EA301/BEX3013 – ENGINEERS IN SOCIETY

(May – Aug 2020)

Group Project
Group No : ______1_______
Project Title: Nissan EV Technology: Nissan Leaf

Date of Submission: _06/08/2020_

Lecturer/Instructor: Ir. Ben Lee See Kim & Asst. Prof. Dr. Ramani Bai Varadharajan
Course Code: EA301 / BEX3013

Group No: 1
No Name ID Programme
1 Daswind A/L Kanan 1001644370 HYEP
2 Ainggararuban A/L Ganeshan 1001642979 HYEP
3 Maisarah Binti Abdullah 1001644692 HYEP
4 Wong Hooi Guan 1001643544 BCEEK
5 Ang Ai Dee 1001746617 HYEP
6 Ameen Sadeq Qasem Abdo Qahtan 1001542438 HYEP
 TABLE OF CONTENT

1.0 Introduction 1

2.0 Problem Statement 3

3.0 Design Criteria 7

4.0 Model Description 8

5.0 Application 14

6.0 Conclusion and Comments 15

7.0 Reference 16
1.0 Introduction

Nissan Motor Co. Ltd., also known as Nissan Group, formerly known as Nissan
Zaibatsu, was founded in 1928 by Yoshisuke Aikawa, and mainly operates in
manufacturing, sales and related business of automotive products. In 1999, Nissan joined
the Renault–Nissan–Mitsubishi Alliance, a partnership between Nissan of Japan,
Mitsubishi Motors of Japan and Renault of France. Ever since then, their company’s
vision is to enrich people’s lives by providing unique and innovative automotive
products and services that deliver superior measurable values to all stakeholders in
alliance with Renault. Nissan’s start in Malaysia began in the 1950s. Tan Chong Motors
was a small locally commenced business as a motor vehicle distributor. In 1957, Tan
Chong Motors was appointed the franchise holder for Nissan, which sold its first
Japanese car made locally.

FIGURE 1.1 Nissan Logo (Adapted from Nissan-Wikipedia)

Since January 2004, Nissan had formally participated in the United Nations Global
Compact, a corporate responsibility initiative built around universal principles regarding
human rights, labour, the environment and anti-corruption. It was after then that Nissan first
realised what the philosophy behind their vision meant in 2005 when they released a
sustainability report regarding their aim of achieve a symbiosis of people, vehicles and
nature. They realised that conservation of the global environment is the most vital challenge
in their pursuit of sustainable development. They were also able to recognise the global
environmental problems they were facing as an automobile manufacturer were both complex

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and diverse. Understanding their influence and role, they simply could not pass these
problems on, unsolved, to future generations.

So began their journey by introducing their first battery electric vehicle, Nissan

Altra at the Los Angeles International Auto Show on 29 December 1997. Launched in
2009, the EV-11 prototype electric car was based on the Nissan Tiida (Versa in North
America), with the conventional gasoline engine replaced with an all-electric drivetrain.
In 2010, Nissan introduced the Nissan LEAF as the first mass-market, all-electric vehicle
launched globally. As of March 2014, the Nissan Leaf was the world's best-selling
highway-capable all-electric car ever. This was followed by announcing their second all-
electric vehicle, the Nissan e-NV200 in November 2013 and the second-
generation Leaf was launched by Nissan in Japan. This made Nissan the world's
largest electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer, with their top-selling vehicle: Nissan LEAF,
an all-electric car and the world's top-selling highway-capable plug-in electric car in
history. An electric vehicle being a vehicle that uses one or more electric motors or
traction motors for propulsion. It may be powered through a collector system by
electricity from off-vehicle sources, or may be self-contained with a battery, solar panels
or an electric generator to convert fuel to electricity.

FIGURE 1.2 Nissan Leaf Model (Adapted from Green Car Congress)

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 FIGURE 1.3 Nissan Leaf Model -side view (Adapted from Nissan Australia)

The Nissan LEAF is the icon of Nissan Intelligent Mobility, the company's vision on
the future of mobility – which aims to move people towards a better, more autonomous,
electric world. By charging up a Nissan LEAF at night when there is more capacity for
electrical supply and then using that electricity as the daytime power source for a household,
the system helps alleviate consumption of power in peak periods when demand is highest.
Furthermore, it can also be leveraged as backup power supply for emergencies.

