The Shocking Secret That Stunned the Auto World
I'm going to let you in on a secret that's being whispered at the top management level of every automaker yet never gets mentioned by automobile journalists. Trust me, the following is true. General Motors and Nissan are in a race to become the world leader in practical electric cars and Nissan is winning.
The contest is between the Chevrolet Volt and the Nissan Leaf. Admittedly the Volt, unlike the Leaf, is not a pure electric. It's a plug-in hybrid that comes close to being powered solely by electricity but still requires a small internal combustion engine to top up the stored energy. The Leaf, on the other hand, relies entirely on its lithium batteries, which get recharged from a normal outlet; at home, while you sleep most likely. But here's what's causing GM's marketing people to lose their sleep: while the Volt is still in pre-production testing, the Leaf can be ordered now. During a long gestation period following the Volt concept car's unveiling more than three years ago, Nissan/Renault quietly developed the Leaf and didn't reveal it until the vehicle was almost ready to go. During that time the Chevrolet publicity machine ran non-stop.
GM will argue that a Volt driver never need worry about finding himself or herself with a discharged battery when no outlet is available. Range under battery power is 40 miles, the average daily maximum for an American commuter. When the system is discharged the 1.4 liter 3-cylinder engine cuts in automatically and becomes a generator. Meanwhile the car continues to be driven by electric motors, with no mechanical connection to the wheels. It's a clever idea, though complex, and I suspect that the lengthy development is the price of engineering a radical power system while Nissan chose a simpler route.
In fact the Leaf is merely a contemporary version of the popular electric cars of the early 1900s, albeit with greatly advanced materials, control systems, and vastly extended battery range. Nissan/Renault's CEO, Carlos Ghosn, one of the smartest executives in the business, never had much use for hybrids and chose to pursue a near future when the majority of passenger vehicles will be electrically driven. Get in now, be ahead, stay ahead was his philosophy. The then-GM VP, Bob Lutz, no dummy himself, made a different decision. His plan was to show the world that anything Toyota could do (with the Prius) GM could do better.
Both cars are 5-door hatchbacks. The Leaf is taller, shorter, more conventional, with mainstream styling. It's a car the average individual can drive away (after a short briefing by the salesperson) and feel totally at home. Nissan chose that route deliberately, believing that the best way to adapt consumers to electric power is with the least amount of shock (no pun intended). The Volt is more of a show-stopper, clearly the result of styling intended to draw attention. In that respect it makes more of a statement for General Motors than the Leaf does for Nissan. Neither car, however, can match the latest Prius for futuristic styling.
While the Chevrolet Volt is admirable in many respects, the Leaf has spoiled its parade. By its very nature the hybrid car is a waypoint on the route to pure electrics so eventually the Volt will have to be retired, replaced by a competitor to …? Why the Nissan Leaf, of course. Should you have any doubts regarding the Leaf I highly recommend clicking on this test drive by England's hyper-critical Car magazine. For them the secret's already out.
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Is anybody in the industry studying the problem of people who do not live in single unit housing with an attached parking garage or carport? In Japan, especially in urban areas more people live in multi-unit housing without parking.