Category: Nissan

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Solar House Uses EV to Realize 75% Energy Self-sufficiency

Sekisui Chemical have launched the "Grand Two U V to Heim," a wooden smart house that links an electric vehicle (Nissan Leaf) and a solar power generation system with an output capacity of 10kW in the aim of realizing practical energy self-sufficiency.

By appropriately controlling a solar power generation system and the rechargeable battery of an EV, the system is able to provide up to 75% of the amount of electricity consumed by the entire house throughout the year.

Conventional "V2H" systems, which provide electricity from an EV to a house, have various limitations. For example, when electricity is supplied from an EV to a house, it is necessary to temporarily cut off electricity from the power grid. To solve this issue, the Grand Two U V to Heim comes with a grid connection system that also controls an EV and a solar power generation system.

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Nissan delivers 50,000th all-electric LEAF in U.S. [VIDEO]

Nissan achieved another milestone this month as Dallas residents Todd and Lisa Bolt made Nissan LEAF the first all-electric model to hit 50,000 sales in the U.S. The Bolt family took delivery of their black LEAF SL earlier this month at AutoNation Nissan of Lewisville.

Thanks to enthusiastic owner advocates, robust public charging infrastructure and the launch of a successful free charging promotion, Dallas – and the state of Texas – have become hot growth markets for LEAF. So far in 2014, LEAF sales in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex have grown by about 50 percent over the previous year, with that growth set to accelerate faster thanks in part to the introduction of a new state tax rebate of up to $2,500 on the purchase or lease of a new Nissan LEAF.

"Beyond the simple economics of not buying gas, we've been impressed with how well the LEAF drives," said Todd Bolt, a pastor at Gateway Church in Southlake. "When we show the LEAF off to family and friends, they're surprised that the car is so quiet and rides so well. The LEAF does everything we need day-to-day, and given the financial savings, I don't know why we'd buy another gas car."

Electric vehicle ownership has taken hold at Gateway Church, where both Todd and Lisa work, after an executive pastor did the math and decided to buy a Nissan LEAF. Now, more than 20 employees are in the fold, jokingly referring to themselves as the "Blessed LEAFs Club."

Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston are among 10 launch markets for "No Charge to Charge," a new promotion that provides two years of no-cost public charging to new LEAF buyers who took delivery of their car after April 1, 2014. The national promotion is modeled after a successful pilot program launched in Dallas and Houston last fall with Houston-based NRG eVgo.

"With 'No Charge to Charge,' the new EV tax credit and enthusiastic new owners like the Bolt family, Dallas is poised to climb the ranks of leading LEAF sales markets," said Toby Perry, director, EV Marketing for Nissan. "Texas is a great indicator that the right mix of customer awareness and strategically placed charging can lead to rapid EV adoption, and we expect to use that model to grow our sales in markets across the U.S."

With nearly 115,000 global sales since launch, Nissan LEAF is the world's top-selling electric vehicle. LEAF seats up to five passengers and boasts an estimated driving range on a fully-charged battery of 84 miles and MPGe ratings of 126 city, 101 highway and 114 combined. With a starting price of less than $30,000, LEAF is competitively priced with similar gas-powered cars after applicable tax credits, while providing the benefits of lower running costs and less scheduled maintenance.

LEAF is powered by an advanced lithium-ion battery and an 80kW motor that provides a highly responsive, fun-to-drive experience. A Nissan LEAF can be charged to 80 percent of its full capacity in about 30 minutes using its available quick charge port and a quick charger. Charging at home through a 220V outlet is estimated to take approximately five hours with the 6.6 kW onboard charger (approximately eight hours with the S grade's standard 3.6 kW charger).

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Nissan launches GT-R LMP1 WEC and Le Mans programme for 2015

Nissan will take on Audi, Toyota and Porsche in the World Endurance Championship from the start of next season.

Nissan has confirmed that it will mount a two-car attack on the full WEC with a car to be known as the Nissan GT-R LM NISMO.

Nissan vice-president Andy Palmer explained that his company wanted to exploit the new energy-based P1 rules introduced for this season by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest at Le Mans and the FIA.

"We applaud the ACO and FIA for the work they have done to get the rules right," he said.

"LMP1 is not just an arms race - all our rivals in the class have taken different technical approaches and we will be doing the same."

He explained that Nissan wanted "to win in a very different way to that of our rivals".

"We won't be turning up in a vehicle that is a basically another hybrid that looks like another Porsche, Audi or Toyota — they all look the same to me. Our intention is to do something that is a little bit different."

