The Nissan Leaf has been making strides in California and across the nation since it was first unleashed to the U.S. market late last year. The all-electric car was deployed across the state of California earlier this year as part of The EV Project, and has been finding some unlikely allies, including a Republican Senator from Tennessee.
Regular readers know that I am a big believer in electric vehicles and with them long term demand for rare earth elements, but in America, EVs get almost universally negative press. In part that’s because present expectations are too high while future expectations are too low. The current generation of EVs are only just coming out and beginning a mass trial. The manufacturers will quickly be told what’s good and what’s bad. As part of that feedback loop, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power added the Nissan Leaf to its motor pool. More correctly, Enterprise Rent-A-Car did for lease to the LADWP. The commercial feedback from the likes of both Enterprise and the LADWP is vital to the next generation of EVs which is likely to be the break though in the switch to EV motoring.
Nissan Leaf Becomes A Government Car
by Aaron Colter, April 3rd, 2011
Enterprise Rent-A-Car recently announced that they are adding the Nissan Leaf to their business rental program for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), making the first deployment new generation electric vehicles to the government agency’s fleet.
For the moment, the car rental agency is only offering the Nissan all-electric car at one location in Santa Monica, California, but both Enterprise and LADWP are looking for ways to expand access to electric charging stations across the state, as the infrastructure is a necessary component of mass deployment.
More.
The Energy Department estimates that there'll be enough (US) manufacturing capacity for 50,000 electric vehicle batteries by the end of 2011 and 500,000 by the end of 2014.
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I could question the wisdom of California State near bankruptcy funding these type of programs, and question the wisdom of the US government doing the same while running trillion and a half annual deficits, but that really a debate for a different blog. But the fact is other private fleet operators are already commencing testing of EVs, and the manufacturers will get the feedback one way or another. Until the big battery breakthrough comes in terms of cost, weight and mileage, all testing of BEVs is limited to low range daily driving, but in fits and starts our world is about to undergo a transformation. The hydrocarbon ICE is about to go the way of the horse in the two decades ahead, and in EVs everyone will want the same luxury. Power windows and locks, power seats, heated seats where appropriate, AC and efficient heating too. In an EV, super efficient micro motors and heaters are a must, and nearly all rely on some REEs.