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Oh really? If others didn't call it Assist you might have a point. Pretty much EVERYONE else calls it Driver Assist; only Tesla is brash (and stupid) enough to call it "Autopilot".

Also, there are likely maintenance savings. Check out the schedule maintenance booklets from Nissan for the Versa compared to the Leaf. There's no oil to change, oil filters, air filters, spark plugs. https://owners.nissanusa.com/c... https://owners.nissanusa.com/c...

It's true that an EV needs a new battery eventually but at 12,000 miles per year, an EV battery is expected to still have 70% of its original capacity. Even if you need a new battery in 10 years, prices are coming down so quickly that it's likely to be closer to $3000 than the original $10,000. Far less than the fuel cost savings in that time period.

Also, there are likely maintenance savings. Check out the schedule maintenance booklets from Nissan for the Versa compared to the Leaf. There's no oil to change, oil filters, air filters, spark plugs. https://owners.nissanusa.com/c... https://owners.nissanusa.com/c...

It's true that an EV needs a new battery eventually but at 12,000 miles per year, an EV battery is expected to still have 70% of its original capacity. Even if you need a new battery in 10 years, prices are coming down so quickly that it's likely to be closer to $3000 than the original $10,000. Far less than the fuel cost savings in that time period.

the battery has a warranty for 10 years

From here:

Every U.S. specification Nissan LEAF is backed by a New Vehicle Limited Warranty providing: ... 96 months/100,000 miles (whichever occurs earlier) Lithium-Ion Battery coverage.

Ninety-six months is 8 years.

A Chevy Bolt is 37500 [...]

for comparison, the Nissan Leaf is not better here?

http://www.nissanusa.com/elect...

I call bollocks. Where are you getting those figures, out of your behind? Though those seem to be UK Jukes, considering you have 3 engine options? Well, North American Jukes are 3750 miles or 3 months. https://owners.nissanusa.com/c... SCHEDULE 1 (more severe operating conditions), every 3,750 miles or 3 months, whichever comes first Use Schedule 1 if you primarily operate your vehicle under any of these conditions: Repeated short trips of less than 5 miles in normal temperatures or less than 10 miles in freezing temperatures Stop-and-go traffic in hot weather or low speed driving for long distances Driving in dusty conditions or on rough, muddy, or salt-spread roads Towing a trailer, or using a camper or car-top carrier Nissan insists you always qualify for schedule 1 if you live in a city. case rested

Actually, that demand does exist...

Look at a Nissan Versa:

http://www.nissanusa.com/cars/...

You can get that car for about $11k, or even less if you haggle well or they have rebates...

For $11k, it doesn't have all those options that bother some people.

So that market does exist, but what the OP above you wants is a middle ground car with just some nice features, but not others, and almost no one wants that, so no one builds it.

2015 Nissan Versa S Close, Base price is $11,990. Of course that doesn't get you much.

http://www.nissanusa.com/elect...

Not only is 126/101 city/highway not the 150 he specified, it's not range of the car - it's the approximate gasoline efficiency rating ("MPGe"). The range is 84 miles.

With an average range of 84 miles, the Nissan LEAF® takes you 2½ times that distance on a single charge.

http://www.nissanusa.com/elect...

I certainly hope that Nissan will release the sport version of the Leaf they built... The Leaf Nismo RC. Looks so much better, and they relocated the drive system to the back wheels, where $DEITY intended. Put a reasonable interior and battery in it, offer it for $30ish... I think there's a market for it.

Q: How do you turn the car off in an emergency - e.g. stuck accelerator pedal?
A: You can't just press start/stop, as the vehicle speed sensor inhibits the button, so you can't turn off the ignition whilie the vehicle is moving. This isn't even in the manual. However, pressing and holding start/stop for 10 seconds will cause the ignition to turn off completely. This is a surprisingly long time in an emergency. In fact, in several "unintended acceleration" episodes, the drivers said they tried to turn off the push-button ignition, but couldn't turn it off.

Karnal was talking about Lexuses--maybe this is a recent change, but you only need to hold the button for 3 seconds to turn the engine off. Or press it 3 times in a row. See, for example, page 484 of the 2012 ES 350 Owner's Manual. It's similar in Nissans... hold for more than 2 seconds, or press 3 times within 1.5 seconds (page 6-2 of the 2013 Altima Owner's Manual.