What started off as only having three main issues of 1) managing CO2 emissions, 2)
protecting the air, water, and soil and 3) recycling of resources bloomed into to their four
strategic technology fields for future R&D of focusing on mainly the environment, safety,
dynamic performance and life on board.

2.0 Problem Statement

The prominent dependence on fossil fuel as the main source of fuel for various
mode of transport has been the default situation for the past few decades ever since the
2nd Industrial Revolution. Such non-renewable sources, which include coal, oil and
natural gas, provide about 80 % of the world's energy supply. It provides power,
ventilation, and transportation, while also feeding processes as a raw material from steel
to plastics that make up a large range of goods (NUNEZ 2019).

The consumption of energy is projected to increase exponentially with the great

population growth experienced by the world driven by easily available and cheap

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 processed food and drinks as shown in Figure 2.1. According to the report by the U.S.
Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration (EIA), global energy
demand between 2015 and 2040 will rise by 28%, with fossil fuels still providing the
majority which is 77% of energy consumption by 2040.

FIGURE 2.1 World energy consumption

[Retrieved from (Energy Information Administration 2019)]

The increased use of electricity would be balanced by a 16% rise in emissions of

energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) over the same period, with annual emissions increasing
from 33.9 billion metric tons in 2015 to 39.3 billion metric tons in 2040. The process emits
carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses while burning fossil fuels, which in effect trap
heat in our atmosphere, making them the primary contributors to global warming and climate
change. Burning coal carbon dioxide emissions account for 44 percent of the world 's total
and it is the biggest single source of global temperature increase above pre-industrial levels
(NUNEZ 2019).

With the increasing demand for energy to keep up with the population growth, a lot of
vehicles are purchased by the general public, with the main source of fuel being derived from

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fossil fuels such as diesel, petrol and natural gas. Electrical vehicles (EVs) have advanced
superiorly over the past decade mostly in regard to the reduced costing of the high-powered
batteries. With this decline in pricing, EV and PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) are
more prominent in the market, with a rising demand as it can be priced competitively with
traditional internal combustion engine vehicles (ICE). With the advancement of the battery
technology, vehicles have longer ranges in between charges and are designed to provide the
similar driving experience and performance from an ICE vehicle or even better (Lee and
Clark 2018).

As battery cost is decreasing per kWh, manufacturers are increasing the size of the
battery packs attached to the vehicles to provide better capabilities. The base-model Nissan
Leaf powertrain grew from 24 kWh to 30 kWh for the first generation, then to 40 kWh for the
second generation (announced in September 2017) and 62 kWH for the 2020 model third
generation (Nissan Malaysia 2020). It is necessary for the industry to maintain a delicate
balance between using larger batteries to increase efficiency and range and keeping costs
manageable (McKinsey 2017).

FIGURE 2.2 Global PHEV sales [Retrieved from OROCOBRE 2019]

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 FIGURE 2.3 Trend of EV sales globally
[Retrived from Natural Resources Defense Council 2020]

The International Energy Agency raised its estimate for the number of electric
cars on the roads in 2040, predicting that the expected 300 million EVs on the roads
globally in 2040 will displace 3.3 million barrels/day of oil demand growth as shown in
Figure 2.2 in global PHEV sales. The penetration of EVs in the mainstream market is
further driven by government policies that are drawn based on the Paris Agreement of
2015 that was adopted by nearly every nation to address climate change and its impacts,
is shown in Figure 2.3.

National plans vary greatly in scope and ambition, largely reflecting each
country’s capabilities, its level of development, and its contribution to emissions over
time. China, for example, committed to levelling off its carbon emissions no later than
2030 and reducing carbon emissions per unit of gross domestic product (GDP) by 60 to
65 percent from 2005 levels by 2030. India set its sights on cutting emissions intensity by
33 to 35 percent below 2005 levels and generating 40 percent of its electricity from non-
fossil-fuel sources by 2030. All this results in the increasing demand for EVs and the
advancement of this technology (Denchak 2018).

