Best and Worst of 2009: The Year in Green Cars
Nissan LEAF
The unveiling of the LEAF electric car by Nissan (Jacob was in Japan and covered the event) was one of the big developments of 2009.
The LEAF has a lithium-ion battery pack capable of storing 24kWh of electricity and an electric motor with an output of 80kW. Range should be about 100 miles (160 kilometers), but Nissan has already announced plans to double the LEAF's range by 2015 and to allow buyers to select bigger batteries when they pick the car's options.
Global distribution of the LEAF is planned for 2012, but Nissan will start taking reservations in the Spring of 2010, and the Canadian province of British Columbia will get the electric car before the rest of the world, in 2011.
Trivia: Nissan is working on ways to make the LEAF a bit noisier at low speeds for the safety of pedestrians and cyclists.
Photo: Nissan
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