TECHNOLOGY DRIVING NEW EV COMES DOWN TO ITS BATTERY

       One of the main reasons electric cars have never before made it to the mass market has been the lack of an affordable, reliable and real-world battery.
       Nissan began its battery research and development in 1992, and in 2000 it shifted to using laminated managenese electrodes. The lithium-ion battery pack that powers the Leaf has 48 modules, each containing four laminated strips.
       The batteries used in the Leaf are produced by Automotive Energy Sypply, a company formed jointly by Nissan, NEC and NEC Tokin. They allow a range of 160 kilometres and can be completely charged in 8 hours using a 200-volt plug point. A quick-charge port will charge the batteries up to 80 per clent of capacity in just 30 minutes, but this requires a 400-volt supply.
       Although costs have been lowered, the battery is still one of the most expensive components in the vehicle. There are concerns that as more auto-makers begin using lithium-ion technology, there could be a shortage of lithium. However, Nissan president Carlos Ghosn says scientists are working on batteries made of other materials.
       Upon getting into a Leaf, the first thing the car's information-technology system tells the driver is the radius of travel, or the distance to and from a destination, that the battery's charge is capable of covering.
       Nissan is also working on an iPhone application that will allow Leaf owners to remotely log on to the car and check the battery level and temperature of their vehicle,
       The Leaf's GPS system will tell drivers the location of charging stations in the vicinity. However, the auto-maker says since electricity is already available everywhere, it should not be long before charging stations are popular.
       The Leaf will also have an embedded cellular connection to Nissan headquarters. This will enable the vehicle to alert its owner through his or her mobile phone when charging is complete. Drivers will also be able to turn on the car's air-conditioning by mobile phone.
       "The initial cooling by the air-conditioning uses up lots of precious energy that would otherwise be used to propel the vehicle," said Nissan design chief Shiro Nakamura.
       "The point of turning on you're air-conditioning by mobile phone is to use that energy while the car is still plugged in."
       Another fancy option offered by the Leaf's technology allows owners to set the time at which it charges the battery. Thais is useful in countries where there are cheaper electricity rates at off-peak hours.
       While many might consider plugging a car into a power socket an ultimate hi-tech achievement, Nissan is already looking into the "next generation" of wireless battery charging. With this system, the vehicle is fitted with special plate with an internal coil. When the vehicle is parked over another plate on the floor, charging begins automatically.
       Nisssan says this system could be used in commercial charging locations like shopping malls and office buildings. Currently, it is only 80-to 85-per-cent efficient, although Nissan engineers says it could get much more efficient if developed for real-world use.
       At the launch of the Leaf, Nissan had a Hypermini fitted with a wireless charging system on display.