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Of course, the original contest "concerns a hare and a slow-moving tortoise. The tortoise challenged the hare to a race. The hare soon left the tortoise far behind and, confident of winning, he decided to take a nap midway through the course. When he awoke, however, he found that his competitor, crawling slowly but steadily, had already won the race." And thus we have the Leaf, the new "affordable," zero-emission, four-door, all-electric city-car from Nissan. Keyword: affordable.
Nissan has been criticized for being slow to enter the green market -- they have only one hybrid vehicle in their fleet. Impressions to the contrary, Nissan has been hard at work "to leapfrog 'transitional' powertrain solutions like gas-electric hybrids in favor of genuine zero-emissions vehicles." The Leaf promises to be available in the U.S. next year at a price somewhere between $25,000 and $30,000 -- considerably less than the Chevy Volt. It will charge in eight hours at 220 volts providing a 100-mile range -- plenty for an urban or suburban errand runner for a family of five. The car is already being tested with real customers in Japan. Combine this with smart-grid technology to charge at off-peak hours, and you have an economical and green personal transportation solution.
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So where is our Chevy Volt? Hello?
For the latest, we have this from AutoBlogGreen:
It's sort of common wisdom that when the first Chevrolet Volt models become available in General Motors showrooms (or on eBay) in late 2010, they'll be priced at around $40,000. GM hasn't made any official statement declaring this specific price -- and for a while there was speculation on which way the ticker would go; would it be $30,000? $35,000? -- but for now, $43,000 is the expected average transaction price, and GM will lose money on each Volt at that rate, according to a new story in AdAge.
Well, this is not exactly the way to deliver lots of affordable EVs to a mass market.
Another story in The New York Times suggests that the extended-range Chevy Volt "will achieve a fuel rating of 230 miles a gallon in city driving." That's in part because the car has a back-up gas engine. "Nissan, however, announced last week that its all-electric vehicle, the Leaf, which comes out in late 2010, would get 367 mpg, using the same E.P.A. standards."
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While GM is attempting to give us an American full-sized vehicle with an electric motor, the Japanese are pursuing a different strategy that produces a lower price and better mileage.
The Leaf is only one aspect of a national movement in Japan to make moving around in cars more earth-friendly. In addition to Nissan, Mitsubishi and Fuji Heavy Industries are in advance stages of introducing their own electric vehicles, the iMiEV and the R1e respectively. Both of these cars are eerily reminiscent of GM's EV1, dropped in 1999.
In anticipation of the need for EV pit stops, some shopping malls are preparing charging stations for their eco-minded customers, "The biggest name in shopping malls in Japan is set to install electric vehicle charging spots in its parking lots. ... Starting with the Lakeland mall currently under construction in Koshigaya, Saitama Prefecture, Aeon will add to its list of environmental programs by giving EV drivers the opportunity to juice up while they are doing their shopping." These charging stations are likely to provide power at greater than 220 volts, decreasing the charge time you might otherwise get at home.
The Japanese government is already working with local utilities to provide advanced cogeneration systems that convert natural gas into electrical energy that can be used to power the house and to charge cars at home at night when rates are lower. This system combines the latest advances in smart-grid technology into a realistic solution that is already installed in thousands of Japanese homes. Add geothermal, tidal and solar power, all plentiful in Japan, and you have the makings of a renewable supply system for EVs.
Meanwhile, Green Car Congress has reported that, "Ten of China's top automakers are joining in a research and development working group (T10 Electric Vehicles) for electric vehicle powertrains and components." The goal of this joint venture is to reduce R&D costs among the various manufacturers, something GM is hefting mostly on its own.
So, while the Chevy Volt was fast out of the PR blocks, it now appears that the steady persistence of the Japanese (and now the Chinese) to produce electric vehicle solutions complete with charging concepts is winning the race to a global market.
Richard Seireeni is president of The Brand Architect Group, Los Angeles, a strategic brand consultancy with affiliated offices in Tokyo and Shanghai. Seireeni is the author of "The Gort Cloud" that describes the invisible network that is powering today's most successful green brands. Follow him on Twitter @Seireeni.
Apples/Oranges: Each is good for some
The Leaf is a great idea - for some people. If you have a short commute, or are retired or a stay at home parent, the car could be a perfect 2nd vehicle. You need a place to charge it, so a parking space with an outlet, or a garage in your house.
Use of electricity from the grid has differing carbon emissions depending on where you live and what time of day you use it.
California, where I live, has aggressive solar panel programs - I have solar panels on my roof which I got for no money down, and they're leased for an amount roughly equal to a decrease in my electric bill. I am on a time-of-use rate schedule, so if I charge at night, the effect on my bill wouldn't be as large as if I charge during the day.
If you don't live somewhere where solar panels are so affordable, the equation could still be good from a carbon point of view if you have hydro, nuclear, wind, etc, as a significant source of power.
The Volt is an entirely different animal. *Anyone* could use it as their primary car, and take long trips with it, but it costs a lot more because it's more complex - gasoline engine and powertrain.
Frankly, if saving on gas or reducing carbon emissions is important to you (and it is to me), buy the amount of car you need. Buy a car over an SUV. Buy the smallest car you can fit your stuff into. A Toyota Echo, for example, is pretty darn cheap and gets 42mpg highway.
Nissan or GM, Jap or Ameri, All Electric or both Gas and E?
Bottom line is GM products, well suck! My Nissan, Altima functioned much better than my Chevy, Malibu ever has when comparing repair frequency. MPG was about the same. Nissan parts are extremely expensive. Thankfully, we live in a Global economy so purchasing the Nissan wasn't too bad of an idea. Albeit, buying American is morally best.
I'm just wondering, how do I charge an all-electric car while living in an apartment building? Is it possible? Additionally, who wants to have to charge their car every 100 miles? Especially if I can't do it overnight due to my living situation. If I understand correctly, the Nissan isn't designed for someone who has to drive mostly city miles twice a day considering I have to work for a living, not just run errands all day. Lastly, WTH didn't Obama just throw our money at GM along with the failing auto industry? How quickly we forget. In addition to that what happened to R&D of renewable energy? Shouldn't we be well on our way here? Why haven’t we begun utilizing our own incredible American minds as promised? Again, how quickly we forget???????????????????????