Nissan Leaf

The all electric Nissan Leaf will build on Hawaii’s progress to end its over-reliance on imported fossil fuels. This new vehicle will be one option for consumers towards the goal of the Hawai’i Clean Energy Initiative’s of 70 percent clean energy by 2030. Under the hood there is no starter, alternator, or spark plugs… and no engine. The Nissan Leaf is powered by a lithium-ion battery pack instead of an internal combustion engine, and the cost to charge the pack is cheaper than a tank of gasoline, and has zero emissions.

The battery pack (440 pounds) will provide enough power for the Leaf to achieve a top speed of around 90 mph and a range estimated at 100 miles. The array of thin, laminated Lithium Ion cells will be housed in a flat assembly beneath the floor. The forty-eight separate modules, each consisting of four magazine-sized sub-units, will be able to deliver a maximum of 90 KW to the electric motors, with a total storage capacity of 24 KWH. Nissan estimates an average five-year operating cost will be $1,800 versus $6,000 for a gas-powered car.

Nissan will be making the Leaf available on a gradual basis in the markets where it thinks it will best fit. Due to Hawaii’s strong commitment to clean energy, Nissan has selected Hawai’i to be one of its initial launch markets in the U.S. beginning in early 2011. A federal tax credit of $7,500 will be available.