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Nissan says Leaf charger will start powering homes in July, details new battery (video)
We kicked the tires on Nissan's Leaf-based EV Power Station in Tokyo a while back, and now the company has announced that Japanese customers will start receiving the home power backups in July. On top of trundling you around town, the EV's battery will supply 6kWh of juice to your house, keeping it powered for up to two days. It also features an advanced charger, which can juice the Leaf to 80% capacity in only four hours, compared to the eight usually required to get to that level. It'll be sold through Nissan dealers and will run 480,000 yen ($6,000), or less with government subsidies -- in addition to the $35K you'd need for the car itself, of course. Roll on past the break for the video details.
Nissan announces e-NV200 all-electric van, production slated for 2013
So, Chrysler's electric postal van never really took off -- perhaps a few too many mailmen refused to give up those roomy Grumman LLVs -- but now Nissan is giving the electric van concept a go. Yesterday the company announced the e-NV200 compact van (previously teased as a concept), which will go into production in 2013. The van will be Nissan's second all-electric vehicle, following the 2010 Leaf. The e-NV200's design is quite similar to that of the NV200 van, but it swaps taxi-cab yellow for the Leaf's shade of robin's egg blue. Nissan says it's putting $126 million into producing the new model, but so far it's keeping mum on other details. Head past the break for the full press release
Nissan downsizes EV quick charger, slashes price while eying US, EU and Japanese markets
Like a hamburger Happy Meal, Nissan's brand new quick-charge station is fast, cheap and easy, thanks to its tasty new electric circuit technology. Nissan claims the 49kW charger takes up less space, is easier to install and a heckuva lot cheaper than former models, leaving only a ¥1 million yen (or around $10,000) dent in your pocket compared to the former ¥1.47 million (or $19,088) crater. Hoping to sell around 5,000 units and set up charging stations throughout the Land of the Rising Sun by March 2016, Nissan sees the technology rolling out in the US and Europe sometime in the near future -- no toy included. Pull over for the full PR after the break.
Nissan's Leaf rollout speeds up in Chicago this fall
Oprah may have left town and packed up her "You get a car!" philanthropic ways, but that's not stopping Nissan from injecting the windy city with a little auto excitement. Responding to an overwhelming customer demand for its all-electric Leaf vehicles, the Japanese car maker is accelerating the line's rollout to Chicago residents, with the first models to be available this fall. The launch will be bolstered by a planned 280 EV charging stations, funded in part by a pledged $1 million from the state and an additional $1 million grant. If you're living in the second city to our north and haven't yet hitched your ride to the electric hatchback caravan, now might be the time.
