You know what the problem is with the Nissan Leaf?

It doesn't look enough like a Fiat Multipla:

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2013/10/nissan-to-offer-e-nv200-in-europe-in-2014/

They must be trolling everyone with a pair of working eyeballs.

Anyone else look at those two pics and think they might actually prefer the looks of the Multipla?

I'm normally very forgiving of styling quirks, but the Multipla looks like a vehicle that someone who doesn't really like vehicles would come up with. The Leaf OTOH looks like a student project from ACCD in Pasadena. Come to think of it, doesn't Nissan have a design studio down there?

if they sold a Leaf van with sliding doors i'd be tempted

That Nissan Leafwagon looks sweet. I'd rock it.

GameboyRMH wrote: Anyone else look at those two pics and think they might actually prefer the looks of the Multipla?

Nope. The Fiat is probably the ugliest car ever built.

mndsm wrote: That Nissan Leafwagon looks sweet. I'd rock it.

+1!!

It's so weirdly dorky that I like it more than the normal Leaf.

^Great you just made me LOL real hard in my quiet office XD

I absolutely love the idea of a bigger EV, but the catch is the range. Our Leaf has just enough range for our preferences as it is. Sure, it's plenty for the daily drive, but we use it for road trips too and at highway speeds with the heater on the range is just adequate. An electric van would be awesome, but it'd need something like 20% more battery to keep the same range. In reality, if I was spending more money on a Leaf-ish powertrain with slightly more battery, I'd probably take a Leaf with 20% more range than the e-NV200 with the same range.

Of course, if I was a business owner that needed the space a small van offers, that's another story. But I'm not. However, this is a very cool vehicle to consider for taxi duties in big cities where charging infrastructure could always be nearby and would save a TON of money on fuel and of course local emissions as well.

http://www.autoblog.com/2013/09/12/2013-nissan-e-nv200-taxi-frankfurt-2013/

I've seen the e-NV200 and normal NV200 in person. I don't think they look that bad, personally. It fixes the biggest problem with the Leaf styling...the bulbous headlights.

This is a Fiat Multipla, not sure what you guys are talking about:

Bryce

This would be a great use case for Chevy Volt like technology where the vehicle has an onboard charging source for the electric motor. What business owner would want to limit the range that their work and delivery vehicles are capable of in a given day by going with something pure electric...

"due to regulations. According to Automotive News Europe, vans made and sold in 2020 for fleets must release no more than 147 grams per kilometer of CO2. Current regs allow for 203 grams of the greenhouse gas per kilometer traveled. Some European cities, such as Barcelona, have or will have stricter limits on how much nitrogen oxides and particulates a vehicle can produce – no surprise then that Nissan and the municipal government are working hand in hand to promote EVs."

I only have one problem with the Nissan Leaf. It's the dork who keeps interrupting my ITunes Radio station with its advertisements.

GameboyRMH wrote: Anyone else look at those two pics and think they might actually prefer the looks of the Multipla?

No.

Besides being ugly?

Other than when they drop dead on the Mass Pike during rush hour?

93EXCivic wrote:

GameboyRMH wrote: Anyone else look at those two pics and think they might actually prefer the looks of the Multipla?

Nope. The Fiat is probably the ugliest car ever built.

agreed

I love my hatchback Leaf, but if that minivan version had been available here in the us along with it, I'd have gone for the minivan version in a heartbeat.

If ever a car deserved to be named the "platypus" it's the multipla

In reply to GameboyRMH:

Slow, ugly, no fun to drive?

Nashco wrote:

I'd kick them both out of bed for eating crackers...

In reply to evildky:

I was so gonna post that.