AFFORDABLE BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLES By Barbara & Bill Schaffer Each year members of the Northwest Automotive Press Association meet to evaluate some of the latest and greatest environmentally friendly vehicles available to U.S. consumers. This year the competition was held at the Pearson Air Museum located on the grounds of the Fort Vancouver Historic Reserve…
“2018 Nissan Leaf SL” Increased Range, More Power and Better Looks. The Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. launched what they claimed to be the world’s first affordable, zero-emission car in the form of the new 2011 Nissan Leaf – a 4-door, medium-size, lithium-ion battery powered, plug-in electric hatchback, capable of comfortably transporting five adults….
By Barbara & Bill Schaffer Buying a Nissan Leaf is something like buying a refrigerator. You plug the refrigerator in and it is great for preserving foods, keeping drinks cool and keeping your ice cream freezing until it’s time to indulge. The Nissan Leaf works the same way, you plug it in an it gives…
“2016 Nissan Leaf SL” Improved battery increases range by 27 Percent The Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. launched what they claimed to be the world’s first affordable, zero-emission car in the form of the new 2011 Nissan Leaf – a 4-door, medium-size, lithium-ion battery powered, plug-in electric hatchback, capable of comfortably transporting five adults….
By Bill Schaffer Photos by Doug Berger / NWAPA Portland, Ore. – In July members of the Northwest Automotive Press Association (NWAPA) held their third annual “Drive Revolution” program and sampled 16 of these revolutionary vehicles on the streets of Portland, Oregon. After driving each of the vehicles, the panel of 19 Northwest U.S. and Canadian…
Electric cars have been one of the hottest topics in the automotive news over the last couple of years and we’ve had a chance to drive many of them for limited periods. For a more real-world exposure, we recently spent a week at home with the all-electric Nissan Leaf, and under certain circumstances, we could…
As this year winds down, it’s time to step back and take a look at what happened over the past 10 months. It’s likely that 2011 will be remembered as the year that the electric car was ready for real-world use – no longer a quirky bleeding-edge technology experiment, but rather a functioning part of…
Strip down a Nissan Leaf by taking away the rear doors, rear seat, trunk audio system, navigation and most of the other convenience appointments. Add a massive adjustable rear wing that says Nissan LEAF™ and a bunch of safety equipment and what do you have? The Nissan Leaf NISMO RC (Racing Competition). Introduced recently the…
Despite millions of dollars of advertising and hundreds of news stories and reviews, a majority of consumers still do not know who builds the Leaf and Volt electric cars. According to Lindsay Chappell of Automotive News, a recent independent market research study indicated that nearly 70 percent of the shoppers had no idea that the Leaf…
The grueling race up Pikes Peak is one of the most notorious road races in the world, and this year a 100 percent electric Nissan Leaf made history as the first winner of the Electric Production Class. Driven by veteran Nissan off-road truck racing champion Chad Hord the Leaf completed the run in only 14…
