Nissan Leaf Electric Car: Ultimate Guide, What You Need To K

[ruimegas]

Nissan Leaf Electric Car: Ultimate Guide, What You Need To Know

[IMG]http://images.thecarconnection.com/lrg/ ... 0179_l.jpg[/IMG]
Nissan Leafs break the world record for largest electric car convoy

"Back in December 2010, an unassuming compact hatchback hit the Japanese and American markets.

A new small Nissan isn't normally the cause for fanfares and celebration, but the LEAF is one of the most significant cars of recent years--as it's a competitive, usable electric car.

Whether you love or hate the LEAF, it's playing a part in both turning electric cars into a mainstream product, and showing that a large car company really can put an electric vehicle into mass production.

We've been covering the LEAF since its early days, and we've now brought together a guide that covers all aspects of the car, from pre-launch to the experiences of owners, two years down the line.



LEAF basics: Driving the LEAF

So what is the Nissan Leaf? Put simply, it's a five-door, five-seat hatchback which sits in the compact class, next to conventionally-powered rivals like the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic.

It uses a 24 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack, which feeds power to an 80 kilowatt (110-horsepower) and 210 pound-foot electric motor. Official performance data is hard to come by, but the benchmark 0-60mph sprint has been variously recorded between 10 and 12 seconds, and top speed is around 90 mph. Official EPA range is 73 miles, though Nissan reckons most owners will top that.

You can check out our review of the 2012 Nissan Leaf, or head over to our sister site, The Car Connection, for further information.

We've also driven the Leaf on several occasions here at Green Car Reports, and you can click through our experiences below:

2011 Nissan Leaf Prototype: Quick Drive Impressions
2011 Nissan Leaf: First Drive
2011 Nissan Leaf Drive Review: A Real Electric Car For Real People
2011 Nissan Leaf Electric Car: First Drive Review
Drive Report: Electric Car Neophyte Uses 2011 Nissan Leaf For A Week
Does the 2011 Nissan Leaf Deliver Its100 Miles Of All-Electric Range?
The 2011 Nissan Leaf has also been a previous nominee--and winner--of Green Car Reports' Best Car To Buy

2011 Nissan Leaf: GreenCarReports Best Car To Buy 2011
GreenCarReports Best Car To Buy 2011 Nominee: Nissan Leaf

[IMG]http://images.thecarconnection.com/med/ ... 9450_m.jpg[/IMG]
2012 Nissan Leaf winter test

LEAF basics: Owning a LEAF

For an electric car to be relevant, it has to work, first and foremost, as a car. It must be able to do the jobs a regular car can do, and minimize the disruptions that some previous electric cars may not have managed.

You can find plenty of information on the ownership experience below--much of it from our friend and ex-Green Car Reports author, Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield--herself a Leaf owner. One Leaf owner is also able to compare the experience with his Chevrolet Volt--you can read about that here.

2011 Nissan Leaf One Week In: Five Things We Like
2011 Nissan Leaf One Week In: Five Things We Hate
2011 Nissan Leaf: 520 Miles, 2 Days, Here's How
2011 Nissan Leaf: Five Things We Learned Over 5,000 Miles
Nissan Leaf: Does A Battery Inspection Give Peace Of Mind?
So What Exactly DO You Have To Service On a 2011 Nissan Leaf?
Nissan Leaf Software Update: Here’s What’s Different
2011 Nissan Leaf Electric Car: What We've Learned Over 5 Months
What You Need To Know About Nissan Leaf, Chevy Volt Servicing
What’s The Range Of A 2012 Nissan Leaf In Winter? We Find Out
2011 Nissan Leaf: One Year On, How Healthy Is The Battery Pack?
2011 Nissan Leaf: One Year Drive Report
Why I Drive A Nissan Leaf Electric Car: One Owner's Story
2011 Nissan Leaf Long-Term Update: 25,000 Miles, No Woes
2013 Nissan Leaf: What Would You Change?

[IMG]http://images.thecarconnection.com/lrg/ ... 1191_l.jpg[/IMG]
2012 Nissan Leaf electric car - net pricing shown on Nissan website

LEAF pricing, sales and production

If you're considering an electric car--any electric car--the first thing you should do is head over to our full 2012-2013 Electric Car Price Guide. There, you'll find the actual price Nissan will sell you a Leaf for, purged of the sneaky included tax breaks which many companies employ to make the price look lower.