The maintenance on EVs are negligible, a fact that for instance prompts many Nissan dealers to marginalize, even avoid stocking the Leaf altogether. Wiper blades, alignments, and tires. Check the maintenance schedule on them. There really isn't much to do, it's most just a bunch of inspections. The usable life on Tesla battery packs will easily outlast the average life of an ICE retaining 85% capacity at 100,000 miles.

n.b. Leaf Owner.

Agreed. The leaf is just too range challenged. (Claims 100miles, owners say half of that)

Leaf owners aren't claiming 50 mile ranges, at least not in bulk.

I do blended highway/city driving in a huge sprawl city, and I get about 86. [That's 3.9 miles per kWh, which jives with what a lot of people will tell you.] Even under the worst possible conditions (all freeway) I get the 70 miles necessary to go to my office and back.

Add to that, the leaf has little in the way of creature comforts or high tech gadgetry.

What creature comforts do you think the leaf is missing?

It matches most other lines of car at similar prices in terms of features. The mid-level version (which is less than 3k ask over the base) has a nice XM stereo with on-steering-wheel controls, navigation, heated seats, heated mirrors, etc. It's nothing "fancy," but it's certainly not missing hightech gadgetry. The base model is only missing built-in navigation and has cheaper wheels.
http://www.nissanusa.com/elect...

Its safety rating is Good, (code word for mediocre)

Perhaps. "Good" at IIHS is their top rating. It's only 4 out of at Safecar.gov USnews gave it a 9, which is in the middle of other Hybrid/Electric cars.

http://www.iihs.org/iihs/ratin...
http://www.safercar.gov/Vehicl...
http://usnews.rankingsandrevie...

Its a pretty bare bones car, sold at a loss.

As mentioned, it is not any more bare than any other car in this price range.

Its performance is abysmal

You haven't driven one, or you're only interested in high-speed driving. Yes, the Leaf tops out at 93mph (that's a 10,000rpm artificial limit on the motor), but it's VERY VERY quick in city situations, and certainly doesn't suffer getting on the freeway either. You've got full torque from a stop. You never worry about merging or having to beat someone out to change lanes. It's not a giant beast, but it's by not means a car with "abysmal performance."

They are probably trying to decide whether or not to release the Esflow, and what potential buyers would want. The Esflow would be a decent competitor to the Tesla roadster.

The Leaf draws 1KW/hour while charging which works out to under $0.10 of electricity per hour

He's obviously talking about the charging rate and translating it to price of electricity per hour. He's not talking about the actual energy used.

The writer obviously meant to write 1 kW. However, even this figure is not accurate. Some googling brought me here, which states the Nissan LEAF charging rate to be 6.6 kW.

That's true, but has anyone bothered to do it yet? Cars have had electronic throttles for quite a few years now, and I haven't heard of that feature.

Toyota? See: Smart Stop Technology.

Nissan too. And Ford, Hyundai, BMW, etc....

Actually, after the Toyota scandal, I'd be surprised if it wasn't standard on all cars with electronic throttle.

(not Nissan Leaf range) so you can do most driving folks would need to do.

I'm not claiming they're in the same class of car, but Nissan Leaf range *WILL* do the distance "most driving folks would need to do".

From http://www.reference.com/motif/sports/average-commute-in-miles-for-americans
the average commute is 32 miles, round trip, every day.
(Nissan's page says less than 29 miles/day, quoting FHWA)

The Leaf can do 75 miles. So you get *more than double* the average commute, plenty of room for driving around town on errands, etc.
http://www.nissanusa.com/electric-cars/leaf/charging-range/

(I don't have an electric car, yet, though I may get one with even slightly less than a Leaf, e.g. the electric smart, which is 68 miles combined.)

Here's a related question. Do you trust when a car manufacturer tells you to buy new parts?

