Former Tesla PR man Daryl Siry’s Wired.com Autopia columns are always good for some interesting insights on the EV world… as long as you take them with the grain of salt that Siry’s status as “advisor” to EV startup Coda Automotive demands. This week Siry has it in for the mass-market EV frontrunner, the Nissan Leaf, accusing its makers of “cutting corners” and “overpromising” range specs. According to Siry:
First, Nissan overpromised on the realistic range by consistently quoting a number tied to the most optimistic benchmark, the LA4 cycle. Drivers who stick to stop and go traffic on city streets in temperate climates may indeed consistently see 100 miles of range, but most drivers will see significantly less in a mix of city and highway driving. Driving in California, the country’s top market for electric vehicles, involves a lot of time on highways where the 65 mph speed limit is rarely observed. The LA4 cycle Nissan quotes mostly stay below 30 mph with one two-minute “sprint” at 55 mph every 22 minute cycle.
Tagged as Battery, Coda, EV, Leaf, Nissan, Thermal Management
Recent Comments
krhodes1 - Both the 85mph speedo and 55 highlight requirements ended in ~83. My ’84 VW Jetta GLI had neither. And I pegged its 120mph speedometer on more...
jimbob457 - Odd controversy here about tax refund season. Most products have a seasonal sales pattern. It was once commonly based on harvest season when farmers and ranchers...
Landcrusher - If you do it the way DARPA does, then just have DARPA do it. Its easier and more...
AJ - My father-in-law owns a restored Valiant that he’s used for drag racing. My wife and I drove it away when we were married....
nickoo - Personally, I would buy the caravan over this, but if someone absolutely needs awd then this might be the way to go. With the caravan and stow and go, there...
ttacgreg - Umm . . . I can’t think of any other nation that uses miles rather than kilometers.
VenomV12 - God I hate the government. Perpetually wasting time and money on BS. Land Rover could solve the problem by selling Defenders here...
AFX - “Which car is more American — a Ford made in Turkey, or a Nissan made in Tennessee?...
Marcelo de Vasconcellos - I’d venture to say that most European cars start life as a hatchback and then, if someone sees a market for them, they...
TW4 - The benefits of alternative energy and fuel saving devices are apparent to anyone who...