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Nissan Leaf
- Thread starter efusco
- Start date
Mycroft
Life happens
Yeah, the Model X should arrive just in time for his kids to outgrow the two rear facing seats in the S.
EVNow
Well-Known Member
Just wait for him to get married again and have some more - Tesla Model B(us) ;-)
Anyway, unfortunately something that can go 300 miles will have to be large until we get higher density batteries.
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JRP3
Hyperactive Member
Of course if it were smaller and more aerodynamic you'd need fewer cells to go 300 miles. Remember the Solectria Sunrise did 375 miles in 1995 with NiMH cells.
Sparrow
S105/ Roadster 189
I owned a Solectria Sunrise for a few years. It didn't come with the batteries so I had to add some myself. It wasn't a particularly small car on the outside at least. Midsized maybe like a Camry although I never measured it against my son's Camry. The Sunrise had a huge battery tunnel down the middle of the car (which made the useable interior much smaller than a Camry) so I suspect it carried alot of batteries in it when it made that long drive and the driver certainly knew all the tricks to hypermile that car too.
JRP3
Hyperactive Member
I think it was designed to be similar in size to the Ford Taurus of that time, though it had a very good drag coefficient. I believe it carried 26kWh of cells, though they may have added more for the record run.
What happened to the one you had? I'd love to see one with a modern lithium pack.
What happened to the one you had? I'd love to see one with a modern lithium pack.
EVNow
Well-Known Member
Well 1995 was a different era. One of the reasons why the cars are heavier now is to cater to the crash safety standards. Starting with a Leaf, if we want to triple the range, we might end up with a S sized vehicle. Even with carbon fiber we see that the smaller i3 isn't all that light.
JRP3
Hyperactive Member
Remember the LEAF has a much worse cd than the Solectria Sunrise, which is key in long distance steady state driving, more so than weight.
EVNow
Well-Known Member
JRP3
Hyperactive Member
You mean besides me? I really like the look, futuristic, and efficient, but low cd can be made to look different. VW has a very low cd experimental vehicle that looks nice. Besides, should a LEAF owner really be commenting on how a vehicle looks? :wink:
I really like the look, futuristic, and efficient, but low cd can be made to look different. VW has a very low cd experimental vehicle that looks nice. Besides, should a LEAF owner really be commenting on how a vehicle looks? :wink:
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As a LEAF owner - I'd rock the Solectria Sunrise body over the LEAF body for the aerodynamics without question. Biggest problem is the lack of interior space in comparison. I use all 4 seats and doors on a daily basis.
EVNow
Well-Known Member
Surprisingly, I've got as many people talking to me on how good Leaf looks than for it being an EV.
I don't think we will see many vehicles that cover the backwheels ...
Anyway, we are talking about a family car with 4 doors. EV1 & Solctria aren't valid comparisons.
I does look very much better live than in photos. I'm getting a white one. Maybe we'll end up with two EVs, a Leaf and a Model X ?
Sparrow
S105/ Roadster 189
I sold my Sunrise Stephen Taylor's Solectria Sunrise to a group that was going to make cars similar to it, but so far nothing. I did put 23 Valence 130AH Lithium batteries in the car which was about 35kwh worth of energy. I quickly found out that the drive system in my car would overheat after only going about 50 miles or so. Of course that meant I could never really utilize all that energy I was carrying. I had other issues with the car such as poor headroom, plexiglass rear and side windows and an air condtioning system that makes the Roadster's look wonderful. I guess that is what you get when you buy a proof of concept vehicle. I got an offer to sell the car for everything I had in the car so I took it.
JRP3
Hyperactive Member
Ah yes, Lee Hart's group. http://www.sunrise-ev.com/ They seem short on funds for further development. I suggested he try to hook up with a kit car company and make a mold from it instead of trying to do it all from scratch, but I think he's still trying to go it alone.
Interesting comparison on Tomsax's blog:
EV Efficiency: Tesla Roadster and Nissan LEAF Compared - Tom Saxton's Blog
EV Efficiency: Tesla Roadster and Nissan LEAF Compared - Tom Saxton's Blog
NigelM
Recovering Member
Can't find anyone in Florida who has any sign of delivery in the near future...wondering if it has anything to do with a fan cooled battery pack and the very hot weather we've been having? Any news from the other "hot" states?
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