Nissan’s all-electric Leaf hatchback goes one step closer to the showroom, as production of the vehicle begins in Japan. The Leaf is being assembled at the carmaker’s Oppama facility. The assembly line was modified to mount battery modules in place of fuel tanks, and electric motors and inverters instead of engines.
The Leaf’s lithium-ion battery modules are manufactured at Automotive Energy Supply Corp., a joint venture of Nissan and NEC. The modules contain four battery cells; 48 modules are assembled into the car’s battery pack. Nissan plans to expand electric vehicle production to Smyrna, Tennessee, USA, in late 2012 and Sunderland, UK., in early 2013. At full ramp up, Smyrna will have an annual production capacity of 150,000 units, adding to Sunderland and Oppama, each at 50,000 units. Oppama also manufactures the gasoline-engined Juke and Cube.
The car will arrive in US and Japan showrooms in December 2010, and in Europe in 2011.
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