2011 Nissan LEAF

2011 Nissan LEAF

Episode 3010 , Episode 3027
Auto Value and Bumper to BumperTire Rack "The Way Tire Buying Should Be"

2010 is clearly the year of the electric car. So far this season we’ve driven the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, MINI E, Tesla Roadster, the Chevrolet Volt, and even this Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid. But this week we turn our road test eyes to the first modern, pure-electric, five-passenger family car to enter mass production, the Nissan LEAF. Now, the compact LEAF could forever change the way we think about everyday cars. So, come along, and you be the judge, as we turn over the new leaf!

Loosely based on the Nissan Versa, the zero-tailpipe emissions 2011 Nissan LEAF is powered by an air-cooled, 24-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack mounted under the floor pan and rear seats of the car.  Its 192 cells are tied to an 80-kilowatt synchronous AC electric motor. With 107 horsepower and 206 pound-feet of torque, it pulls the LEAF to a top speed of 90 miles per hour. 

Fully charged, the LEAF has a range of 60 to 120 miles, depending on weather conditions. That’s enough to cover most roundtrip commutes without too much range anxiety.  But, since it has no backup power source like the Chevrolet Volt, for long distances, the LEAF is a non-starter.

A full recharge using 110 household current takes an impractical 20 hours. Installing an optional 220-volt home charging station drops it to about 8 hours. Nissan also plans to install commercial quick-charge stations in parking lots that will provide 80 percent recharge in just 30 minutes. 

On the road, the LEAF drives with the spirit of a peppy, front drive compact car, albeit an extremely quiet one.  As with most electric motored cars, the LEAF delivers peak torque right off the line. A non-instrumented 0 to 60 run of 8 seconds confirmed LEAF to be fairly brisk. And, with no transmission, everything is smooth and machine like.

The LEAF’s suspension is basic economy car; MacPherson struts up front and a torsion beam in the rear.  Stability and traction control are standard.

And, when the road turns, the LEAF holds its own very well.  With the 600-pound battery pack down low, the LEAF feels planted and stable.  The car is quite nimble, and sportier than expected, with the electric power steering being reasonably precise.

There is regenerative braking, of course, and it is relatively mild in Normal Mode. Switch to Economy mode and the throttle grows softer and the regenerative braking grows harsher. Otherwise, the all-disc ABS system with Brake Assist reacts well to panic stops.

Ride is comfortable too, absorbing broken city pavement without great drama.  All in all, the LEAF drives normally, like a traditional, well-built compact family car. And it looks pretty normal, too. The LEAF has unique styling without going for an eco-freakmobile look. It’s more consistent with current Nissan products like Rogue, Juke, and Versa.

The bug-eyed, bulbous compact five-door hatchback is longer than the Versa hatchback, and a little shorter than the Chevrolet Volt.  It’s all very aerodynamic, with the large LED headlamps carefully shaped to keep wind noise low. On profile the LEAF is seamless and sprawling, with an almost mid-size stance. The standard 16-inch alloy wheels help that impression as well. The back-end is also quite normal, with a large hatch flanked by tall, thin taillights, and topped by a roof spoiler. 

For a more futuristic look, you have to dive inside the LEAF. It’s clean, inviting, and loaded with soft touch controls and animated displays. There’s lots of plastic, but it has a good quality look and feel to it. Seats are all-day comfortable, with coverings made from recycled materials.

The center dash houses the standard navigation system, and a mouse like shifter that took about a nanosecond to get use to.

Other techie standard equipment on the base LEAF SV includes push button start, cruise, Bluetooth, automatic temperature control, and CARWINGS, a Smartphone feature that allows for remote monitoring of the charging status. The uplevel SL adds backup camera, HomeLink, and a solar panel to keep a small battery charged for the audio system.

The rear seat offers normally-tight compact car leg room, and while there are three seatbelts, only two adults will fit comfortably. There is, however, some compromise in the cargo bay. Part of the onboard charging mechanism creates a hump at the forward end.  But when the rear seats are folded, they line up perfectly and eliminate this objection.

Obviously, the traditional miles per gallon measure doesn’t apply to the LEAF.  But the cost to fully recharge it is about $3.  That’s nearly twice that of the Chevrolet Volt, but then, the LEAF offers about twice the all-electric driving range, too. Nissan expects an official government miles per gallon energy equivalent rating in the triple digits.

There are some notable digits in LEAF’s price as well. Base sticker is $33,600, before federal and state tax credits. Most buyers will be able to drop that price to $26,100. However, we think leasing the LEAF is the way to go, at $1999 down and $349 per month.  That’s on par with a lease for the Chevy Volt. The 220-volt charging station will cost you about $2,200 installed, but that too is eligible for tax credits.

Beyond being a pure-electric vehicle, the 2011 Nissan LEAF is a well-equipped and capable compact car. It’s hard to see how it can be your only car, unless your radius of travel is very limited. But, then, there are always rentals. So, we find that LEAF does indeed keep its promises, and along with Volt, is a promising start to a new electric family car age. And, we can’t wait to see what comes next.

 

Specifications

  • Engine: 80-kilowatt Synchronous Ac Electric Motor
  • Horsepower: 107
  • Torque: 206 Lb Feet
  • 0-60 MPH: 8.0 Seconds

Long Term Updates

When we took delivery of our long term Nissan Leaf electric car, we weren’t sure how we would use it. After all, the anxiety of running out of power seemed very real.

But, we adapted. We found the Nissan Leaf makes a great second car; perfect for reasonable commutes, around town errands, and just about anything short of long distance vacations.

But, while we often saw driving range indicated at over 100 miles, using heat or a/c, 65-70 was more reality.

With mostly short haul use, we had no trouble keeping it fully charged using household 110 Volts. Still, if we owned one, installing a 220 Volt charger would be best.

