Electric future for cars

The Nissan LEAF is now on sale in Australia. According to Nissan, the LEAF is the world’s first purpose-built, mass-produced, all-electric car that produces zero emissions at the tailpipe. Nissan invited Sustainability Matters to test drive the LEAF.

The drive

I approached the test drive expecting the LEAF to feel and handle like an electric golf cart - but was pleasantly surprised. Certainly, the LEAF is as quiet as a golf buggy, but that’s where the similarities end. It drives far more smoothly and accelerates much faster - and is infinitely more stylish - than your average ride on the links.

The LEAF has most of the features of my European car: built-in satellite navigation, a reversing camera and a panel with an array of information about the motor - which is a bit distracting at first - but considering the novelty of the technology, is definitely nice to have. It has a few things my Volkswagen doesn’t, too: a smart key, regenerative braking, a CarWings system that updates the navigation system with nearby charging station locations and a nifty solar panel on the rear spoiler that charges a separate 12 V battery for accessories.

The CarWings system is also smart enough to tell you whether you have enough charge to reach the destination you input into the navigation system and connects to your smartphone or computer to allow you to remotely monitor the current charge status. It even allows you to remotely switch on the heater or air conditioner so your car is nicely heated or chilled when you step into it. I wish Volkswagen had thought of this one!

An ‘eco-indicator’, in the form of a tree icon, shows driver efficiency. The more efficiently a driver handles the car, the faster the tree ‘grows’. Rodney, the friendly Nissan representative who accompanied me on the test drive, said that in America, LEAF drivers compete to see who can ‘grow’ their tree the fastest - the eco-conscious driver’s equivalent to drag racing, I suppose.

One thing petrolheads might miss is the sound of the engine. It was a little disconcerting at first to be in control of an almost silent vehicle, but drivers may well enjoy the peace and quiet once they get used to it. In fact, the engine is so quiet that Nissan has had to install an ‘Approaching Vehicle Sound for Pedestrians’ that is emitted from a speaker at low speeds. The sound cuts out above 40 km/h.

While it may lack the distinctive rumble of an internal combustion engine, the LEAF is definitely a quiet achiever. Nissan says the 80 kW (108 bhp) electric motor instantly generates 280 Nm of torque from a standing start - that’s equivalent to a 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine.

Perhaps what’s so surprising about the LEAF, though, is that despite the technology that powers it, it doesn’t feel much different to an average petrol car. As my driving companion Rodney said, “It’s just a car” - a car that happens to be electric. It doesn’t feel like anything has been sacrificed, despite the fact that, as Nissan says, “It’s not a conversion of a conventional car but has been designed as an EV [electric vehicle] from the ground up.”

Downsides include the price and the driving range. At $51,500 MSRP - and that’s before you fork out $2750 for a ChargePoint - it’s not a cheap car. And the driving range of 170 km - less if you use the air conditioner - means it’s only suitable for city driving.

But drawbacks like these are to be expected with such new technology. The LEAF’s main competitors, the Mitsubishi i-MiEV and the Holden Volt, are priced comparably, at $48,800 and approximately $60,000 respectively. And, as Nissan’s Deputy Division General Manager Francois Bancon pointed out, “This technology’s expensive.” As for the driving range, no doubt this will improve as the technology does.

Green credentials

Electric cars are being touted as the green alternative to petrol cars, but just how environmentally friendly can a car be if it’s run from electricity?

“It is important to remember that Australia has a mandated renewable energy target which will see the progressive development of a significant amount of renewable power generation between now and 2020,” said Chris Giaouris, Retail Executive Origin E-Mobility. “So as we decarbonise our power generation in Australia, electric vehicles will become even cleaner.”

Origin Energy is Nissan’s preferred charging partner for the Nissan LEAF and offers several ChargePoint options for EV drivers. For the particularly eco-conscious EV driver, Origin also offers a range of GreenPower options that allows users to incorporate 25, 50 or 100% renewable energy into their electricity bill.

“Electric vehicles emit practically no emissions when run on 100% GreenPower, and in most circumstances produce fewer emissions than comparable petrol vehicles, even without GreenPower,” Giaouris said.

This is supported by a 2009 study conducted by Curtin University that concluded that “the use of 100% renewable energy for recharging of EVs would result in no well-to-wheel emissions”.

The future is electric

The EV scene in Australia looks poised to take off. Nissan, Mitsubishi, Holden and Renault are all in the process of releasing electric cars in Australia, and Nissan will launch its e-NV200 all-electric van in the near future, as well as an electric Infiniti (the company’s luxury brand) after the brand is launched in Australia in August.

Origin Energy is the preferred Electro Mobility Operator (EMO) for the Nissan LEAF and its Home ChargePoint product is J1772 compliant, meaning that its outlet is compliant with most EVs on the Australian market. It is already being used by LEAF, Holden Volt and Mitsubishi i-MiEV drivers, Giaouris told Sustainability Matters.

Another business that’s boosting the EV movement in Australia is Better Place, an electric car charging network that will provide charging and infrastructure networks and services. As well as installing charge spots for EV drivers, the company is building battery switch stations - drive-through services where a robotic system changes depleted batteries for fully charged ones, apparently in less time than it takes to refuel a petrol car.

The company will also own and manage a portfolio of EV batteries, with EV drivers paying a monthly membership for batteries and energy use. This will reduce the upfront cost of buying an EV, the company says. The company claims to provide only 100% renewable energy to its customers.

Dr Andrew Simpson, author of the Curtin University EV study, writes, “It should also be noted that Australia’s current annual generation of approximately 15,000 GWh of renewable electricity could supply a fleet of approximately five million EVs and the Federal Renewable Energy Target of 45,000 GWh could supply the entire national vehicle fleet.”

With new cars, new infrastructure and increased renewable energy, perhaps one day it will be easy being green.