The All New Nissan Leaf Versus the Chevy Volt- Round One

I have to start out in the article with a little warning and disclaimer; I dislike and disagree with GM's lack of initiative when it came to building more fuel-efficient vehicles over the last 20 years or so. Many folks may recall the EV-1 program launched in California and learned of the controversy surrounding the programs demise. From the consumers on the waiting list to have the privilege of leasing an EV-1, to the lessees who fought hard to keep their cherished electric vehicle; General Motors declined to invest more into electric car development, despite the overwhelming demand for such a vehicle.

Going back to the early 90's, GM also developed an extremely fuel-efficient vehicle dubbed the "Ultralite." The 88 MPG vehicle used a 1.5-liter two-stroke engine, could speed to 0-60 in 8 seconds and looked slick as hell. The vehicle, like many other concepts, never made it to the production line.

Now despite my misgivings concerning General Motor's top decision makers, I can only hope that through restructuring and a change in management, GM will make better efforts to become more competitive in the "Green" vehicle production segment. I will not bash the Chevrolet Volt for the sake of bashing. Both the Volt and Nissan Leaf have a great deal to offer, which will aid in lower energy consumption. The biggest question people must ask themselves is which vehicle will meet their particular need.

What are your driving habits-How much time do you spend on the road?

This is the million-dollar question you must answer before making a purchasing decision and more than likely the first question you would ask the salesman: "How far can this go before I need to recharge/refuel?".

There are two major differences between the Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf.

The Chevrolet Volt

While the Chevrolet Volt operates on an electric motor, the vehicle also employs a 1.4-liter gasoline powered "generator" for backup purposes, when the on-board battery depletes to a certain point. The real world "electric only" mileage figure for the Chevy Volt is around 93 MPG. Here is the catch- The 93 MPG figure only extends to around 35-miles of electric-only driving. With the gasoline generator running, the figure plummets to 37 MPG with an additional range of 344 miles on the 9.3-gallon fuel tank. Another important aspect about the gasoline-powered generator is the fact that it is not designed to fully recharge the vehicles battery; you must still plug the Volt in to either a 120 or 240 volt electrical source.

The time required to fully charge the Volt's battery takes an estimated 10 hours when using 120-volts, up to 4 hours using a 220-volt power source. While the EPA claims an average cost of $601 per year in terms of electrical usage; no one can say for sure considering that electric prices vary from market to market and from one month to another. With the volt consuming 36 kilowatts per 100 miles, you might be able to make a personal rough estimate concerning the added power consumption costs when you consider your particular driving habits and market area.

The EPA also provides a "Combined Composite" MPG figure of 60 MPG for the Chevy Volt.

Clearly, short range driving will yield lower operating costs and emissions. Those who normally commute a combined 30 miles a day may see the Volt as a strong contender. The other strong aspect of the Volt is the ability to travel up to 344 miles on a full tank of fuel-perfect for those who travel on business or like to take vacations occasionally.

The combined 60 MPG rating isn't earth shattering by any means, but the extended range offered up by the gasoline engine may provide a sense of security for certain people.

The Nissan Leaf

The Leaf's fuel economy figures are much easier to explain, as the vehicle operates solely on electricity. Unlike the Volt, the Nissan leaf does not use any type of backup generator to keep the vehicle going in the event the battery system fails or totally depletes.

The cruising range for the Nissan Leaf equates to around 100 miles on a single charge. City commutes yield better results than highway driving, oddly enough.

Charging the Leaf can be achieved three different ways; through a 480-volt rapid charging station, 240-volt home docking station or 120-volt trickle charger. All vehicles come equipped with the 120-volt trickle charger, which takes an estimated 20 hours to fully charge the battery system. The available home docking station costs over $2000 plus installation fees, as it requires a separate 40-amp circuit installed on your home grid. To help offset the costs for the home docking station; Uncle Sam will provide a tax credit of up to 50%. Charging times may take up to 8 hours using the home docking station, while a rapid charging station will charge the Leaf's battery system to 80% in 30 minutes.

Nissan is currently working with the government and other private businesses to make rapid charging stations more commercially available. Waiting 30 minutes to bring the battery system to a full charge may not bring a smile to a perspective owner's face, but reports claim that five minutes worth of rapid charging would allow you an additional 15 miles.

The Leaf certainly offers a great deal for those who travel relatively short distances, on a daily basis. The biggest downfall of the Nissan Leaf and other electric vehicles emerging on the market scene is the lack of rapid commercial charging stations currently available. Even with a strong network of rapid charging stations for electric vehicles, cross-country driving trips could be impractical in most cases.

Other issues include battery life. The expected battery life for both the Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf vary from 5-10 years and back the battery systems with an 8 year/100,000 mile warranty. People in the U.S. will have the option of either purchasing the Leaf's battery system with the vehicle, or leasing it separately.

Round One Conclusion:Chevrolet Volt for the win!

Some die-hard electric fans may balk at the "Round One" title belonging to the Volt. In terms of versatility, the Volt wins easily. Although the Chevrolets contender cheats by way of a covertly named gasoline powered "generator", I consider the move by general motors a practical stepping-stone towards an alternative approach. The Nissan Leaf has decent range and may be the perfect solution for those who do not commute very far, but need the extra boost of pure electric operation the Volt cannot readily provide.

There is little doubt that internal combustion engines will be a relic of the past, but until battery technology provides longer mileage ranges and the availability of rapid charging stations increase, the goal of totally replacing gasoline-powered vehicles with pure electric alternatives will be out of reach.

Read Round Two of the Chevrolet Volt versus the Nissan Leaf- Specs and Features