After 9 months, we can say the light, eco-friendly upholstery has taken quite a beating. It’s not very stain resistant. But,  driving enjoyment has only grown. The Leaf is quiet, quick, and agile.

So as we bid goodbye to our Leaf, we conclude that EVs are indeed viable, and we sure will miss this one.

Mileage: 1,300

After two months and with 1,300 commuter miles on the digital odometer, our staff is very pleased with the practicality of this pioneering EV. The Leaf is comfortable, able to haul plenty of household goods, while still bordering on fun-to-drive. The range indicator always drops faster than expected when you’re first starting out, and so far we’ve used heat and a/c sparingly to extend range. But, we’ve never come close to running out of power. With the hottest months of summer ahead, we’ll see if we can keep our cool in the Nissan Leaf.

2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 2

2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV

Nothing Like The Equinox You Used To Know

Episode 4424
Auto Value and Bumper to BumperTire Rack "The Way Tire Buying Should Be"

General Motors may have slowed their EV plans a bit, but they’re still committed to an all-electric future and have many full battery-powered options to choose from across multiple brands, the latest of which is this Chevrolet Equinox EV. Now, it’s nothing at all like the gas-fueled Equinox we’re all familiar with. So, let’s find out if batteries are better.

General Motors has made the biggest EV push out of all the big three American carmakers, coming up with the dedicated Ultium platform that now underpins a host of trucks and SUVs throughout their brands, and even Honda has made use of it. GM’s latest Ultium-based EV uses a familiar name, the Chevrolet Equinox EV. And not to worry, this is not a replacement for the gas-powered Equinox, just a parallel path for those more comfortable joining the EV world with a familiar name.

And like its counterpart, the Equinox EV comes standard with front-wheel drive, rated for as many as 319 miles from its 213-horsepower motor and 85-kWh battery pack. Adding a rear motor for all-wheel drive boosts output to 288 horsepower and 333 lb-ft of torque, but drops range to 285 miles for our ’24 test vehicle, though ‘25s get a bump up to 307 miles.

2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 4
2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 5
2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 10
2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 3
2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 9
2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 6
2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 7
2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 8
2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 14
2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 12
2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 42024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 52024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 102024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 32024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 92024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 62024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 72024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 82024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 142024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 12

Though even our ‘24 AWD appears capable of well over 300 miles as we were on pace for 329 miles in our driving loop. 150 kW max charging speed delivers some 77 miles for every 10 minutes on charge. And using 35 kWh of electricity per 100 miles earns the Equinox EV a good efficiency rating.

Much like every other Ultium-based vehicle we’ve been in, Equinox EV’s ride quality is quite pleasant. But where it really stands out is in exterior design. Available in both LT and RS families, the Equinox EV is easily the sportiest-looking Ultium vehicle we’ve seen yet. Its long 116.3-inch wheelbase is 8.8 inches longer than the ICE Equinox. As with many EVs, there’s lots of active LED lighting elements; plus, flush door handles and smooth body panels to help aero efficiency.

Very little body roll and quick steering added a playfulness to the process that made the Equinox feel smaller than it is.

Of course, the dedicated EV platform allows for a very spacious feel inside, with plenty of room for five adults and 26.4 cu.-ft. of cargo space in back; folding rear seatbacks leads to max of 57.2 cu.-ft. An AutoSense liftgate is available for hands-free operation.

2RS comes with some very nice cloth heated seats that Chevy calls Evotex; but more impressive is the 17.7-inch widescreen infotainment setup. In addition to looking great, it responds quickly to inputs, is Google-based, and features EV-specific route planning through the MyChevrolet App. There are multiple settings for regen braking, including two for one-pedal driving; plus, there’s a regen-on-demand paddle behind the steering wheel that works like a hand brake.

2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 20
2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 24
2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 23
2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 25
2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 19
2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 18
2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 17
2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 22
2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 21
2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 26
2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 27
2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 16
2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 202024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 242024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 232024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 252024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 192024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 182024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 172024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 222024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 212024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 262024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 272024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 16

There was enough torque here in our all-wheel-drive tester to spin up the tires a bit at launch, and when it did hook up, it left the line with a decent amount of thrust. Enough to get to 60 in 6.1 seconds, almost 3 seconds quicker than we got in the ICE Equinox just a few months ago. The power flow stayed consistent the whole way down the track, with no major upticks or drop-offs throughout the 14.9-second quarter-mile, finished at 91 mph.

It felt equally smooth and steady through our handling course, very little body roll and quick steering added a playfulness to the process that made the Equinox feel smaller than it is. Results were very consistent in our 60-0 panic braking test. A short 116-foot average, stops were smooth and straight.

‘24s are still available, with prices starting at $43,295 for a 2LT, but a base 1LT that goes for just $34,995 arrives for ’25; adding all-wheel drive is a pretty steep $3,300 increase.

The Chevrolet Equinox EV is an incredibly nice SUV regardless of what’s under the hood. GM has certainly built some impressive EVs recently, but delivering a family friendly EV with this much range for this low of a price is probably their most impressive feat yet. That’s why it earned our recent MotorWeek Drivers’ Choice Award for Best of the Year, and why you should have it on your list if a sensible EV purchase is in your future.

Specifications

As Tested

  • Motor Setup: Dual Motor
  • Battery Size: 85-kWh
  • Horsepower: 288
  • Torque: 333 lb-ft
  • EPA Range: 285 miles
  • Peak Charging Rate: 150 kW
  • 0-60 mph: 6.1 seconds
  • 1/4 Mile: 14.9 seconds at 91 mph
  • Braking, 60-0 (avg): 116 feet
  • MW Test Loop: ~ 329 miles