(or why it took me 20 years to buy one) More than a “2 seater” Able to travel at highway speeds (>60 mph) Sufficient range (>75 miles)
Leaf was the first EV to meet these 3 criteria EV
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Automotive History
EV
1832 Robert Anderson invents a non-rechargeable electric carriage 1835 Thomas Davenport builds the first practical electric vehicle and receiving a patent for the first electric motor in 1837 1859 French physicist Gaston Planté invents the rechargeable lead-acid battery 1891 William Morrison of Des Moines, Iowa builds the first successful electric automobile in the United States 1900 One-third of all cars found on the roads of New York City, Boston, and Chicago are electric 1908 Henry Ford introduces the gasoline-powered Model T 1912 Charles Kettering invents the electric automobile starter, eliminating the need for a hand crank starter on gasoline powered vehicles 3
Automotive History (cont'd)
1972 Victor Wouk builds the first full-size hybrid vehicle 1974 Vanguard-Sebring's CitiCar is introduced with a top speed of 30 mph and a 40 mile range 1975 U.S. Postal Service purchases 350 electric delivery jeeps from AM General
1996 General Motors Saturn EV1 is released
1997 Toyota introduces the Prius, the first mass-produced hybrid
2003 General Motors announces that it will not renew leases on the EV1
2007 General Motors unveils the Chevrolet Volt concept car
2008 Tesla Motors begins production of the Tesla Roadster
2010 100% electric Nissan Leaf becomes commercially available
EV
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1998 Saturn EV1
EV
Horsepower: 137 Top Speed: 80 mph (regulated) Range: 75 to 130 miles Weight: 3084 lbs Full charge in 6 hours $33,995 ($349 per month lease)
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Saturn EV1 today
EV
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2011 Nissan Leaf
EV
100% electric Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) Range: 100 miles/charge based on US EPA LA4 city cycle Top Speed: 90 mph 80 kW AC synchronous motor with 24 kWh lithium-ion battery Weight: approximately 3500 lbs (including 600 lb battery pack) Full charge: 7 hrs (240v), 20 hrs (120v), 30 minutes (480v DC)*