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3.0 Design Criteria

The Nissan Leaf model, which is manufactured by Nissan Group, is an all-

electric vehicle (EV) where it is powered fully on electricity. By doing so, it does not
rely on ICE (internal combustion engine) as it used electricity instead of fuel source. An
EV uses a large traction of battery pack to power the electric motor it will have to be
plugged in into a charging station to allow the battery to charge.

As EV runs on electricity alone, it does not emit exhaust containing high content
of combustible smoke. The EV too does not contain liquid fuel components such as fuel
pump, fuel line and even fuel tank. Figure A shows the typical design for an EV and
Table A displays the key components of an EV car.

FIGURE 3.1 Typical design of an all-electric vehicle, EV

[Source from, afdc.energy.com]

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4.0 Model Description

An EV (Electric Vehicle) or a HEV (Hybird Electric Vehicle) mobility range is

dictated by its battery capacity. The batteries with greater capacity are those made of
Lithium ions, a type of battery with high energy density and low weight. These batteries
are expensive to produce, and account for most of the EV 's cost.

The vehicle follows the speed defined by the driving cycle in a backward-looking
method, so that the power needed at the wheels can be calculated as a function of the
resistance and the inertia forces. The power flow is bidirectional, electrical energy is
drawn from the battery and converted during traction into kinetic energy, while kinetic
energy from the wheels is converted during braking into electrical energy.

Figure 3.2 Block diagram of the power flows in the components of the electric vehicle

4.1 What's covered under the EV system?

The confidence on the limited battery warranty doesn't stop. The specification
of the Electric Vehicle (EV) system includes, but is not limited to, the following items:

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 battery, inverter panel, VCM, reduction gear, DC / DC converter, on-board charger
connector, and trickle charging cable.

Table 4.1 Key components of an all-electric vehicle (EV)

Components Remarks
Battery (all-electric
Provides electricity to power vehicle accessories.
auxiliary)
Allows vehicle to connect to an external power supply
Charge port
to charge traction battery pack.
Converts high voltage DC power from traction battery
DC/AC converter pack to lower voltage AC power needed to run the
vehicle accessories and recharge the auxiliary battery.
Uses power from traction battery pack. The motor
Electric traction motor
drives the EV wheels.

Takes the incoming AC electricity supplied from the

On-board charger
Power Electronics
controller
Thermal system (cooling)
Traction battery pack
charge port and converts it to DC power for charging
the traction battery pack. Monitors the battery
characteristics such as the current, temperature, voltage
and state of charge while charging the traction battery
pack.
Manages the flow of electrical energy from the traction
battery pack, controls the speed of electric traction
motor and controls the torque produced from electric
traction motor.
Maintains a proper operating temperature range of the
engine, electric motor, power electronics and other
components.
Stores electricity for uses by electric traction motor.

Transfer mechanical power from electric traction

Transmission (electric)
motor to drive the wheels.

From a system perspective, the all-electric vehicle (EV) comprises of drivetrain and
energy storage modules. Power inverters are used to invert battery pack direct current (DC)

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into alternating current (AC) for motors to drive the wheels down the road. In addition,
inverters help to convert AC to DC as to charge the battery pack. On the other hand, the
insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) is a high voltage and high current switch that is
connected to the traction motor. The more efficient the IGBT, the less power is lost to heat,
thus results in better mileage.

To power the electric motors, large battery packs (typically uses lithium ions) are
made up of hundreds of cells installed in the EV and is capable of producing power of 400 V.
The battery packs are managed and monitored by a battery management system (BMS),
where it will be charged using an on-board AC/DC converter, with voltage ranging from 110
V single-phase to 380 V three phase system.

The battery management system an important design in the EV architecture as it

not only extends the lifetime of batteries, but it also extend the possible range of vehicles
to travel. As stated earlier, the battery packs uses lithium ions this battery protection and
battery monitoring is important. At higher operating voltage experienced in an EV,
overvoltage will occur which is very hazardous to the driver and to the vehicle. Thus, to
tackle this issue, an on-board battery management and protection system is installed to
control the battery state during charging and discharging as to ensure the battery is at its
longest battery life.