Nissan, which made its announcement in London on Friday afternoon, has yet to disclose technical details of the car or where it will be built.

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Nissan Leaf with 300 km range on sale by 2017

Nissan's next-generation Leaf electric vehicle will have a new battery that more than doubles its range. And Infiniti’s delayed electric car will debut with the improved battery by early 2017.

Nissan executives shed more light on the automaker’s next EVs, saying better range is key to higher sales. Nissan launched the Leaf in December 2010 and has already improved its performance. But engineers are working on a big jump with a revamped battery by 2017.

A new battery chemistry will debut by then for use by Infiniti and Nissan, said Andy Palmer, executive vice president in charge of Nissan’s zero emissions and Infiniti businesses.

“The battery chemistry is all about range and energy density. That’s where you see the technology moving very, very fast,” he said in an interview last month at the Beijing auto show. “This really is the game-changing technology.”

Longer range

Palmer declined to offer a target range. But the battery must deliver up to 300 kilometers, or 186 miles, for EVs to present an everyday alternative to the hydrogen fuel cell cars that rivals are developing, he said.

During an interview at the LA Auto Show, Pierre Loing, vice president of product and advanced planning and strategy at Nissan, hinted that his company may offer multi-pack size option that might increase range to 400 km.

Nissan have been working in a lithium nickel manganese cobalt battery chemistry since 2009 that was expected to enter production by 2015.

Nissan has not announced timing for the next-generation Leaf. But Palmer said the car is on a normal product cadence, from a full global launch dating to 2013: “I think if you thought about a normal model cycle from 2013, that would be more realistic.”

That would put the next Leaf’s arrival just after Nissan’s Power 88 business plan, which ends March 31, 2017, he added.

The Infiniti EV, however, will go on sale “close enough to be counted” as part of Power 88 and should arrive before the luxury brand gets its long-awaited top-shelf halo car, Palmer said.

“I think the EV will come earlier,” Palmer said, citing tightening government emissions rules, particularly in China. “To some extent, EV is now becoming practically a requirement.”

Better batteries

The Infiniti EV will get the company’s next-generation battery chemistry and feature wireless inductive charging, he said.

Infiniti had delayed the EV to wait for better battery technology. The debut was initially slated for 2014.

The Infiniti EV may have a greater range than the Leaf because its sedan packaging can accommodate a bigger battery.

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Night Racing in a Silent Nissan Leaf [VIDEO]

The location: one of Europe's quietest villages. The challenge: take a high speed run through the streets without waking a single person up!

Only one car has the combination of great performance and unbelievable quietness to make it possible: the 100% electric Nissan LEAF. But could it really succeed, and complete the course without ever passing 100 decibels?

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More than 400,000 Electric Cars on the Road Worldwide

The number of electrically powered automobiles worldwide climbed to just over 400,000 in early 2014. This figure, which only counts battery electric and plug-in hybrid cars, was determined in an analysis conducted by the Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg (ZSW).

The vehicle count doubled over the twelve months of last year, increasing by an impressive 200,000 units. The Ulm-based researchers found that demand is greatest in the USA, Japan and China, which are currently the globally leading markets. Germany is just seventh in the ranking, trailing France, the Netherlands and Norway. The most telling statistic is that countries with incentive programs have taken the lead in electric mobility, a market with a bright future. The top-selling cars are made by Japanese and American automotive companies; batteries are sourced mainly from Asia.

Incentive programs have sparked a run on electric cars in the lead markets. This benefits especially the pioneering companies Nissan, General Motors and Toyota. "Efforts in Germany are also quite impressive,"says Prof. Werner Tillmetz, a member of ZSW's board of directors at Ulm. Research into batteries has been stepped up significantly and automobile manufacturers are fast-tracking the development of advanced electric drives. "However, it will take far more effort to establish a lead market in this country with an end-to-end value chain that includes the key component, the battery. Otherwise we will be left behind by the global competition."

According to ZSW's study, the number of registered electric vehicles increased at an annual growth rate of over 100 percent in the last three years. Nearly 100,000 electric cars were on the road worldwide in early 2012. A year later the vehicle count came to 200,000, and already reached 405,000 early this year. If the past three years' growth rates are sustained, then more than one million electric vehicles will be out and about worldwide as early as the beginning of 2016. The researchers tallied the global registration numbers for cars with battery powered electric drives, range extenders and plug-in hybrids. They did not count motorcycles, trucks, buses or full hybrid vehicles, of which there are now more than six million.

