Mind Safari

Posts Tagged ‘electric car’

Nissan will start taking online reservations for the Leaf in April. Better get in line now; some 50,000 people have already signed up!

Nissan LEAF, the world’s first all-electric, zero-emission car designed for the mass market, and leads up to the start of the vehicle-purchase process. The Nissan LEAF will be available to consumers via lease or sale, in a single transaction that includes the battery. Steps to acquiring a Nissan LEAF are:

REGISTER: Interested people can register for more information about the Nissan LEAF on www.NissanUSA.com. To date, close to 50,000 people have registered on the website. Registrants will be given first priority to reserve a Nissan LEAF.

RESERVE: The reservation process will begin in April, shortly after the announcement of the price of the Nissan LEAF. Upon paying a fully refundable $100 reservation fee, registrants will be among the first in line able to order a Nissan LEAF.

ORDER: Nissan will begin taking firm orders in August, for deliveries when sales begin in the driver’s particular market.

EARLY DELIVERIES: Rollout begins in select markets in December 2010, with vehicles available in all major launch markets quickly thereafter.

“The Nissan LEAF purchase process is effortless, transparent and accessible, offering value with a one-stop-shop approach for everything related to the car, including the assessment, permitting and installation of in-home battery charging units,” said Carlos Tavares, Chairman, Nissan Americas. “We want everyone to feel good about having a car that is affordable, fun to drive and good for the environment.”

Coinciding with this next phase of the Nissan LEAF launch is the debut of Nissan’s initial global marketing campaign, which is called “The New Car.” A first look at the campaign – which illustrates Nissan’s passion about the potential for zero-emission mobility and a better, cleaner world – was shown in New York as part of the culmination of the Nissan LEAF Zero-Emission Tour.

The Nissan LEAF Zero-Emission Tour covered 10,000 miles in the United States and Canada, providing the first opportunity for more than 100,000 people to see and learn about the Nissan LEAF first hand.

“There was a groundswell of grassroots support from coast to coast,” said Tavares. “Everywhere we went, people recognized a new form of mobility – a turning point – and they wanted to be a part of it. The response was spontaneous and diverse. We were joined by mayors and government officials, CEOs, utility partners, car enthusiasts, students, dealers, media, environmentalists, Twitter users and lots of families.”

Tour Highlights:
Diverse tour stops, stretching from Stanford University to the Kennedy Space Center. Other stops included: Phoenix on New Year’s Eve, in conjunction with the Fiesta Bowl; Qwest Field in Seattle; the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry in Portland; and a charging-station-equipped McDonald’s in Cary, N.C. The tour also stopped at Nissan Americas in Franklin, Tenn; the Smyrna, Tenn., manufacturing facility where the Nissan LEAF will be built starting in 2012; and Nissan Design Americas in San Diego. New York area stops include Madison Square Garden (Feb. 10), and upcoming public displays at the Time Warner Center (Feb. 12) and the Liberty Science Center (Feb. 13).

Due to the high level of interest, Atlanta and Boston were added to the original tour schedule, bringing total cities to 24.

Many electric car companies are still trying to compensate for “glorified golf car syndrome.” It’s a kind of inferiority complex that pushes them to produce ultra-hip, spectacularly innovative, or screaming fast electric vehicles—and to brand them as revolutionary—even though it drives the cost up and out of range for most consumers. What about folks who simply want an affordable, dressed-down, highway-capable family sedan that runs on electric drive technology that’s been proven to work for 100 years?

The answer could be the Ford Focus EV due out in late 2011—the first electric car designed for the generic aisle of the dealership. Ford’s plans for the Focus EV are not aimed at buzz and sizzle. Instead, the company is focused on addressing the biggest obstacle between EVs and the mainstream: cost.

(Sure, those other companies expect to ramp up production, realize economies of scale, and eventually reduce costs down to reason. But doesn’t that seem like a roundabout way to achieve the goal?)

Technology As Cool

Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm (left) and Nancy Gioia, director of sustainable mobility technologies at Ford, check out the Ford Focus EV at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show.

The Ford Focus EV will be based on the next-generation Ford Focus, a capable if not head-turning car. By choosing an existing platform, Ford will save the expense associated with developing a unique design. Ever since the second-generation Prius, with its iconic design, became a hit, automakers have adopted the idea that a hybrid car with an innovative high-tech drivetrain needs to scream out for attention. That’s the direction that Nissan is taking with its yet-to-be-unveiled small electric car, also due out in 2012. The Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid, the new Honda Insight, and the Lexus HS250h are also original purpose-built designs.

Ford is gambling that the cool factor lies in the technology and price, not in the car’s name or the shape of the sheet metal. Pricing is not yet announced, but trimming the cost obviously will give Ford the ability to aim for affordability and profitability. (Nissan is aiming for $25,000 to $30,000 for its EV; and the Chevy Volt will cost in the range of $40,000.)

Pre-packaged Technology

The second cost-cutting measure is Ford’s use of generic pre-made electric car technology. In other words, Ford is using a system already developed by Magna International, a major global auto supply and technology firm, which has been looking for a carmaker to use its new pre-packaged electric car architecture, including motor, transmission, motor controller, lithium ion battery system and charger. Ford is the first to sign on.

Magna will also share in the engineering responsibility to integrate the electric propulsion system into the Ford Focus EV. Furthermore, Ford’s deal with Magna is non-exclusive—so the same system could be used by Ford’s competition to make an electric cars. In fact, Ford is encouraging Magna to spread the high-tech love, because Magna’s success with EV technology will increase the chances that other car companies will help defray costs. Implied in this approach is the likely slow rollout of pure electric cars, which could take a decade to grow beyond a niche.

Ford used a similar strategy with its Sync in-car entertainment system, developed in partnership with Microsoft, which can sell the technology to other automakers.

The Ford Focus EV is targeted to have a range of 100 miles between charges, courtesy of a 23 kWh battery pack. The Focus EV will not be a plug-in series hybrid, sometimes referred to as “extended-range electric vehicle,” which carries a small engine on board to recharge the batteries on the fly. Instead, you’ll need to plan your travels to get back to a plug before you use up the 100 miles worth of energy. Fully recharging could take from 6 to 12 hours, depending if you are using a 110-volt or 220-volt hookup. Ford is planning to introduce its own plug-in hybrid in 2012.

The Ford Focus EV will use a single-speed transmission. The powertrain, including the motor and gearbox, are packaged under the hood where you would expect to see a gasoline engine.

The Back Story

Ford had been chatting with Magna about electric cars for a couple of years, when in 2008 Magna presented its electric car prototype to Ford engineers and executives. “We took a look at that execution and said, ‘Hey, together we can really make this a proposition,” said Nancy Gioia, Ford’s Director of Sustainable Mobility Technologies.

Five months later, Ford announced its intention to produce the car at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show.

Early reviews of the Focus EV pre-production vehicles have been positive—with kudos for brisk acceleration, top-notch build-quality, and handling and braking much better than your average pre-production car. When Michigan’s Gov. Jennifer Granholm took a spin of the Focus EV at the Detroit Show, she was impressed. “At first, she was surprised that it wasn’t merely a concept car, but actually a road-ready demonstrator of battery electric vehicle technology,” said Gioia. “I think she was wowed by how it’s quiet, smooth and fun to drive.”