evnow said:
GRA said:
After all, that's why Nissan et al were all claiming 100 miles of range, but not mentioning that is only for LA4.
Has this now become an urban myth ?
8/2/2009
http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/NEWS/2009/_STORY/090802-02-e.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
NISSAN UNVEILS "LEAF" - THE WORLD'S FIRST ELECTRIC CAR DESIGNED FOR AFFORDABILITY AND REAL-WORLD REQUIREMENTS
Unlike internal-combustion engine (ICE) equipped vehicles, Nissan LEAF's power train has no tail pipe, and thus no emission of CO2 or other greenhouse gases. A combination of Nissan LEAF's regenerative braking system and innovative lithium-ion battery packs enables the car to deliver a driving range of more than 160km (100 miles) on one full charge*. (*US LA4 mode)
4/26/2010
http://www.edmunds.com/nissan/leaf/2011/road-test1.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
The bottom line is that currently the 2011 Nissan Leaf has a range of just 100 miles, and that's worked out to the U.S. LA-4 driving cycle (the original EPA city driving cycle, before the current FTP cycle was instituted), and this means that even Nissan admits that the car's owners are going to struggle to achieve it.
I'll freely admit that in the fine print of the ad they would state LA4. Would you say that they or their competitors went out of their way to emphasize that to their customers? Or was it typically the case that the range number was in larger type, with an asterisk pointing to the qualifiers in the fine print? For example, here's the way the info is presented in the Nissan press release you link to above (I've bolded the relevant sections):
2nd paragraph:
"Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. today unveiled Nissan LEAF, the world's first affordable, zero-emission car. Designed specifically for a lithium-ion battery-powered chassis, Nissan LEAF is a medium-size hatchback that comfortably seats five adults and has
a range of more than 160km (100 miles) to satisfy real-world consumer requirements.
3rd paragraph (bullet points):
"Key characteristics of the LEAF include:
1) Zero-emission power train and platform
2) Affordable pricing
3) Distinctive design
4) Real-world range autonomy - 160km (100 miles)
5) Connected Mobility: Advanced intelligent transportation (IT) system"
Sixth Paragraph:
"Unlike internal-combustion engine (ICE) equipped vehicles, Nissan LEAF's power train has no tail pipe, and thus no emission of CO2 or other greenhouse gases. A combination of Nissan LEAF's regenerative braking system and innovative lithium-ion battery packs enables the car to
deliver a driving range of more than 160km (100 miles) on one full charge*. (*US LA4 mode).
Seventh Paragraph:
"Extensive consumer research
demonstrates that this range satisfies the daily driving requirements of more than 70% of the world's consumers who drive cars."
Now aside from burying the info about 100 miles LA4 well down in the release after twice saying 100 miles without any qualifiers, which as they well know tends to mean that qualifiers get skipped over when reading, they don't state anywhere that LA4 is a city cycle, nor do they describe it. How many people do you think knew or know what LA4
is?
If they had any intention of full disclosure, the release should have read something like this:
2nd Paragraph:
"Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. today unveiled Nissan LEAF, the world's first affordable, zero-emission car. Designed specifically for a lithium-ion battery-powered chassis, Nissan LEAF is a medium-size hatchback that comfortably seats five adults and has
a typical range of 70-80 miles in mixed city/highway driving, and a maximum range of more than 160km (100 miles) on the EPA's city LA4* cycle, to satisfy real-world consumer requirements. Use of heater, defroster or air conditioner will substantially shorten the above ranges."
3rd paragraph (bullet points):
"Key characteristics of the LEAF include:
1) Zero-emission power train and platform
2) Affordable pricing
3) Distinctive design
4) Real-world range autonomy - 120-160km (70-100 miles) depending on mix of city/highway, less if using climate control system.
5) Connected Mobility: Advanced intelligent transportation (IT) system"
* Full description of LA4 cycle