by Shannon Reeves


Nissan is one of the biggest car makers in the world. The companies headquarters is in Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Japan. The company was first established 1934 as the Nissan Motor Company. They produced engines, trucks and aircraft for the Japanese war effort during World War 2. After the war they were renamed the Nissan Heavy Industries Corp. It is easy to find a Nissan dealer Wilmington

The manufacturer unveiled its first electric vehicle in December 2010, known as the LEAF. This is an acronym for Leading, Environmentally friendly Affordable, Family car.

This five door hatchback car produces no harmful emissions at all, thanks to the 24-kilowatt lithium-ion battery. The electric range of the car is 160kms.

The cars electric motor is positioned at the front of the car and drives the two front wheels. It has 121hp, with a top speed of 150 kilometers per hour. It can do 0 to 60 mph is 9.9 seconds.

The vehicle has a new technology installed, which was previously only available in Japan. A GPRS radio system sends and receives date from cell towers whenever they are in the car's range. This transmits data regarding, location, range, charging stations, energy consumption and distances. This is displayed on the LCD screen located on the car's dashboard. Portable computers and mobile phones can trigger air conditioning, heaters, battery charging and can also operate heaters and coolers while the car is being charged. There is a solar panel on the spoiler that trickle charges the car.

There a number of ways to charge the car. Fast charging takes 30 minutes from empty at a charging station. It can be fully charged from an ordinary home power supply in 16 hours, this is intended for emergency use. A home fast charging station is also available.

The LEAF heralds a major leap forward in vehicle manufacture, with a green and economical car that reduces dependency on gasoline. It is available to test drive at a Nissan dealer Wilmington. Read more about: nissan dealer Wilmington




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