. The rest is history.

Then, a hundred years later in 2010, Nissan (OTCPK:NSANY) became the first company to mass-produce EVs (cars powered only by electricity), the Nissan Leaf. Motortrend at the time noted that the Leaf “could be the most significant vehicle of the century.”

Did the 2010 Leaf and does today’s Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) Model 3 indeed herald a transportation revolution into EVs, much as Henry Ford’s Model T did into “horseless carriages” a century earlier?

Well, EV sales have soared from practically nothing in 2010 to an estimated 1.6 million in 2018 and are up 68% over 2017.

The surge in EV sales (growing 50-100% each year now) is primarily due to better and more affordable batteries and today virtually every major automaker plans on introducing electric cars, if they haven’t already, both hybrids and EVs.