Nissan LEAF electric vehicle production process detailed
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. has started production at its Oppama facility for the all-new 100% electric, zero-emission Nissan LEAF, which is slated to go on sale in December in Japan and the United States, and from early 2011, in select markets in Europe. In November, the company will begin exports to the United States, followed by shipments to Europe in December.
"This is a significant milestone, not only for Nissan and the Renault-Nissan Alliance, but also for the entire automotive industry," said Nissan President and CEO Carlos Ghosn at the Nissan LEAF offline ceremony. "Consumers are clear. They want sustainable and affordable mobility...and the Alliance is leading the way with cars that deliver exactly that, with the reliability, excitement and performance that consumers demand. The high-quality, innovative Nissan LEAF will radically transform what consumers expect from automobile manufacturers worldwide."
Nissan LEAF will be produced at the Oppama Plant along with popular gasoline models such as Nissan Juke and Nissan Cube. Part of the assembly line has been modified to mount battery modules at the stage of production where fuel tanks are traditionally installed, and motors and inverters are mounted at the point where engines are installed in gasoline-powered vehicles. Production quality and efficiency are assured by applying the Nissan Production Way (NPW) in every step of the assembly process.
Nissan LEAF's lithium-ion battery modules are manufactured at the Automotive Energy Supply Corporation (AESC) operation in Zama, Japan, which is a joint-venture of Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. and NEC Corporation. The battery module, which contains 4 battery cells, are assembled at Zama and then shipped to the Nissan Oppama facility, where 48 of them are assembled into the electric car's battery pack.
Hidetoshi Imazu, Executive Vice President of Manufacturing, said, "Oppama will serve as the 'Mother Plant' for the production of Nissan LEAF. We will use all of the know-how and learnings from Oppama to ensure the highest quality at all sites that manufacture Nissan EVs."
Sites for future production of Nissan EVs include Smyrna, Tennessee, in the United States and Sunderland, England, in the UK.
The Oppama plant has an annual production capacity of 50,000 units. Nissan LEAF will start production at Smyrna in late 2012 and at Sunderland in early 2013. At full ramp up, Smyrna will have an annual production capacity of 150,000 units, and Sunderland will have a capacity of 50,000 units.
Nissan LEAF is the first 100% electric, zero-emission vehicle to be produced for the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Nissan, together with its Alliance partner, Renault, aims to be a global leader in zero-emission mobility. To date, the Alliance has signed 80 partnerships for zero-emission mobility with governments, municipalities and companies worldwide.
New Lamborghini V12 Engine Assembly
Finally, some hard facts right from Lamborghini.
The Italian supercar-maker has announced details on its new V12 power plant which is expected to debut in the upcoming Murcielago replacement recently speculated to be named Aventador.
The new engine is a naturally aspirated 6.5 liter V12, known internally as the L539, with a total output of 515 kW (700 PS) at 8,250 rpm and 690 Nm of torque available at an engine speed of 5,500 rpm.
The new V12 was developed by Lamborghini at its Sant'Agata Bolognese facility. It comes with a classic cylinder bank of 60 degrees and is compact - measuring 665 millimeters tall, 848 mm wide and 784 mm in length. It has a bore diameter of 95 mm and a cylinder stroke of 76.5 mm. The nitride-hardened crankshaft weighs just 24.6 kg while the engine weighs a total of 234 kg.
The 6.5 liter V12 also comes with two mufflers in a single casing - one low-volume and the other high for that pitch-perfect Lambo sound.
Also newly developed to accompany this engine is the ISR (Independent Shifting Rods) transmission. A 7-speed, single clutch gearbox with exceptionally quick shift times due to the independent shifting rods - Lamborghini claims almost 50 percent less than a standard dual-clutch gearbox. The independent shift rods work similar in concept to a dual-clutch - as one rod is disengaging the current gear, the second rod is already engaging the next one.
Weight reduction is a theme here too, as the new gearbox weighs in at just 70 kg.
