2013 Nissan Leaf, soldiering on undeterred: Motoramic Drives

“I thought electric vehicles would have caught on by now,” admitted a tall gentleman working Nissan’s 2013 Leaf media drive in Nashville. The promises offered by Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn back in 2010 tell a similar tale, where Ghosn boldly predicted the Leaf would hit 500,000 units a year by the end of 2013. As of today, less than 60,000 Leafs total have been sold worldwide, with 23,000 in the United States, far shy of Nissan's once bullish prediction.

And it’s miles Nissan (and other EV makers) desperately need, with range anxiety remaining of upmost concern amongst drivers: “If I had the money for a second car, then an electric vehicle might make sense," explained James Oakley, a neighbor of mine. "But as of today, they’re too expensive, don’t travel far enough on a charge, and it takes too long to replenish the battery – not to mention the lack of infrastructure.”

It’s a familiar complaint. While improvements in battery technology are evident, many experts predict we remain around 10 years away from a practical solution. Until then, EVs hold different goals. For many automakers, like Honda’s lease-only Fit EV, building zero-emission vehicles in limited supply complies with California regulations. For them, compliance holds precedence over sales.

Nissan, however, has committed entirely to electric vehicles, and it's not letting the tardy acceptance time deter. “It’s all about word of mouth,” claimed one Nissan marketing rep. “As we sell more, the word gets out and more will follow.”

Slowly, more have been following. It’s a long road, but Nissan continues to invest by recently opening a 475,000 sq. ft. battery plant in Smyrna, Tenn. — the largest of its kind in North America — just down the road from its Smyrna vehicle assembly plant. The new structure holds the capacity to produce 200,000 batteries a year. Right now, batteries are constructed based upon request, making the facility appear quiet and hollow; a shell showcasing untapped potential, much like the concept of the EV.

In an effort to fulfill that potential, Nissan realized a key issue with today’s electric cars: the price doesn’t match the quality. If you’re spending around $30,000 on a car, you expect certain attributes: leather seats would be welcomed, as would a decent stereo, and perhaps a color infotainment system, too. What you generally get, however, is an interior from a machine costing $10,000 less. The premium you pay for electric technologies diminish creature comforts, but the EV’s performance does little to justify the additional cost.