Electric Vehicles or EVs are currently in vogue right now in Japan and in the Western Hemisphere, especially in Europe where several countries have announced plans to ban diesel- (sooner) and gasoline-powered (later) vehicles on the road. That said, Nissan thinks that your next car could very well be an EV.

According to Mr. Yutaka Sanada, Nissan Regional SVP, Head of OC – ASEAN & Oceania, said that thanks to the democratization of technology, he expects the adoption to EVs to increase at a faster pace. In fact, Nissan just announced that Thailand is joining the EV bandwagon with the 2018 Leaf. Thanks to the forward thinking of the Thai government, Nissan is set to introduce this zero-emission vehicle there by sometime next year with plans to perhaps assemble it there as well.



As the second-generation Nissan Leaf is now being introduced to more markets, it presents an interesting scenario for Nissan. Just how do you convince a buyer to switch from his beloved gasoline (or diesel) powered car to something that’s completely electric?

The first has to do with design. The previous-generation Leaf, though not exactly pretty, stood out because of its futuristic design. However, as Nissan moves the EVs from the fringes and into the limelight (it’s now a core part of its Nissan Intelligent Mobility), the challenge was to pen a car that appealed to the senses as it does to sensibilities.



For Alfonso Albaisa, Nissan Senior Vice-President, Global Design, the all-new Leaf represents how far EVs have come and where Nissan is going. Constrained by the need to come up with an aerodynamically efficient design, Albaisa successfully designed an emotionally striking car that also meets the company’s criteria. Some elements were carefully crafted by bi-monthly trips to the wind tunnel while others, like the floating roof was chanced by a lucky Photo Shop accident. But whether the different parts were designed intentionally or by accident, the final product speaks volume. He summed it up quite nicely: “The Nissan Leaf looks like it’s one step ahead, every step of the way.”

The second way is by offering a balanced performance. Simply slapping in a larger battery or more powerful motor would have been the easy way out for Nissan, but a big consideration was also to keep its price tag low. In order to do this, engineers came up with a more efficient, yet powerful motor that produces 110 kW (150 horsepower) and 320 Nm of torque. And by making the batteries store more charge (density is up 67 percent), the result is a range of up to 400 kilometers on a single charge. Not only does this remove the range anxiety associated with EVs, but it also allows the possibility of charging the Leaf just once a week. And how much does this cost? 3.15 million yen or P 1,500,000 before any incentives. That’s about P 300,000 less than the comparable Tesla Model 3.



If the savings from the purchase price isn’t incentive enough, Nissan sees the low ownership cost as the final way to convince people to make the switch. While a comparable compact sedan may cost around P 6 to run per kilometer on fuel alone, Nissan’s internal figures show that the Leaf can do that at just the cost of P 0.71 per kilometer.

In addition, with electric motors not having more than a hundred parts, it’s less prone to mechanical problems. Aside from suspension components and tires, visits to the dealer is limited to just once a year. Even then, it’s mostly a “Hi and Bye” affair according to a Nissan executive. And Nissan’s backing up the robustness of the Leaf’s battery with an 8-year/160,000-kilometer warranty despite not having any major problem with any battery pack even after 3.5 billion kilometers of accumulated mileage by Leaf owners in 49 countries.



Though Nissan thinks that countries such as the Philippines, with no EV-friendly government policies or incentives in place, may take longer to embrace electrification, the carmaker is still firm in their belief that this is their future; that this is the future of the automobile. And as more players throw their hat into the EV game, Nissan is assured that they’ve made the right choice. The electric vehicle such as the Nissan Leaf does sound like the right vehicle with the right technology at the right time. The only question is, will you be willing to make that jump towards electrification?