Specifically, the maintenance schedule in the owner's packet that comes with a new car. For example, at 60,000 miles:

1) Replace engine coolant

2) Replace HEV inverter coolant

3) Replace manual transmission oil

4) Replace automatic transmission/CVT/eCVT fluid

5) Replace differential oil

6) Replace engine drive belts

7) Replace radiator cap

8) Replace transfer case oil

Are all these necessary, or is the dealer trying to squeeze more money from the owner? I've heard various mechanics coming down on both sides of this question. Does the differential oil really need periodic replacing? Do you need new drive belts if there's no visible damage?

(Also: Do you replace the engine oil and filter every 2000 miles, or is this just another way to squeeze money from the consumer?)

You're talking about consumables. What the vendors are doing is the same as a car manufacturer telling you to buy a new car because it's out of date - regardless if it still works or not.

Here's a related question. Do you trust when a car manufacturer tells you to buy new parts?

Specifically, the maintenance schedule in the owner's packet that comes with a new car. For example, at 60,000 miles:

1) Replace engine coolant

2) Replace HEV inverter coolant

3) Replace manual transmission oil

4) Replace automatic transmission/CVT/eCVT fluid

5) Replace differential oil

6) Replace engine drive belts

7) Replace radiator cap

8) Replace transfer case oil

Are all these necessary, or is the dealer trying to squeeze more money from the owner? I've heard various mechanics coming down on both sides of this question. Does the differential oil really need periodic replacing? Do you need new drive belts if there's no visible damage?

(Also: Do you replace the engine oil and filter every 2000 miles, or is this just another way to squeeze money from the consumer?)

Stop and go eats batteries, having to constantly accelerate to get back up to speed is much more draining than crusing.

Which of course is why the range of the Nissan Leaf is almost 30% better in the city than on the highway, right?

I don't need power sunflower seed crackers. I need a basic runabout.

Well, for a basic runabout there's always the Leaf... of course if you ever adopt a parrot you'll be sorry about not having sprung for the powered seed crackers.

Not all gear shifts are alike. Have you ever seen a Nissan Leaf gear shift?

Anyone who drives less than 30 miles to work every day (which is the majority of Americans) is a potential EV owner.

Don't you drive anywhere else?

Apparently not. In my almost perfect log of daily mileage starting in April, only once have I drive more than 100 miles in one day, and there was enough time in my schedule to charge enough to get home. I live 6 miles from work and 1 mile from school, so most days I drive less than 20 miles. My parents are 15 miles away, my friends are 30 miles away, and I usually carpool when going farther than that.

When you compare EVs to similarly-tricked-out gas cars, the prices are close

No, my VW Jetta TDI was considerably cheaper and is much less of a hassle.

and when you include fuel and maintenance savings the EV wins outright

No, how much gas and maintenance (are we including replacing the batteries here?) can you get for $50k?

I'm not sure I understand what you are trying to compare. If you are comparing buying a new electric car to keeping your old gas one, that is a totally different question from what I intended. I also cannot comment on the economics of buying a $50,000 car, ever, and limit my discussions of economy to the Nissan Leaf. My statement is based off the Edmunds.com 5-year True Cost to Own(tm) comparing the base model Nissan Leaf to the base model Toyota Corolla: $35,567 for the Leaf, versus $37,440 for the Corolla, in spite of the feature advantage the Leaf has.

The batteries are holding up remarkably well for the majority of Leaf owners, and are warranted to maintain 80% of their original range after 8 years or 100,000 miles. It is difficult to estimate how much reduced range will lower the value of the car, but expectations are that they will still hold their value better than gas cars because they will still run just fine on cheap, clean electricity.

I don't know about you, but my personal driving habits don't include spontaneous trips of more than 100 miles without at least stopping to trade cars with a relative for the weekend.

Really? Do you live in the future, or perhaps a parallel universe?

No, but I live in an urban area with two large cities within 50 miles, both with adequate transit systems, which is quite possibly the same thing from your perspective.

The marginally-reduced flexibility is totally worth the savings, moral satisfaction, and pedal-flooring fun of driving a clean electric vehicle.

I'm glad you like it. I can't afford it, though. Plus, I don't want one.

If your lifestyle doesn't fit the EVs currently on the market, then I don't blame you. I respect that you will make the right decision for your particular needs. But not everyone is exactly like you, there are plenty of people who can save money and enjoy owning an EV, so bashing them is arbitrary and rude. After all, the most popular vehicle model in America is the F-150 pickup with a measly 2% of market share, proving that a car can be successful without having to satisfy everyone and their uncle.

something about that car remind my of this one http://www.nissanusa.com/juke/

>With search services, it's quite possible to find hosts that have no domain name at all.

