Nissan’s electric-powered, zero-emissions LEAF hatchback is now on Australian roads with 16 examples handed to the Victorian Government for real-world trials.
As part of the process, 60 Victorian households will sample the Nissan LEAF in 2011. The Victorian Government will open applications for further public testing later this year.
It’s a massive project with the Government and Nissan undertaking a five-year electric vehicle trial to understand the everyday application of electric vehicles in Victorian cities.
Nissan plans to launch the LEAF onto the Australian market in the first half of 2012.
Nissan LEAF drivers will also be buoyed by the news the electric-powered full-size hatchback has been awarded the maximum five-star safety rating by ANCAP – the first for an electric vehicle.
The five star rating is based on crash testing by EuroNCAP in which the Nissan LEAF performed well with the passenger compartment withstanding the full range of impacts. Nissan LEAF is equipped with numerous airbags, electronic stability control and anti-lock brakes.
And in another development, Nissan’s charging partner ChargePoint has installed two swipe-card recharging points at the Nissan head office in Dandenong, Victoria. ChargePoint now has 30 electric vehicle re-charging stations operational in Australia and New Zealand.