As batteries have a limited energy capacity, the EV would have to be recharged

on a periodic bases. For most of the EV, 120 VAC (volts alternating current) at 15 to 20
A will be the most readily available power supply that all on-board chargers should be
capable of handling and therefore, it is easily accessible (avnet.com, 2017).

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Specifications of the Nissan Leaf model.

According to the main page of Nissan branch in Malaysia, the Nissan Leaf is sold at a
price range from RM 180,000 to RM 185,000 throughout the whole Malaysia which includes
the state of the Sabah and Sarawak. A source from a website, ‘The Driven’, has stated that the
Nissan Leaf is the cheapest electric vehicle to own over 5 years (Schmidt, 2020). Table B will
display the specification of the Nissan Leaf model. Not only Nissan Leaf is cheaper compare
to other EV’s, but it also provides decent power for those who are in a rush. The Nissan Leaf
has an instant acceleration, where it accelerates 0 – 100 km/hr in just 7.9 seconds. The new
Nissan Leaf has an average of 311km, which is a 60 % increase of range compared to the
previous model. Last but not least, the new Nissan Leaf provides an incredible low running
cost. In Malaysia, the cost to recharge a full battery of a Nissan Leaf would be RM 20.64 and
the cost per kilometre is at an incredible low rate, which is RM 0.07 (Nissan.com, nd).

Table B: Specification of Nissan Leaf Model

ELECTRIC MOTORS
Type 110 kW AC Synchronous Electric Motor
Max Power (kw) 110
Maximum torque (NM) 320
BATTERY
Type Laminated Lithium ion
Voltage (V) 350
Capacity (KWH) 40
CHARGING TIME
Normal charging: AC, 6.6 kW 7 hours
Quick charging: DC, 50kW 1 hour
RANGE
Maximum driving range 311 km

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4.2 Nissan LEAF charging options & times quicker, more convenient charging

Getting your Nissan LEAF and you ready for your next adventure is as
straightforward as plugging it in. The Nissan LEAF even lets you know when you are
connected with a quick beep. With the on board 6.6 kW on board charger and the
available Quick Charge Port there is more than one way to keep your Nissan LEAF at
full charge.

4.3 Types of NISSAN LEAF Charging

4.3.1 Home and Public Charging(240V)

Charging at home using a 240V outlet and the available Portable Charging
Cable finding the where to charge is as easy as the how to charge. And with Nissan's
partnership with Amazon    a home charger and installation assistance is just clicks away.

Figure 4.1 Charging Nissan Leaf at home

4.3.2 Public DC Quick Charging (480V)

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 The fastest way to charge with tens of thousands of public DC Quick Charging
stations across the country, you have an impressive number of locations to top off at
while on longer drives.

Figure 4.2 Charging in Flash

4.3.3 Standard outlet

Need a charge in a pinch? The Nissan LEAF features a standard 120V charging
cable, which allows you to temporarily plug into a standard 120V outlet for a Level 1
charge. It's the slowest option, but it lets you add some range almost anywhere you have
access to electricity. 

Figure 4.3 Standard Outlet Charging

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5.0 Application

The Nissan Leaf is an electric vehicle manufactured by Nissan as LEAF in which

the acronym stands for Leading, Environmentally Friendly, Affordable, Family Car.
According to the works of Hannan et al. (1985), the main function of electric vehicles is
focusing on utilizing on alternative energy resources such as renewable energy including
addressing the issue of the reduction of carbon and greenhouse gas emissions. It uses no
gasoline or diesel to power the engine as it is completely using electric and the cost of to
drive an electric vehicle is less than a comparable gas-powered vehicle.

One of the main applications of Nissan Leaf is to get an individual from one
place destination to another in a short period of time or when a long trip is required and a
vehicle would be a suitable tool in such cases. According to Nissan motor corporation,
the Nissan leaf can drive and withstand more than 160 km on one full charge. It also
charges quick such as a 10-minute charge will allow to drive an additional range of 50
km. It takes eight hours for the vehicle to fully charge through a power outlet. Nissan
Leaf also has the beneficial capability in carrying and accommodating 5 adults in
comfort during a long travel.

