Nissan launches Leaf, world's 1st mass-market EV

The Leaf has been the most talked about EV in recent times, and its launch has been one of the most anticipated ones. However, Nissan is not the first major automaker to sell an electric car. That honour belongs to Mitsubishi Motors Corp, which launched the smaller i-MiEV electric car in 2009.

We also have the Tesla Roadster, which was the brainwave of a bunch of young engineers from Silicon Valley. Being the first sports performance oriented two-seater, to host an all electric transmission, the Tesla Roadster proved the prowess of cars belonging to the EV category. Capable of covering a range of 245 miles on a single charge, the only thing going against the sporty electric two seater is its audacious pricing.

So, the Japanese are back to set the record straight with the launch of their much awaited Nissan Leaf, a car that  TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk has named this year's winner of 'Green Car of the Year' 2010.

As per recent reports, Nissan has stated that the five-seater hatchback was rated with a driving range of 200 km (124 miles) on a full charge under Japanese test standards. 

To address "range anxiety", Nissan said it had installed normal charging spots at about 2,200 dealers around Japan, and quick chargers in about 200 dealers capable of recharging to 80 percent of the batteries' full capacity in 30 minutes.

Electric vehicles have no tailpipe emissions, and the Nissan Leaf is no by means an exception on this front. With the zero emission sign smeared across its streamline body, the Nissan Leaf will surely do its part in keeping the environment clean and green.

The delivery of Nissan’s latest 'green bug' will start in Japan and select U.S. states this month, followed by the first European markets in January. Nissan has filled the maximum initial orders for 6,000 Leafs in Japan, and 20,000 units in the United States, set to reach customers over the next year or so.

As for the price of the Leaf, Nissan has suggested a retail price of 3.76 million Yen ($44,900), which will fall to 2.98 million Yen in Japan after the Government's electric vehicle subsidies.