NISSAN’S pioneering, 100 per cent electrical Leaf EV has reached a decade in the marketplace in Australia, a few years behind the identical milestone in Japan.
Thus far, the Leaf has been the one EV bought right here by Nissan regardless of numerous electrical powered autos being accessible within the firm’s world line-up.
The Leaf was the “advance guard” of mainstream EVs in Australia in 2012 that has since spawned a groundswell of gross sales exercise within the EV area with new choices from many producers.
Nissan says the Leaf helped create this “electrical wave” with greater than 2000 unit gross sales of the mannequin in Australia, contributing to 600,000 plus Leaf gross sales worldwide, lots of which embrace parts made at Nissan’s casting plant in Dandenong South, Victoria.
This 12 months, the native gross sales fee is working at 200 items to the top of Might 2022, in line with VFACTS knowledge.
Nissan Australia has tabulated statistics on native Leaf utilization and located that Australian-delivered autos have travelled roughly 58.5 million kilometres – far sufficient to have lapped the Earth greater than 1400 occasions, all whereas producing zero tailpipe emissions.
“The Nissan Leaf was, and is, a pioneer within the EV market, and we’re proud each of its legacy, and of the whole lot it has performed to pave the best way for EV acceptance and take-up in Australia,” mentioned Nissan Australia managing director, Adam Paterson.
“Leaf selected the trail and set the information ropes for others to observe.”
The mannequin has developed for the reason that first model with extra energy, extra expertise, and ever better vary.
A primary-generation Leaf had a single electrical motor producing 80kW of energy and 280Nm of torque, fed by a 24kWh lithium-ion battery pack at first with a claimed 170km of vary, later upgraded to 30kWh.
The present Leaf, which arrived right here in 2019, was additionally powered by a single electrical motor however with outputs upgraded to 110kW and 320Nm plus a bigger 40kWh battery pack with a claimed vary of 270km.
Nissan launched the longer-range Leaf e+ in 2021 with a extra highly effective 160kW/340Nm electrical motor and a bigger 62kWh battery pack for a claimed vary of 385km.
In keeping with Nissan Australia, homeowners of Australian-delivered Nissan Leafs have saved roughly 4,096,344 litres of gasoline – offsetting a mixed $3.9m in gasoline prices.
The mixed batteries of all Nissan Leafs bought in Australia whole 74,000kWh – greater than 3.9 million AAA batteries – sufficient to energy 4800 Australian houses for a day.
Australian-delivered Leafs have saved roughly 93 million kilograms of tailpipe CO2 emissions that may absorb extra of 422,000 bushes roughly 10 years to retailer.
Collectively, domestically delivered Leafs have pushed a distance equating to travelling to the moon and again 76 occasions.
Guillaume Cartier, chair of Nissan’s Africa, Center East, India, Europe and Oceania area, mentioned: “I’d personally prefer to congratulate the Nissan Australia crew on 10 years on the forefront of electrical car adoption in Australia. That is solely the start and I’m excited to see the place the subsequent 10 years takes us.”
The Leaf story will quickly proceed in Australia, with a new-look Leaf launching in August, having acquired key styling and expertise updates designed to make zero-emission motoring much more interesting.
“We’re not performed but, with a new-look Leaf arriving later this 12 months, together with the continued work with vehicle-to-grid expertise,” mentioned Mr Paterson.
Having contributed to altering the best way Australians drive, the introduction of V2G expertise will doubtless change the best way we dwell too.
The up to date Leaf mannequin due in August will likely be priced from $50,990 earlier than on-road prices for the base mannequin. The longer-range Leaf e+ begins at $61,490 earlier than on-roads.