For the 2012 Nissan Leaf, with the full $7,500 federal tax incentive left on the sidelines, but the mandatory delivery fee included, that price is $36,050.

Pricing for the 2013 model year will be announced in January 2013, and that will also include more details on the lower-priced, lower-specified model set for introduction soon. Along with production starting in Nissan's Tennessee plant, that base price may look more tempting in 2013. Want more pricing and sales details? You can find them below.

Nissan CEO Admits 2012 Leaf Sales Goal Won't Be Reached
Nissan: Leaf Sales Lower Than Expected, But We're United Behind It
2012 Nissan Leaf Gets Even Cheaper: Now, $139/Month Lease
Nissan To Reboot Leaf Effort, Asks Electric-Car Fans For Help
2012 Nissan Leaf Lease Now $219 A Month, Incentives Increase
2013 Nissan Leaf Electric Car To Use New, Cheaper Battery Cells: UPDATED
2013 Nissan Leaf Edges Closer To Production In Smyrna, TN
2012 Nissan Leaf Electric Cars Offered At Up To $5,000 Off
2017 Nissan Leaf: Will It Cost The Same As A 2012 Golf?
Think The 2012 Nissan Leaf Is Too Expensive? Australians Pay $52K
Nissan Sticks With 20K Leafs In U.S. By End Of (Fiscal) Year
2012 Nissan Leaf Leases: $289 For Base SV, $319 For Nicer SL
Year-Old Nissan Leaf Electric Car: Worth 70 Or 95 Percent Of New Price?
2012 Nissan Leaf: Now Available To Order Nationwide, Deliveries By Summer
U.S. Sales Of The Nissan Leaf Electric Car Now Over 10,000
2012 Nissan Leaf: No More Reservation Fees, Buy Like Any Other Car

[IMG]http://images.thecarconnection.com/lrg/ ... 6727_l.jpg[/IMG]
2012 Nissan Leaf 4-door HB SL Dashboard

LEAF basics: Useful info

With over two years of Nissan Leaf sales, we're starting to get a real idea of the car's quirks. Some are irritating--such as issues with the Carwings data service--and others are unexpected, such as the battery capacity loss of owners in hotter climates.

Among links to these attributes and more, we've also got plenty of little tips related to running a Leaf--so scan through the links below to find what you need.

2013 Nissan Leaf Electric Car Revealed In Japanese Trim
Nissan Leaf-To-Home Power Station: Will It Make It To U.S.?
Nissan Leaf Gets Remote Charger Timer With Leaf Link iPhone App
At $5/Gallon, 2012 Nissan Leaf Electric Car Pays For Itself
Battery loss: Exec Stands Firm on Nissan Leaf Batteries, Previews 2013 (Video)
Battery loss: Nissan Buys Back Leaf Electric Cars Under Arizona Lemon Law
Battery loss: Leaf Owners Ratchet Up Attack On Nissan Handling Of Battery Loss
Battery loss: Nissan Launches Global Leaf Advisory Board For Better Electric-Car Understanding
Battery loss: Nissan Suggests Leaf Battery-Capacity Loss Due To High Miles: Exclusive
Battery loss: Independent Tests Show Nissan Leaf Electric Cars Lost Range In Hot Climates
Battery loss: Nissan Leaf To Get Better Battery, No News On Capacity Loss
Battery loss: Leaf Owners Send Science In To Tackle Wilting Nissan Leafs
Quick-Charging Your Electric Car? It Could Be Less Full Than You Think
Five Official Nissan Leaf Accessories You Can’t Buy In The U.S.
Leafhacking Battery Mod Gives Extra Range, But At What Cost?
EVSE Upgrade Testing 6.6-kW Upgrade To Halve Leaf Charging Time
GE WattStation Vindicated, Leaf Blamed In Charging Station Woes
Battery loss: Nissan Responds To Wilting Arizonan Leafs, Studies Lost Battery Capacity
Battery loss: Nissan's Mark Perry: We're Investigating Arizona's Wilting Leafs
Nissan, GE, Working To Solve Leaf, WattStation Charging Woes
How To Keep Your Nissan Leaf’s Battery Pack Happy In Hot Weather
2012 Nissan Leaf Gets Better At Predicting Range, Charging Needs
Battery loss: More Nissan Leaf Battery Loss, Nissan Doesn’t Blink
Battery loss: 2011 Nissan Leaf Battery Capacity Loss: Nissan Responds
Battery loss: 2011 Nissan Leafs Start Losing Capacity Bars: Should You Worry?
How Much Range Does Your Leaf Lose If You Unplug It For 8 Days?
Nissan Leaf Battery Warranty: What You MUST Do To Keep It Valid
2011 Nissan Leaf: Batteries