The United States are well ahead with 174,000 electric cars, followed by Japan (68,000) and China (45,000). Close to 30,000 electric vehicles are registered in the Netherlands, compared to just 17,500 in Germany. A similar picture emerges in the automotive company rankings. Nissan is in the lead, having sold more than 90,000 of its Leaf models, followed by General Motors with combined sales of its Ampera and Volt models topping the 60,000 mark. Toyota, which has moved over 40,000 Prius Plug-Ins, is in third place

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Amsterdam Taxi Co First to run all-electric Nissan e-NV200

Taxi Electric will be the first private taxi company to enjoy the new 100 percent electric Nissan e-NV200 taxi to its green-energy-fuelled, zero-emission fleet.

The combination of Nissan's innovative zero-emission technology, in the form of the 100 percent electric Nissan LEAF and Taxi Electric's ground-breaking city transportation model have been a recipe for success since the start of operation in 2011. Now the two companies have teamed up again to build on this success and take the next step forward- introducing the game-changing all-electric Nissan e-NV200 taxi this summer.

Taxi Electric, based in Amsterdam operate a fleet of 25 Nissan LEAF vehicles and were the first private taxi service to switch to a fleet of 100% electric taxis in November 2011. The Dutch company's fleet of Nissan LEAF's have now amassed a trouble-free 1.5 million km in taxi operations- clear proof of the electric vehicle's high quality and reliability.

Andy Palmer, EVP Nissan said: "Taxi Electric was one of the first electric taxi companies in the world, and I've been impressed with their progress since their launch two years ago. They were the first to prove that zero-emission taxis - in the form of Nissan LEAFs - are a viable alternative. They have covered an astonishing distance in their fleet in such a short time and have shown just how reliable our electric technology is in a demanding environment. Their pioneering spirit closely matches ours and we are certain they will continue their success with the ground-breaking Nissan e-NV200."

Ruud Zandvliet, founder of Taxi Electric added: "Two years ago we started with 10 Nissan LEAF. Each of these travelled well over 100,000 km and proved to be extremely reliable. Since last summer demand for our taxis is growing rapidly which allowed us to double our fleet. We are very excited about the e-NV200 as it is designed to be a taxi. This will improve our offering and open new business opportunities for us."

Taxi Electric will not be alone in making the Nissan e-NV200 part of their taxi fleet, with the city of Barcelona having signed a memorandum of understanding with Nissan to promote it as a taxi for the Spanish region. Global production of the Nissan e-NV200 begins in May this year, with sales starting in the summer.

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Nissan Launch the e-NV200 Electric Van @ Geneva

Nissan continues to pioneer the electric vehicle sector with the introduction of the Nissan e-NV200, which brings unprecedented refinement, with zero emissions and ultra-low running costs to the compact van segment With this entry, Nissan will be the first automaker to have two all-electric vehicles in its global line-up, joining the Nissan LEAF, the world's best-selling EV.

Combining the best elements of two multi-award winning vehicles - Nissan LEAF and Nissan NV200, past World Car of the Year and International Van of the Year respectively - e-NV200 is ready to change the face of light commercial vehicles forever.

The e-NV200's high performance pure electric drivetrain, based on that used in the acclaimed Nissan LEAF, is allied to the class-leading cargo volume of the NV200 to create a practical and versatile vehicle capable of carrying people or goods while producing neither exhaust emissions nor noise pollution.

When sales start in June, e-NV200 will be available as a van or as a five-seat people carrier in Combi or more luxurious Evalia guises. Although mainly targeted at businesses, e-NV200 will also appeal to private users with large families. The e-NV200's homologated NEDC range (170kms) is greater than the average 100km daily driving distance of over half the fleets who utilise this class of van and the payload and cargo area is the same as NV200's.

The battery can be recharged overnight using a domestic 16-amp single-phase 3.3 kW supply which reduces to four hours if a 6.6kW/32-amp supply is used. A dedicated CHAdeMO DC 50 kW quick charger can recharge the battery from 0-80 percent in just 30 minutes or less if the battery is already partially charged. More than 1000 public CHAdeMO quick chargers are now installed across Europe, in addition a number of companies have installed their own dedicated quick charging facilities at their home depots or offices.

"The e-NV200 goes into a totally different market segment to the Nissan LEAF and alongside the world's best selling electric vehicle will help us continue to lead the EV revolution. To do that we haven't simply converted the NV200 to electric, we have thoroughly re-engineered to create a product that isn't just a good electric van, it is a fantastic van by any standards said Guillaume Carter, senior vice president of Sales and Marketing for Nissan Europe.

