Technology of Electric Vehicles

Many of you have heard me say that my experience with owning and driving is that this car is too good to be true. 

So I tried to think of what could go wrong, long term with this car.  So I have identified three things about this car that are unique to the Leaf. 

1.      The electric motor, or traction motor as Nissan calls it.
2.      Electronic.
3.      Battery

First of all is the electric motor.  We have had electric motors for over 200 years.  This is not new technology. Well made electric motors can and do last a life time.  They are almost indestructible.  They are simple and relievable requiring little or no maintenance at all.  An internal combustion engine (gas engine), on the other hand, requires regular maintenance, which includes, oil changes, spark plug replacements,  tune ups, and muffler replacement.   Probably the only thing to worry about with an electric motor is a manufacturing defect.

Second is the electronics.  Again this is not new technology,  and generally very relievable.

That leave us with the battery,  now this could be the wild card, but I don’t thinks.  Honestly though right now the battery is not developed to the point where the Leaf has the range of a gas car.  It does remarkable well for a first generation battery.  I have been told by a retired Nissan engineer that the next generation battery will have about a 300 mile range.  I can hardly wait for that battery to become available!