The transmission comes with three driver settings - Strada, Sport and Corsa mode - with Corsa mode made for high-performance driving that also includes a launch control function.
http://www.worldcarfans.com/110111529573/lamborghini-reveals-new-v12-engine-with-700-horsepower
Nissan LEAF: Gas Powered Everything commercial
Nissan North America has unveiled a new ad campaign that asks "What if everything ran on gas?"
Created to promote their electric powered Leaf model, the commercial takes a humorous look at the advantages of electricity. More interestingly, Nissan takes a swipe at the Chevrolet Volt which is a range-extended electric vehicle that uses a petrol engine to extend its 25 to 50 mile (40 to 80 km) range on electricity alone.
Nissan will begin airing 15-second teasers later this week, before debuting the full commercial on June 12th during the NBA Finals in the U.S.
2012 Ford Focus Electric Vehicle static and driving footage
All-new Ford Focus Electric is the first fuel-free, rechargeable passenger car from Ford and one of five new electrified vehicles Ford will deliver by 2013 in North America and Europe
Focus Electric will offer a mile-per-gallon equivalent better than Chevrolet Volt and competitive with other battery electric vehicles
The all-electric Focus is capable of fully recharging in three to four hours at home using the available wall-mounted 240-volt charge station -- charging in half the time of the Nissan Leaf
The new Focus Electric offers value charging, powered by Microsoft, to help owners in the U.S. charge their vehicles at the cheapest utility rates, lowering the cost of ownership
Focus Electric provides a special version of MyFord Touch™ driver connect technology especially for electric customers and introduces MyFord Mobile, a smartphone app and website for monitoring key vehicle functions and charge settings while mobile
2011 Nissan Leaf - Battery Electric Car - "In Depth" Vehicle Introduction video
2011 Nissn Leaf Video - Watch an in-depth introductory video of the Totally NEW Nissan Leaf battery electric vehicle. This is a Plug-In battery car with a 100 mile range. The Leaf is the first mass marketed electric car. Paul Hossen the Leaf product planner will show and explain what the Leaf is all about. It has no gas tank, radiator, coolant, engine oil, Exhaust pipe, muffler, spark plugs, fuel injection system, smog control devices, transmission etc. Battery electric cars are very simple and efficient. It takes about $1.50 to $2.50 of electricity to fully charge the battery giving a 100 mile range. In a gasoline powered compact sedan averaging 30 miles per gallon, $2.00 will buy you about 25 miles range.
Chevrolet Car Manufacturing in 1936 - "Master Hands" - Educational Documentary
General Motors & Chevrolet produced this publicity film in 1936 to show the general public how their new cars are manufactured. We see all stages of the manufacturing process, from the foundry where parts are cast, the assembly of cars, and finally the finished vehicles ready for sale.
New generation light weight batteries for electric vehicles
The new efficient battery packs from Lithium House for electric vehicles. 10 times lighter.
I wrote about my opinions on Electric vehicles.
See that at https://sites.google.com/site/cpsconversationpieces/home/tidbits-on-toyota-prius#PHV
make sure you leave comment there.
Nissan Leaf on Fifth Gear
Guest presenter and electric car guru Robert Llewellyn tests the eco-friendly Nissan Leaf.
Nissan Leaf review from Consumer Reports
The Nissan Leaf is the first mainstream electric car sold in America. It is pleasant to drive but its short range and long recharge time limit flexibility. Visit our guide to alternative fuels for more information on the Nissan Leaf: http://bit.ly/oaTyWy
Car Review of the Nissan Leaf by The Stig (Ben Collins)
Some say he's a former SAS soldier, Others say he's from Bristol. All we know is, He's called the Stig. Oh wait, He's just Ben Collins.
2 things Top Gear hate in the same video: Electric Cars and Ben Collins.
Ben Collins or The Stig reviews the Nissan Leaf.
Test Drive of the Nissan LEAF - Seattle
Nissan recently brought the near-production model of the LEAF all-electric car to Seattle to give reservation holders a chance to go for a test drive. It's a pretty sick car, can't wait until I get one in December.