I'll give you one: Nissan.

http://nissan.com/ is Nissan Computer, registered buy a guy whose last name is Nissan, when Nissan cars weren't being sold in the US (they were Datsun).

http://www.nissanusa.com/ is Nissan Motor Co. People seem to be finding which site they are looking for just fine.

if the socialists would stop placing tracking electronics in modern more efficient cars people would have one less reason to avoid them.

Wait.... "socialists" ? As in these guys ??

The all electric Nissan Leaf is available for $25,000 after a tax credit. It's cheaper in California.

Sorry, didn't post references:

Best Buy:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/GPS-Navigation/In-Dash-GPS/abcat0301002.c?id=abcat0301002

Nissan:
http://www.nissanusa.com/configurator/app?service=external/SelectOptions&mo=2011:alt&bs=alh&tr=_TE_25HYB&ec=KH3&ic=_alt_hyb_GC&us=13|20|27&se=10|13|20|27|3|5&pv=10|13|17|18|19|20|21|22|23|25|26|27|28&pc=13|20&psel=10|13|20|27|3|5&ps=_alt_hyb_GC|1&zp=90210

And the technology package is "$1780", which means something in practice closer to $1400.

Nissan actually has just published a detailed statement regarding range for the Leaf http://www.nissanusa.com/leaf-electric-car/index#/leaf-electric-car/range-disclaimer/index. Turns out that running the climate control has quite an effect on range. Part of that is the influence of temperature on batteries and part is the energy consumption of climate control. Heating is worse than cooling it seems. The partial mitigation is being able to have the vehicle pre-condition the temperature while it's plugged in. And the Leaf is rated for 90 MPH (150 KMPH).

http://www.nissanusa.com/leaf-electric-car/index

Considering the Leaf will recharge in 8 hours using the home charger rated at 240 volts 40 amps single-phase, that comes out to be 76.8 KWh needed to fully charge the battery, assuming they actually draw 40 amps and don't just overrate the breaker.

If proper cooling for and proper charge control for the battery can be obtained, there's no reason you couldn't charge it off of a standard 13200 volt three-phase transmission line at 5 amps for about twenty three minutes. So, for your 330kV example, you could charge it in 55 seconds. However, the voltage conversion equipment to do this in the car would be bigger than the car itself. And, why would you want to? This car is intended for people who commute less than 100 miles a day, which is a majority of commuters, the majority of the time. It charges while you do: at night, when you can pay half your electrical rate if your energy provider allows for it. If you need to drive more than 100 miles every day, you should be looking at a hybrid or ICE vehicle.

This is a new and emerging technology. Solutions such as swappable battery packs will come, but we have to start using the technology in order to figure out what works or doesn't work. You can't send a man to the moon with calculations alone: Apollo 11 was not the first thing in space.

Nissan Leaf? http://www.nissanusa.com/leaf-electric-car/index#/leaf-electric-car/index

O RLY?

Uhh like the Altima? Seriously, look then post. (I know I know.. it's slashdot)

If you're just after tax savings... don't forget alberta. They only have the 5% GST and no provincial tax at all.

And with the USD and CND at nearly par... Don't forget to buy a Nissan 350z when you're down in the states. In the US they start at $28,500 ( http://www.nissanusa.com/z/ ) and in Canada just under $50,000. http://nissan.ca/vehicles/cars/350z/en/

And yes... they are a fully authorized import from the US (no modifications required). Just a $195 Border inspection.

List of importable vehicles found here:

http://www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/importation/VAFUS/list/VAFUS.pdf

Actually, I have a feeling Porsche is going to start complaining about Nissan very soon.

But the point is, people who create sites do care if their name is recognizable. They have to. Nobody wants to create a popular site, and then have somebody else squat the exact same URL (except with a different TLD) and populate it with a bunch of porn links or ads.

