Affordable zero-emissions vehicles are here. That was Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn's message at his 2009 Tokyo Auto Show press conference this morning. Prius owners can suck it, he added. OK, I made that last part up.
First, there's the Leaf -- a five-passenger, C-segment-size hatchback equipped with Nissan's proprietary lithium-ion battery pack. The Leaf is an EV from the ground up -- it doesn't share its chassis with any other vehicle. Range is said to be 160 km (100 miles), and Ghosn insists the Leaf will be price-competitive with gasoline-powered vehicles of similar size.
Want one? If you live in the U.S. or Japan, you'll be able to buy one in late 2010.
Other Nissan EVs will follow the Leaf. The second one planned will be targeted at commercial use and is based on the company's NV200 multipurpose vehicle.
The third will be a compact, high-performance luxury four-seater badged as an Infiniti. The fourth EV planned is the Land Glider, which I'll be bringing to you in a follow-up post.
Jason Kavanagh, Engineering Editor
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