Autumn leaves.

[grober]

With the news that the Japanese car manufacturer Nissan is to build its all electric Nissan LEAF electric car at its plant in the UK and this vehicle should have the ability to be recharged from your home electricity supply the main question is HOW IS THE GOVERNMENT GOING TO "FUEL " TAX IT???

Since the plant won't come on stream till 2013 whoever is in charge will have some time to think about it.

The car maker said its decision to locate its LEAF production in its Sunderland factory represents an investment of over £420m and is expected to maintain about 2,250 Nissan jobs across the UK.
The investment is also backed by a £20.7m UK government grant and up to £220m from the European Investment Bank.
Nissan’s Sunderland factory will also produce a lithium-ion battery.
The UK will be the third country to produce the LEAF car. Production of the LEAF is set to begin in Oppama, Japan later this year, followed by Smyrna in Tennessee in 2012.
The Sunderland plant is expected to come online in early 2013 and will have an initial annual production capacity of about 50,000 units.
The sales launch of the LEAF will begin in late 2010 in Japan, the US and selected European markets, ahead of global mass marketing from 2012.
The Nissan LEAF is a five-seater hatchback powered by an 80kW electric motor. The car will have a top speed of more than 140 km/h Powered by a thin lithium-ion battery developed in collaboration with NEC Corp., the five-seat EV can travel over 160 kilometers on a single charge. A full charge can be achieved in about eight hours using a 200-volt domestic outlet, and with dedicated quick-chargers to be installed at gas stations, batteries can be charged to 80 percent of capacity in about 30 minutes.
The picture illustrates that the expression "what's under the bonnet then? " will take on an entirely new meaning.

 

[wemorgan]

It looks as if Renault-Nissan have been quick off the mark with electric vehicles.
I know they're also working on a 2 seater city electric car due for release 2012/13.

Mercedes also seem impressed as they are in talks on technology sharing between the OEMs. So for all those comments about Renault's poor build quality, MB owners may just find that Renault diamond icon on parts of their car.

 

[SilverSaloon]

put everyone's taxes up.

The future is coming :bannana:

but i'll wait for someone to fit one of the electric motors in a W124

 

[wemorgan]

One of the more exciting aspects about electric cars is that they open up the possibilities for real design change. The modern car is built around an IC engine, with drive shafts and exhausts. If you remove all of those then you also remove the design compromises because of them. OK admittedly you'll replace those with different ones because of batteries etc. But the change should be interesting at least

 

[st4]

One of the more exciting aspects about electric cars is that they open up the possibilities for real design change. The modern car is built around an IC engine, with drive shafts and exhausts. If you remove all of those then you also remove the design compromises because of them. OK admittedly you'll replace those with different ones because of batteries etc. But the change should be interesting at least

To an extent yes but with modern safety crash regs there will be a traditional "bonnet" at the front which acts as a crash stucture. Steering collumns will remain and the need for a boot and 4/5 seats just because of modern lifestyles.

 

[Mr E]

Here's one model being kicked about - you'll be taxed based on the CO2 produced during the generation of the electricity used to charge the car.

At 8hrs/15A to charge overnight, how many powerstations would be needed to cope?

 

[st4]

Here's one model being kicked about - you'll be taxed based on the CO2 produced during the generation of the electricity used to charge the car.

....which is still less than the most efficient ICE cars

At 8hrs/15A to charge overnight, how many powerstations would be needed to cope?

Heaps

 

[Mr E]

To an extent yes but with modern safety crash regs there will be a traditional "bonnet" at the front which acts as a crash stucture. Steering collumns will remain and the need for a boot and 4/5 seats just because of modern lifestyles.

Steering columns only continue to exist because vehicle regulations demand mechanical linkage - we could have done away with them years ago. Do you worry that your plane isn't flown with cables any more?

Bonnets could be replaced by airbags - some OEMs are already looking at this type of protection technology.

Doing away with the bulk and weight of an IC engine really does open up scope for designers.

 

[wemorgan]

To an extent yes but with modern safety crash regs there will be a traditional "bonnet" at the front which acts as a crash stucture. Steering collumns will remain and the need for a boot and 4/5 seats just because of modern lifestyles.

As an aside, are there any cars with steer-by-wire technology?

edit: seems I was slow with my post.

Here's one model being kicked about - you'll be taxed based on the CO2 produced during the generation of the electricity used to charge the car.

Do we get to state how we wish to have our electricity generated? I'd vote for nuclear, solar, tidal if it's just based on CO2 production

At 8hrs/15A to charge overnight, how many powerstations would be needed to cope?

My wild guess. No more than normal. I thought powerstations curently reduced their energy production during the evening hours.

 

[st4]

Steering columns only continue to exist because vehicle regulations demand mechanical linkage - we could have done away with them years ago. Do you worry that your plane isn't flown with cables any more?

Bonnets could be replaced by airbags - some OEMs are already looking at this type of protection technology.

Doing away with the bulk and weight of an IC engine really does open up scope for designers.

Yes we could have steer by wire but whats even more efficient is to do away with power steering and go back to "skinny" wheels. Thus the mechanical link would need to remain.

However the "by wire" route does seem more likely.

The car as you envisage would become a 1 box shape, rather like an A class, B class or Seat Leon which all have very slopping bonnets that give a 1 box appearance.

 

[wemorgan]

The car as you envisage would become a 1 box shape, rather like an A class, B class or Seat Leon which all have very slopping bonnets that give a 1 box appearance.

Maybe, maybe not.

Style and mechanical function are linked. But if the mechanics, by good design, hide themselves away, then the stylist can draw whatever they chose.

So cars of the future may still have sloping windscreens and long bonnets, but there just wont be anything of substance under the bonnet. That is to say, if that's what the customer wants, that's what they can have

Customers can still have the noise of a V8 too
http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/ot-off-topic-forums/84387-tuning-cheep.html

 

[grober]

It wasn't me gov, it was the car what done it!

Further to the "steer by wire" debate. and the current Toyota "throttle pedal with a mind of its own" furore ------tis rumoured that corporate lawyers stepped in at Honda to limit their automatic self steering/stability control intervention to a maximum of 20 seconds in their acura/legend model . This was because after 20 seconds it might be argued "control of the vehicle" had been taken over by Honda rather than the driver thus making the Honda corporation liable in any lawsuit following an accident.

 

[kth286]

if the regulators allowed steer by wire, there could be massive savings by doing away with the need to have different left hand drive and right hand drive cars.

They could all be the same, with driver controls that slide from one front seat to other front seat depending which country the car was being used.

 

[rees_A]

So... Buy an electric car, get one of those windmills that generate electricity...Totally free driving ...Yay!!!

 

[wemorgan]

So... Buy an electric car, get one of those windmills that generate electricity...Totally free driving ...Yay!!!

Better still, attached a wind turbine on to the car roof

Doh, that pesky perpetual motion machine again.

 

[kth286]

OR make the whole of the car outer body as solar panel/s.

 

[Lugy]

Strangely enough I'd have one of them for my daily run to work .

So... Buy an electric car, get one of those windmills that generate electricity...Totally free driving ...Yay!!!

It's always windy at my house so I'll be fine

 

[CE230]

I forsee lots of cars plugged into street lights in the ghetto's

 

[Shude]

OR make the whole of the car outer body as solar panel/s.

This would provide almost enough power to run a phone charger.

 

[grober]

Gold Leaf??

Nissan have just announced the UK price of the Nissan Leaf on sale FEB 2011. A whopping £23,350 after the government subsidy!!!

Can't see many queueing up at those prices except well heeled folks wishing to avoid the London congestion charge.

Nissan reveals LEAF pricing - Parker's