Director of Electric Vehicles for Nissan Europe, Jean-Pierre Diernaz is excited by what the e-NV200 brings to the range, commenting: "The proven and highly effective electric powertrain driving e-NV200 is ideally suited to the typical stop/start daily routine of a working vehicle. With no exhaust or noise pollution, e-NV200 is environmentally and people friendly, while the lack of fatigue-inducing noise and vibration from the drivetrain coupled with the single-speed transmission will provide genuine benefits to every hard working delivery or taxi driver. Fleet operators, meanwhile, will love the low running costs."

Although based on existing hardware, e-NV200 has undergone a full engineering development programme as if it were new from the ground up. The drivetrain has been re-engineered in a number of significant areas to suit its new role, while changes have been made to the vehicle shell to ensure there has been no compromise to NV200's cargo space.

The LCV version still has a cargo volume of 4.2m3 and can carry two standard Euro pallets, while sliding side doors on both sides and wide opening rear doors ensure that loading and unloading is as easy as possible.

A comprehensive ‘real-world' test programme has been undertaken in Japan and Europe with pre-production models handed over to internationally known companies - including FedEx, Coca-Cola, DHL, IKEA, British Gas and the Japan Post Office - to operate as part of their everyday fleets. Feedback from drivers and fleet managers has been used to fine tune e-NV200 before series production began at Nissan's major LCV facility in Barcelona, Spain.

"We believe e-NV200 will genuinely change the make-up of light van and taxi fleets as well as changing the environment in the heart of our cities," added Diernaz.

Nissan e-NV200 in detail

Although based on significant elements of two existing vehicles, e-NV200 is a bespoke vehicle with a unique part count of more than 30 percent.

Differences between e-NV200 and NV200 include striking visual changes, a re-engineered chassis, interior revisions, a new battery pack, a higher capacity regenerative braking system and other modifications to ensure e-NV200 is better suited to its likely role as a city-based delivery vehicle for cargo and people.

The result is a near silent and emission-free future-proof electric vehicle that promises genuine advantages for drivers, fleet operators, passengers, pedestrians and city residents alike.

The most obvious visual difference between e-NV200 and its conventionally powered sibling is the adoption of Nissan's EV "face," familiar from Nissan LEAF. The central charging doors and unique blue tinted LED headlights give a modern look and distinct identity from its ICE sibling.

Blue-tinted arrow-like positioning lamps sit within new, crescent-shaped, headlamps that incorporate a distinctive ice blue light colour. LED bulbs are used in the rear lights of all versions as well as at the front on passenger models. The "electric" blue theme extends to the e-NV200's badging.

Inside there's a new instrument panel with a digital read out, while the gear selector has a simplified look and feel - shifting like a conventional automatic rather than the computer-style joystick of LEAF - to help drivers regularly moving from internal combustion engined vans into the e-NV200 acclimatise more quickly.

Digital information includes clear and easy-to-assimilate displays for vehicle speed, state of charge and vehicle range while a power meter shows the state of motor output/regeneration. The instrument panel is completed by a multi-function display that provides other time, distance and speed information.

Mechanically, e-NV200 owes much to the Nissan LEAF with independent front suspension by MacPherson strut from the world's best selling EV. LEAF also provides the drivetrain, including its recently introduced second generation 80kW AC synchronous motor, which is now fully integrated with the battery charger and inverter in one compact, self-contained unit.

There are some significant changes, however, for e-NV200. Most notable is the Lithium-ion battery which has been changed to allow it to fit under e-NV200's floor without compromising the cargo area. The new pack, which is built at Nissan's plant in Sunderland, UK, and assembled in Barcelona, has the same number of modules - 48 - as in Leaf and the same 24kWh capacity, but is packaged differently.

The battery module is set low in the vehicle under the load floor and is mounted in a reinforced zone for extra safety protection in the event of an impact. The battery mounting assembly also helps boost the torsional and lateral stiffness of the vehicle by 20 percent and 35 percent respectively over NV200.

With a low centre of gravity, the ride and handling levels of e-NV200 are exceptional, even by the standards set by the NV200 while the instant torque delivery typical of an electric vehicle means the battery-powered version accelerates faster: its 0-100km/h time is quicker than the 1.5 dCi-powered NV200, with final figures confirmed later this year.

Another drivetrain change over LEAF determined by e-NV200's likely usage pattern is a new braking system with a higher regenerative capacity. This takes advantage of the vehicle's typical stop/start city driving modes, while Hill Start Assist is fitted as standard, holding the vehicle for two seconds after the footbrake is released to allow smooth starting.