Your point is taken well. TLD's are not just "TLDs". They've become part and parcel with trademarked names and company names. No,no, no. It's not Expedia... it's Expedia[dot]COM. Etc. Companies scramble to register their business names only to find another business with the same name (see Nissan Computers long legal battle against Nissan Automotive).

You have to consider registering variations of your domain name before someone else does to avoid trademark dilution and consumer confusion. {company name}, {company name}Manufacturing, {company name}ManufacturingCompany, {company name}MFGCO, etc. Of course, YMMV depending on your company name and sector/trade.

Companies have multiple sites such as "corporate site", "brand A site", "Brand B site", "Product A Micro-site", etc. Then, they might have to register multiple variants of those sites. Singular and plural versions, Nicknames, and keywords. ie: should it be Business.com, BusinessProduct.com, BusinessProducts.com, BusinessProductName.com, etc. (some products are two words that are commonly referred to in the singural, like "Toilet Seat" might just be called a "Seat" or "Seats" in the context of a bathroom.

On top of that you have to consider registering multiple TLD's. .COM, .NET, .ORG, .JOBS, .BIZ, .INFO, etc. Now, if you're an international company, you have to consider registering country specific TLD's. .US, .CO.UK, .FR, .IT, .CN, .MX, etc. Now, they're opening up regional TLD's that companies have to consider... .EU, .ASIA.

You take all the TLD's , all the sites a company might have, and all the name variations a of a site name a company might register, and you get yourself one hell of a mess and cost. Sure, domains are relatively cheep but if you're managing hundreds or thousands, it becomes a huge sink, particularly since most everyone STILL uses .COM.

Then you have to tie this all in with Search Engine parameters such as duplication. All you do is register these domains and 301 redirect them to your flagship domain name, which doesn't do a whole lot for you. Others might use language specific sites, which will pass duplication standards.

I guess, a good question is... what do people with to manage their site domains? What is your domain strategy? Do you try to register everything you can to avoid squatters and parkers for brand dilution? Or do you just say "screw it" and let them have them, they're not likely to get much out of them. Should you really use .jobs to be/point or redirect to your careers page? Or just say "screw it" because "no one"(tm) uses it?

Cheers,
Fozzy

That makes sense. A Maxima colliding with an argon atom should have just about enough energy to knock loose an electron.

I can understand the use of a Maxima, it's a solid car. But pairing it with a Minima (I think it's Kia's Minivan model, not sure) is just silly.

I for one didn't even realize that Nissan made a high end sports car...

I am shocked, shocked, shocked. Where have you been living!? How could you possibly not know about Nissan's sports car - especially now that it is available in a convertible.

Oh - that disclaimer thingy - yeah I work for Nissan. :)

Er, have you seen the 350Z?

Now that's a sports car. Nissan have found their direction again, and it's because they're being pointed there by Renault.

Actually, most rear wheel drive cars sold in the US are no longer available because manufacturers want to make more huge rediculous gas guzzeling SUVs. Also Mustangs outsold BOTH GM F-bodies combined, despite Camaros and Firebirds being a few thousand $ cheaper didn't help them much either. I'd be very happy if the insurance companies could kill SUVs, but they simply don't have enough influence.

I *totally* agree with this. My brother just got married over the weekend and while I have *no* idea what the photographer was paid, but the guy pulled up in a Nissan 350z.

Someone else at the wedding overheard the photographer talking to someone about wanting to purchase a Bently.

"YOU think it would make news if the salespersons at Bud Selig's car dealerships were trained to deceive customers into thinking that they'd purchased 2003 models when they actually bought 2002 models?"

Isn't it Ironic.

Have you seen the S2000.
Or maybe the 350Z
Or maye a quad cab pickup with a V8
Are they the worlds fastest, most powerfull cars? No.
Do we settle for less than the absolute fastest (PC|Car|whatever). Mostly.
Would you like to own any of these 3 vehicles? I bet yes.

FYI Nissan.com is _not_ for nissan motors, makers of the Xterra... You want nissanusa.com
Nissan.com is quite a funny story, however... Uzi Nissan, an Israeli I think, registered the domain well before Nissan Motors, and they sued him and lost, but in the battle he lost the ability to use the domain for any commercial purpose. Now it's a chilling reminder of who controls your mind... get your afdb ASAP (not at afdb.org)