Nissan has tested recharge your electric car Leaf using photovoltaic solar energy, which is part of a comprehensive plan to improve electricity storage systems. The electric autmóvil Leaf, Nissan went on sale last year, but the automaker projected in five years these electric cars to electric and aging alternative business opportunities with the use of its lithium batteries to store electricity .
Nissan Motor Corp. admitted that once imposed Leaf, a large amount of batteries could accumulate in mind that the battery is greater than an electric vehicle. Electricity generation and storage has attracted general interest in Japan after the earthquake and tsunami of March 11 caused by blackouts throughout the Northeast. Nuclear power plant Fukushima Dai-ichi had fusions reactors after their generators were destroyed by the tsunami, also raised fears about power failures.
The new charging system, which was shown to reporters Monday, the electricity is generated by 488 solar cells installed on the roof of the Nissan headquarters in Yokohama, southwest of Tokyo. Four Leaf’s batteries were placed in a safe place like a basement, and store electricity generated by solar panels, building up enough energy to fully charge Leaf 1,800 vehicles per year, Nissan said.
Although there is growing interest in renewable energies such as solar and wind, a challenge is the storage of electricity, which remains expensive without a breakthrough in battery technology. It is likely that this interest will growing in Japan for fear of the safety of nuclear power. The Hamaoka nuclear plant will be closed due to these concerns and others may follow.
Other Japanese automakers such as Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co., working on similar projects, which consist of a link between their hybrids adapted to the solar equipment as part of residential energy efficient communities called “intelligent networks”.
Electric vehicles produce no pollution or global warming but need electricity, whose production is generally dependent on oil or gas, both pollutants. Once the Leaf is about to become unusable, it is possible that your battery has a 80% capacity. Also, Leaf has a large capacity battery can store the equivalent of two days of electrical use of a dwelling, said Nissan.
“The most important thing is to show Nissan solutions through its electric vehicles, step by step,” said company vice president, Hideaki Watanabe. A joint venture with Sumitomo Corp. called 4R Energy Corp. plans to offer electricity storage systems similar to Nissan for businesses and public facilities as a commercial product by 2016. Nissan also expects to start selling these storage systems for private homes from April 2012.