Battery Vehicle Society

Test drove this recently - what a car! You could not wipe the smeil off my face for an hour afterwards!

Still very expensive though!

Thats the trouble, for me it will need to make it to the 2nd hand market and around the value of a Berlingo i.e sub £3k before I'll even consider one........best I look after my Blingo

ChrisB

Where was the test drive, in the UK for the general public?

I'm considering one of these. Expensive for a small car but competitive with a conversion to the same standard. A 24KWh Lion battery would be the best part of £10K alone. The Leaf presumably comes with a full warrantee and usual Japanese quality.

Anyone put down their £257 fully refundable deposit?

Nissan quote a range of 100 miles following a US LA4 standard which I believe is a town cycle. I have asked them for steady state consumption which I have not seen published. My prospective Journey to work is 22 miles mostly motorway, so I need to confirm it can do it.

I would be having it as a second vehicle. I would keep my existing car for long journeys, a Vauxhall Monaro complete with 24mpg petrol V8 engine. So the daily saving would be significant and I want to preserve the muscle car - I can't buy another.

Autocar have now test driven one:

http://www.autocar.co.uk/CarReviews/Fir ... ec/253625/

And generally praise it.

I've been trying get more info from Nissan on it but unfortunately a fancy e-brochure will not work on my computer. They have given me this to help work out the range in given driving conditions. What I really need is simply the power speed curve which would be expected to follow a cubic law for mostly aerodynamic drag.

Is there any truth in the rumour that one can receive a grant from HM Gov if you buy a "new" electric vehicle. If so, does anyone know how much it is? Before I retired, my daily run to work was around forty miles. So even without nicking employers electricity, which I would have done for security from diversions etc, to a certain degree. It seems it would have done my job.

Although electric vehicles are horses for courses. If only the reps & long distance delivery drivers were left with ic engines, it would be a great help to the environment & I suspect, to the economy. Won't happen though!
chatwindows

Sorry guys,
what I meant to say was "how much it REALLY is." Are there any catches or conditions attached to the alleged £5,000 grant?
chatwindows

Irritatingly the price seems to have gone up before they must have delivered any. Now £25,990 inc government discount, up 2K.

Autocar have done a full road test now and video:

http://www.autocar.co.uk/CarReviews/Roa ... ec/256697/

http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-video/niss ... eo-review/

Price rise is justified by the poor exchange rate.

They quote the battery as 360V. They say the motor is AC but not whether it is asynchronous (induction) or synchronous (permanent magnet). The motor appears to have a base speed of 2730 rpm, below which it is constant torque (motor current limit), and above is constant power (battery current limit). I'm guessing the base speed is approx 24 mph given the rev limit is 10,390 rpm and presumably equates to the claimed top speed of 91 mph.

If its asynchronous I can see how it would work but if it is permanent magnet how can you achieve field weakening? The battery voltage of 360V presumably chosen to work with 600V semiconductors. The motor is quoted as 80KW but not whether this is mechanical or electrical. Assuming electrical I would estimate the phase current as 360A, again quite manageable.