[IMG]http://images.thecarconnection.com/lrg/ ... 8998_l.jpg[/IMG]
Ryan Reynolds and Ryan Hall in an ad for the 2012 Nissan Leaf

LEAFs in the media: Offbeat and social media

It isn't all seriousness, car costs, battery problems and ownership: There's a lighter side to the Leaf, too.

Whether you're interested in the harsh testing Nissan put the Leaf through before releasing it, or if you simply like pulling pranks on gas station attendants, there's plenty of offbeat stuff here to enjoy. You can even watch the Leaf complete an autocross course--yes, people really do drive their Leaf hard.

Nissan To Fiat: Our Leaf Is Ugly? Look In The Mirror, Buddy!
Nissan Leaf Breaks Electric Car Convoy Record With 225 Cars
What Do You Call A Nissan Leaf In China? How About Venucia E30?
Visteon Fills Nissan Leaf With 2020 Tech: Meet The e-Bee
Finally! A Nissan Leaf Global Ad That Everyone Understands
Move Over Google, Meet The Self-Driving Nissan Leaf
7,700 Miles, 42 Days: Nissan Leafs Complete 'Orange Trophy' Trip
Nissan Leaf Joins Drivers’ Ed, Passes No-Gas Student
Five Official Nissan Leaf Accessories You Can’t Buy In The U.S.
Canadians: Love A Tree, Win a Nissan Leaf (Or a Phone Or Tissues)
Londoners: Tweet Nissan, Go Green With Free Leaf Taxi Ride
2012 Nissan Leaf Becomes A Taxi In Sao Paulo City
Tree-Hugger? Nah, This Nissan Leaf Owner Hugs Corners, Beats Gas Cars
World's Quietest Drag Race? Nissan Leaf Vs Chevy Volt (Video)
Nissan Leaf Goes Underground In The Name Of Bluegrass Music
2012 Nissan Leaf Proves Itself On Snowy Japanese Test Course
Ryan Reynolds Gets Funny With The 2012 Nissan Leaf: Video
How Scary Are Electric Cars? BOO !!! It's A Nissan Leaf Batt-Mobile!
Video: Irish Cannonball Run 2011 Nissan Leaf Home And Dry
Five Top Accessories and Modifications For Your 2011 Nissan Leaf
Quiet As A... Cannonball? Nissan Leaf Enters Road Trip
Single-Malt Powered Electric Car Offers Travel Sans Hangover
Nissan Shares Pikes Peak Leaf Experience (VIDEO)
Nissan Leaf Turns Laps At Laguna Seca: Video
Nissan Takes On Le Mans With Nismo RC Electric Race Car
Can You Charge a 2011 Nissan Leaf by Towing it? Apparently So (VIDEO)
Forget Angry Birds: Nissan Leaf Launches New Addictive App
Nissan's Kid Friendly 2011 LEAF Electric Car Site: Pestering Propaganda?
LEAF Task Force: Nissan's Electric Car Soldiers of Fortune
NY Marathon: 2011 Nissan Leaf Acts As Zero-Emission Pace Car
2011 Nissan Leaf Gets Manga Makeover For Monocle Magazine
Nissan Bear All, Embraces NFL Season With Eco-Hugging Leaf Ad
2011 Nissan Leaf: Waterboarded For Your Safety
What's Slicker, The Nissan Leaf iAd Or The Nissan Leaf?
Got A Leaf And An Apple iPhone? There's An App For That
Armstrong, Apple Ads Accelerate 2011 Nissan Leaf Marketing
Get a Tree Planted On Your Behalf Just For Liking The 2011 Nissan Leaf?"

Em: http://www.greencarreports.com/news/104 ... now/page-5