Automotive Design & Production is the one media brand invested in delivering your message in print, online, via email, and in-person to the right automotive industry professionals at the right time.
Issue link: https://adp.epubxp.com/i/132123
AD&P; > June 2013 > FEATURE > Nissan Is Building EV Batteries—and EVs—in Smyrna > Gary S. Vasilash > gsv@autofeldguide.com throughout the facility), so presumably ramping up to high production volumes would be fairly straightforward. p The 2013 LEAF on the line at the Nissan assembly plant in Smyrna. If you look closely, you'll note that the car behind it is an Altima. It is a car with a gasoline engine. LEAFs, Altimas and Maximas are all produced on the same line. The Nissan battery pack, which weighs approximately 600 lb., is fat, not cylindrical as is the case with many consumer electronics batteries. This facilitates cooling, which is critical for batteries (the confguration allows convection-style cooling rather than liquid-based; the convection process not only allows the battery module to be less complex, but it also reduces battery mass), as well as packaging: it The 2013 LEAF: Modifcations Made Although the LEAF has been available on the U.S. market since 2010, although there have been just model years 2011 and 2012, Nissan has modifed the 2013 model in a number of ways. Brendan Jones, director, Nissan EV Infrastructure Strategy & Development, says that LEAF owners are a highly engaged and proactive group; "We've had lots of customer interaction and feedback—the most in Nissan's history." The biggest change is that they've added a model to the lineup: the S, which has a base MSRP of $28,800, which means that with variously available q Here is an interesting contrast: the LEAF SL has a photovoltaic solar panel on the spoiler, which is used to collect energy to help power vehicle accessories . . . yet all three trim levels have heated side-view mirrors. incentives—governmental as well as those offered by some companies—it is possible to get a LEAF for less than $20,000. The other two trims are the SV, which has an MSRP of $31,820, and the SL, which starts at $34,840. Jones notes that there are those who were looking for a less expensive LEAF, which resulted in the S, and those who were looking for more amenities, which explains the leather seating on the SL. That said, they anticipate the greatest number of customers opting for the midgrade SV trim. So the customers asked for things like a light and a lock for the charge port door, and a release button for the door on the key fob. In order to signifcantly increase the cargo capacity for the 2013 model, the on-board charger that had been in the back has been repositioned to the front of the vehicle: in there is 30-ft3 of space with the rear seat folded in the '13 compared with 24-ft3 in the '12. The entry level S comes with a standard 3.6-kW onboard charger. It is available with an optional 6.6-kW onboard charger, standard on the other two models. The 6.6-kW charger reduces charging time via 220 V to approximately 4 hours for a full charge. The SL comes standard—and it is optional for the other two—with a level-two Quick Charge Port that allows DC charging to 80% capacity in 30 minutes. 38