Test driving the green Leaf
Posted in Climate, Electric vehicles on April 1st, 2011 by Susan – Be the first to comment
Nick Chambers of Wenatchee drove this Nissan Leaf past its expected range -- and enjoyed every minute of it.
Nick Chambers of Wenatchee was among five Americans invited to Nissan headquarters last year to drive a prototype all-electric car. You might say he turned over a new Leaf.
Chambers is a freelance writer and green car expert who serves as AutoTrader.com‘s green car specialist and is a contributing writer for New York Times and Popular Mechanics. He has helped build two websites about the future of transportation from scratch: PluginCars.com and Gas2.org. There are only a dozen or so journalists in the world who focus on sustainable transportation, so they’re well known in the automotive industry, he said.
As a result, Chambers was invited to Yokohama, Japan last year to test drive what he called a “pre- pre-production model” of the all-electric Nissan Leaf. The date included lunch with Carlos Ghosn, Nissan CEO.
Chambers said he found driving the Leaf “indistinguishable from driving a regular car,” except that it’s so darn quiet. Without the noisy trappings of a combustion engine, motorists can move into “Zen driving,” he said. But the lack of engine clatter creates challenges for carmakers because rattles, squeaks and wind noises that normally aren’t noticeable become more obvious and obnoxious.
At a national media launch in Tennessee last October, Chambers was invited to test the range of the Leaf. Under average conditions, the car’s battery is expected to last about 100 miles, he said. Chambers drove from the Nissan plant in Smyrna to the landmark Jack Daniels distillery in Lynchburg – a round trip of 116 miles. (And no, he didn’t stop at the distillery for a drink.) He drove on back roads with climate control running, keeping his speed between 50 and 55 mph except for the last eight-mile stretch, when he dropped down to 45 mph to conserve power.
Chambers is a green-car advocate but said he’s not afraid to point to problems when he sees them. Driving an all-electric or plug-in hybrid (which uses gasoline in addition to electricity) is not for everybody, he said. He’s not planning to buy one – yet.
He and his wife share one car. They have two young children. They like to go camping in faraway places. Sometimes Chambers’ work takes him to Seattle or other cities out of range of an all-electric car.
“It’s not for everybody,” he said. “As soon as there’s a vehicle that’s four-wheel drive, or a mini-van with sliding doors, that’s a plug-in or electric… then I’ll buy.”
Still, he sees electric cars as key to diversifying transportation. They’re part of inevitable change that will need to include biofuels, natural-gas and plug-in vehicles, he said. It’s important to reduce the country’s dependence on oil for natural security and economic reasons. “It’s about consumer choice, security, diversifying the energy supply in this country, and the environment.”
Nissan: Quake in Japan will delay Leaf deliveries (green.autoblog.com)
