The Nissan Leaf has barely been out a month and already the car's received a abundance of environmental awards. The vehicle has been named as the winner of Green Car Website's Green Car of the Year 2010.

Site editor Faye Sunderland said: "Unlike other electric cars coming to the market in 2011, the Leaf has been designed from the start to be a purely electric-powered model and in this sense it is truly revolutionary, marking a turning point for the car industry."

The 2011 Nissan Leaf features an electric motor with 107 hp and 206 lb-ft of torque. Power is provided by laminated lithium-ion batteries, which allow the Leaf to travel approximately 99 miles on a single charge. Once depleted, the batteries can be fully recharged in eight hours, using a standard household outlet.

U.S. pricing starts at around $32,000 ($25,280 after a $7,500 federal tax credit) and that alone has brought customers into dealership lots for reservations like Nissan Sunnyvale in Sunnyvale, CA.

A full charged Leaf delivers a potential range of around 100 miles, which Nissan says will satisfy the daily driving demands of most customers.

In fact, global research indicates that the average daily mileage for 80% of the world's population is less than 63 miles.




[SOURCE] http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Resources/Energy-saving-news/Cleaner-Cars/Nissan-Leaf-wins-eco-award/%28energysavingtrust%29/800384