Nissan pokes fun at Volt, claims 367 mpg equivalent for Leaf EV
Nissan Leaf EV – Click above for high-res image gallery
Not content to let General Motors grab all the shiny happy tree-huggy headlines today with its 230 mpg claim for the Chevy Volt in city operation, the gang manning the NissanEVs Twitter account needled GM's range-extended EV messiah, tweeting:
Nissan Leaf = 367 mpg, no tailpipe, and no gas required. Oh yeah, and it'll be affordable too!
Given that the methodology of how the feds will ultimately arrive at the official mileage numbers (or mileage equivalents) for many of these next-gen greenmobiles is not yet finalized, we'll take all the hype and scoreboard pointing with a grain of salt until we see actual, final numbers posted at FuelEconomy.gov. (Nissan says its 367 mpg figure was derived by using the Department of Energy formula.)
In any case, a Twitter spitball fight between GMBlogs and NissanEVs over this stuff would be kind of entertaining to watch. Sorta like the nerdy opposite of the ZR1 vs. GT-R debate.
Gallery: 2010 Nissan Leaf EV
[Source: Nissan EVs onTwitter]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 11)
Kevin 1:32PM (8/11/2009)
So what happens when the battery runs out because you had to make it stop.
1) Wait for hours and hours at a gas station after begging the clerk to let you borrow an outlet.
2) Get your car towed home.
Hmmm......
Reply
Kevin 1:33PM (8/11/2009)
*Because you had to make an extra stop?*
Sorry... Typing > Me.
Dude 1:45PM (8/11/2009)
@kevin,
Dude. Stop.
We know you heart the volt.
Is GM paying you or what?
Dave 1:48PM (8/11/2009)
Well the Volt has the range extension so you could use gas also, while this Nissan is just a regular electric car and of course it will be cheaper b/c they most likely didn't experiment it as much b/c Chevy had to make it work with electric and gas and the 6k rpm to not have vibration and the exterior and most likely the interior is ugly so they didn't have to pay designers much.This car is a failure!!
Dave 1:55PM (8/11/2009)
well in case you guys didn't understand about which car I was talking about when i said interior and exterior is ugly I'll clarify that I was talking about this jellybean nissan.
Kevin 1:56PM (8/11/2009)
@ Dude.
Dude, did I say anything about the volt?
This whole thing about EV cars dumb IMO, because when the battery dies, you're screwed. Doesn't make sense to me. Or if something goes wrong when you go to charge it (didn't plug it in all the way, breaker trips) and for some reason it doesn't charge, then what?
Yes I do think the Volt is better because you can have your cake and eat it too. No I do not work for GM... :-D
Luis 2:00PM (8/11/2009)
Actually GM admitted the Volt also FAILS unless you can plug it in. He said this during the press conference this morning. He specifically mentions my hometown of Boston, 'in Back Bay if you have to park on the street the Volt doesn't make much sense until re-charging infrastructure is in place...'
Kevin 2:03PM (8/11/2009)
Except for the fact that you can still drive it if it doesn't get charged? And not some big waste of space. An ugly one I might add.
leunamme 2:17PM (8/11/2009)
is being a troll contagious? because i don't want to catch whatever you guys got...
Lemon 2:34PM (8/11/2009)
Kevin,
You bring up some good points, but really EVs just need the necessary infrastructure to support them. I think that the Volt is an excellent stepping stone in the direction of BEVs and the perfect vehicle for right now, but 10 or 20 years down the road hopefully there will be technologies in place to support fully electric vehicles. I did some research on this last semester and remember hearing about 10 minute quick charge stations that could charge the batteries to about 80% (if I remember correctly). You asked what would happen if the batteries ran out or the charger wasn't plugged in right, but in the same way someone could ask what would happen if the gasoline ran out or the pump was used improperly. Either way, this is all very interesting. It's an exciting time for the auto industry!
xmdfmk7x 2:43PM (8/11/2009)
@Kevin
Great point! That Nissan Leaf is a horrendous turd. I like the idea of deciding how far I want to go instead of having the vehicle decide it for me.
bbourgeois87 3:13PM (8/11/2009)
Perhaps combine EVs with the touchstone charging method of the Palm Pre? Put it in the roads (uber expensive :P) and voila - infinite range for EVs! Or put it in parking spaces and make it where you pay separately for charging the EV and for parking. (so non-EV users don't end up paying for something they don't want or use). Say, $2-3/hr to charge? Conventional plugs could be used, but they could end up being safety hazards. Dogs biting them, rain, shorting out, etc.
Kevin 2:50PM (8/11/2009)
Lemon, great post. I agree, very exciting times..
xmdfm, Good point as well. You shouldn't have to have a limit on your driving, as long as a gas station is nearby, or until there is quick-charging mainstream technology.
McPOW 2:49PM (8/11/2009)
@Kevin It's really simple, if the tradeoffs between a gas and electric don't make sense for you, don't buy one. For the vast majority of urban drivers, in 99% of all use cases (driving to work and back) with about 0 planning you can make and electric work for you. If you don't feel you can handle that, don't get one.
Kevin 2:57PM (8/11/2009)
McPow, I do completely understand what you're saying, and I feel like 99 percent of the time it would be and acceptable means of transportation. But when you have to drive somewhere further than the range of the vehicle, it becomes useless, and you would have to have a completely separate vehicle for those 1% trips. And I think that will be a big deal breaker for consumers right now.
But that's just me...
Chibi Chaingun - blackhivemedia.com 3:14PM (8/11/2009)
I agree with Kevin. Americans aren't going to like the idea of buying a car that can potentially leave you stranded if anything out of your routine crops up.
The Volt is the happy medium. Insanely good MPG and the ability to cater to those quoted "99%" of people that can take advantage of the EV mode only for their 40 mile commute.
tankd0g 3:34PM (8/11/2009)
Behind a tow truck the MPG is infinite!
RK 3:46PM (8/11/2009)
Or they can make one of those shake flashlights in to a charger, once you run out of the juice, just start shaking that thing, people will think you're jerking-off. NONO I am just charging my Nissan.
alex 4:35PM (8/11/2009)
My biggest concern with an electric car would be what happens during an extended power outage? If you lose power for multiple days, you might essentially be without a vehicle!
Nozferat 4:50PM (8/11/2009)
Even with a regular car, you still don't DECIDE how far you want to go.....you stop at a fuel station don't you and refill?
WTF is wrong with some of you? You make it sound like stopping and refilling your car is a foreign concept or something. You may have to do it more often with an electric car but frankly, plugging a car in at home or at a station (if available....which will take billions of dollars of investment dollars also), is better than standing a fueling station.