| 2011 Nissan Leaf vs 2011 Chevrolet Volt | January 17, 2010 | AUTORIVALS.NET |
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| Chevrolet won't be the only one
introducing a new mass production electric car this year. While
Chevy has been promoting its upcoming
Volt
hybrid vigorously, Nissan has been quietly developing the
Leaf. The Leaf differs from the Volt by being completely
electric whereas the Volt uses electric power and a gas
generator to extend its range. Nissan is throwing some huge numbers compared to the Volt. For instance, the range is expected to be 100 miles on electric power rather than 40 miles for the Volt. The more intriguing number is that the Leaf will achieve a gas equivalent of 367 mpg which trumps the Volt's rating of 230 mpg. You have to take those numbers with a whole bag of salt considering there's some fuzzy math involved and that the EPA isn't prepared to give proper numbers for electric cars. What is real is that both should have a lower operating cost than competing gas vehicles (not taking into account maintenance and repairs). The other number of interest of both vehicles is the price. Official pricing hasn't been released for either yet but expect around $25,000 for the Leaf and $40,000 for the Volt. That's a substantial 15 grand difference. One reason for the disparity in pricing is the fact that the Leaf has no gas generator to extend its range and is less mechanically complex than a gas car and the Volt. Overall range suffers greatly compared to the Volt's 300 mile gas/electric range but the Leaf makes it up in electric distance. The Leaf also features zero CO2 emissions unlike the Volt which should please environmentalists. |
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| 2011 Nissan Leaf | vs | 2011 Chevrolet Volt |
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| The Leaf has a much softer design
compared to the Volt's relatively aggressive edges. Aerodynamics
was a first priority in the Leaf's development with each piece
serving a purpose. The headlights actually direct airflow away
from the door mirrors which reduces drag and wind noise. The
headlights are also LED which use 10 percent of the power that
conventional lamps use. A power connection is cleverly hidden
underneath the panel with the Nissan logo to recharge the Leaf. The Volt's sharper edges give it a more masculine appearance but is also fairly aerodynamic with a drag coefficient of 0.28. The upper grille is closed but is designed to look like other Chevy's. |
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| The Leaf is based on the Nissan
Versa which is apparent in the design. The extruded front bumper
looks unusual but serves an aerodynamic purpose. Other body
panels get sculpted to help direct air flow like the crease that
runs from the front bumper all the way to the rear. The Volt also cleverly hides its power connection which is placed under the Volt logo by the door mirrors. Unfortunately, there's only one connection on the driver side which might making charging difficult if you park the Volt on the wrong side. |
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| Both are hatchback bodies but the Volt hides it better with a sloping roofline. What you gain in visual styling, you lose in cargo capacity. The Volt's silhouette might look better than the Leaf but it still has odd proportions with a tall rear. It's obvious that Chevy was going for a Prius fighter by making the Volt a five-door hatchback. The Leaf has a slightly more traditional hatchback body. Even though it might not be the prettiest, it's nice to see Nissan didn't follow the leader. | ||
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| The first thing you should notice
is that the Leaf has no need for a tail pipe and therefore, no
greenhouse gases. You might think the Volt doesn't have one
either but it's actually hidden underneath. A backup light is
centered in the lower middle of the Volt instead of the exhaust
pipe. The other thing to notice is that the Volt still has a
fuel door needed for the gas generator. Both cars get squared-off rears to help direct airflow away from the car although the Leaf maintains a curvaceous look. The vertical tail lights look better integrated in the Leaf than the horizontal tail lights of the Volt which are placed too high and protrude into the rear slit window. The Volt's horizontal reflectors also look unusually long and poorly placed. |
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| Both interiors use technology as a way of symbolizing the advancement in powertrains. Nissan copied Honda's two-tier dashboard which is better for ergonomics. The instrumentation gets highlighted in blue although green would've seemed the more appropriate choice given the car's name. The white dashboard looks clean but the center stack seems bolted on at the last second rather than integrated from the beginning like the Volt's. The Volt's dashboard has a better design and features two LCD screens. One is used for the instrument cluster rather than traditional analog gauges while the other is used for vehicle information. | ||
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PROS +Aerodynamic features +Hidden, centered power connection +100 mile electric range CONS -Won't ever win any beauty contests -Limited range |
PROS +Masculine design +Better silhouette +300 mile overall range +Better interior design CONS -Costs 15 grand more -40 mile electric range -Still uses gas and thus emits greenhouse gases |
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| Video Source: NetworkWorld.tv via YouTube | Video Source: MyRide.com via YouTube |
| 2011 Chevrolet Volt vs 2010 Toyota Prius |
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