WASHINGTON (Oct. 22, 2009) — “The only way to get to zero emissions in an automobile is through an electric vehicle or a fuel cell,” said Tracy Woodard, director of government affairs for Nissan Motor Co. USA, at a speech in the nation's capital Oct. 21.
Ms. Woodard discussed the pending introduction of the Nissan Leaf, a five-passenger, fully electric compact car powered by an advanced lithium-ion battery, by the end of 2010. The car will go 100 miles on a single charge and require four to eight hours of recharging from a 220-volt line, she said.
Since 70 percent of motorists in the U.S. drive less than 40 miles per day, she said, the car will be commercially viable in the commuter market.
“Is this the car you'll want to take to visit Grandma? Probably not,” she said. “But it satisfies the daily driving habits of most Americans. Also, research and development hasn't stopped. Our engineers are still working on furthering the mileage.”