As well, an electric car will be easier and less expensive to maintain. EVs don’t have spark plugs, they don’t use oil, and an EV motor barely has any moving parts. The battery has a lot of complex electronics in it, but no moving parts. And the regenerative braking system – if you use it properly – is going to do most of the work your brake pads do now. So in an EV, there is almost nothing to maintain outside of tires.
“We haven’t calculated maintenance costs, but they will be lower,” says Forsyth.
He also suggests that buyers need not worry about resale value. Nissan expects a four-year-old Leaf to retain about the same amount of its purchase price as any other standard family car – 40 to 45 per cent after four years.
Nissan has clearly thought through many of the issues holding back buyers from going electric – driving range, overall performance and vehicle cost. That only makes sense. Nissan, like Chevy with its Volt, is poised to begin moving the Leaf off dealer lots. Both appear to have an early edge on rival auto makers. But for how long?
Several other car companies, big ones and small, are about to sell EVs of their own. They range from niche maker Fisker with its $90,000 Karma super car, to big-volume car companies such as Audi (A1 E-Tron) Daimler’s Smart (electric fortwo), Toyota (FT-EV) and Ford (Focus electric).
Until widespread production begins in larger numbers, no one can be entirely sure how these vehicles differ (or are alike) in performance, reliability and the technology they employ. Governments have yet to tackle the thorny issue of comprehensive EV regulations and market forces – the price of oil, for instance – will also be in play as the EVs come to dealers and neighbourhoods around the world.
For buyers thinking of going EV green, the most important consideration is lifestyle. Nissan Canada plans to interview and educate potential Leaf buyers extensively to make sure they’ll be happy EV owners. Ninety per cent of Canadians may commute less than 60 km a day – well within the range of the Leaf – yet not all of them may be ideal candidates for a Leaf. Nissan is looking for buyers with predictable and unwavering daily driving routes. If that route includes a lot of high-speed driving, they need to know this shortens the EV’s range.
Once on the road, EV drivers also need to concern themselves with potential charging issues. A typical 220-240 volt charge will take about eight hours, says Forsyth, adding that high-speed chargers will be able to recharge flat batteries to 80 per cent in 30 minutes, once regulatory standards are in place.
Yes, there is an argument to be made that the future of the auto industry is with EVs. If so, one other selling point should be on the tape: EVs have the potential to be very entertaining to drive. The Leaf, for instance, is quiet and quick, with a near 50:50 front-rear weight distribution.
It’s entirely reasonable to expect car companies to market EV not just as green cars, but as an improvement on today’s traditional internal combustion engine vehicles. If that tactic proves successful, nearly everyone will agree that the future of the auto industry is, indeed, with EVs.
