Nissan LEAF

Portland General Electric and NEC have joined forces to declare North America's first public-use, quick-charge station for electric vehicles open for business. Heralded as a tipping point for the roll-out of electric vehicles in the U.S., the Takasago Rapid Charging Station is said to provide batteries with up to 80 per cent full strength in 20 to 30 minutes. Company officials and Governor Ted Kulongoski took the opportunity to power up a visiting Nissan LEAF before it left for a two-day tour of the area.  Read More

With the long-awaited Chevrolet Volt set to hit showrooms later this year, GM has announced that early adopters (in certain cities) will be eligible for one of 4,400 free home charging stations. The 240-volt fast-charge station deal is tied to a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) program which aims to assess electric vehicle charging infrastructure requirements, meaning those who take up the offer will be required to share data on charging and use of their vehicle.  Read More

Nissan is to start taking reservations from US consumers later this month for its LEAF electric vehicle. A fully refundable down payment of just US$99 will ensure customers are given first crack of the whip when ordering starts for real in August, with nationwide rollout expected early 2011.  Read More

Last month we looked at the Nissan's latest prototype EV and the infrastructure it hopes to put in place to support the "electric future". Now production plans have been revealed with the company taking the wraps off a fully-electric mid-size vehicle which it intends to launch in Japan, the United States and Europe in late 2010. With a name to compliment its green credentials, the LEAF is a five-seat hatchback powered by lithium-ion batteries which deliver a range of 160km (100 miles) on one full charge. The electric motor delivers 80kW (107bhp) and 280Nm of torque with top speed slated at 140kmh (around 90mph).  Read More