Renewable Gossip

Like a bloodless revolution, the transition to the new era of electric cars might be uneventful.

Nissan gave test-drives of a Nissan Versa outfitted with the Nissan Leaf’s electric drivetrain, in Santa Rosa, Calif.. (Photo: Bradley Berman.)

This morning, we got some time behind the wheel of a modified Nissan Versa outfitted with the Nissan Leaf’s electric drivetrain. The two-minute spin around the parking lot of the Sonoma County Water Agency, in Santa Rosa, Calif., was not much different than our ride last April, when the electric system was placed in a Nissan Cube. The latest Nissan Leaf “mule” feels more solid and refined with features more similar to the production vehicle— like the pop-back gear shifter (not unlike the Prius shifter), and an electrically controlled parking break. There’s little doubt that the Leaf will be quick off the line, like most electric cars, but there’s not much else to report.

We spoke with Owen Thunes, senior project engineer for electric and fuel cell vehicles at Nissan’s Sacramento-based technical center, to learn what’s different about the new Nissan Leaf “mule” on national tour. Thunes studied engineering at UC Davis with Andy Frank, considered the godfather of the plug-in hybrid, and worked on the Nissan Altima Hybrid.

What’s different about this vehicle compared to the Cube mule from earlier this year?

This car has the correct proportions. We stretched the Versa to be the correct length of the Leaf. So, the footprint is the same. The drive components are almost identical to what the production vehicle is going to be. The size, feel and shape are a lot closer.

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