Moreover, Nissan leaf also helps in the reduction of carbon footprint such as
carbon dioxide emitted that from an average conventional vehicle as it is a step-up effort
in combating the air quality problems. In accordance to Nissan, one of the main benefits
of electric vehicles is reducing pollution for example, around 95% of European residents
are exposed to high concentration and levels of air pollutants. In order to counter the air
problem, European governments have introduced and encourages in going electric. This
will majorly help in pollution reduction as an electric vehicle will produce 54% less
carbon dioxide emissions per mile than a conventional vehicle as mentioned by Copper
Development Association Inc.

Other than that, Nissan leaf also helps a user in saving the price of fuel
purchasing. It is known that an electric vehicle will cost more to buy in the first place
compared to a conventional vehicle. Fortunately, the running costs are significantly

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 lower, especially when it comes to the price of fuel. According to Nissan, as fuel gas will
never be used again when shifting to the usage of an electric vehicle, the maintenance
costs will also be cut by up to 40% including no more oil changes, no more tune-ups, and
no tailpipe emissions. Copper Development Association Inc also mentioned that, about
59-62% of energy in electric vehicle is converted into vehicle movement while gas
powered vehicles use about 17 -21% and the electric car will spend about $1.2 per gallon
to charge which is less than half of the price of gasoline. In addition to that, the average
operating cost of an electric vehicle is $485 annually which is much cheaper compared to
a conventional vehicle which is about $1,117.

6.0 Conclusion and Comments

For the past few years, traditional car manufacturers have been investing millions into
the development of electric vehicle (EV). Many new EV start-ups such as Tesla, Faraday
Future and Rivian have started to gain bigger market in the vehicle industry. These new start-
ups also successfully secured millions of investments to develop EVs that can outperform
internal combustion engine vehicle (ICEV). Besides that, initiative from the government also
play a huge role in helping EV penetrate into the vehicle market faster. Government of China
and Germany have committed to ban gasoline car in the year 2040 and 2050 respectively.
Many countries in Asia and Europe also committed to ban gasoline car in the next 10 to 30
years. Published research papers and articles about EV also supports the advantages it would
bring to the environment compare to ICEV. These factors have help to promote EV as the
future vehicle and make consumers believe that EVs are the vehicle that they should buy.
Thus, EVs will take up big portion of the vehicle market as the demand increases.

Nissan Leaf is one of the most popular EVs in the market. An EV produces zero
emission and uses electricity to power the vehicle instead of non-renewable resource such as
fossil fuel. This help to reduce the carbon footprint of EV. EVs also help consumer to save
money in the long run since its maintenance cost is cheaper and it runs on electricity which is
cheaper compare to gasoline. Thus, EVs are undoubtedly the next generation of personal
vehicle. EV technology has come to a stage where it is on par with the performance of an
ICEV. EVs definitely outperform IC engine vehicle in term of its carbon footprints and
impact to the environment.

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 Even though EV technology has come to a stage where it is on par with the
performance of an ICEV, it can still be improved in term of charging time and efficiency to
satisfy the needs of consumer. Consumers have been getting used to refuelling and get on the
road within 10 minutes with ICEV. They do not have the patience to wait for hours to get the
EV recharged. Consumers also hope that EVs can be more efficient in term of miles per
charge. The efficiency of an EV can be improved by further optimising the battery
management system or improve the battery technology. These two are the main factors that
decide the value of EV in the vehicle market.

7.0 Reference

1. World’s number one electric vehicle Nissan LEAF arrives in Singapore. (2019, May
14). Nissan News. https://asia.nissannews.com/en/releases/release-
daf95db9446100d61cdc04268a000e45-worlds-number-one-electric-vehicle-nissan-
leaf-arrives-in%20singapore#:%7E:text=As%20the%20world’s%20best
%2Dselling,optimal%20range%2C%20safety%20and%20performance.&text=The
%20LEAF%20can%20travel%20over,it%20really%20convenient%20for
%20consumers
2. Nissan Motor Corporation Global Website. (n.d.). Copyright © NISSAN MOTOR
Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Retrieved July 1, 2020, from https://www.nissan-
global.com/EN/
3. Denchak, Melissa. 2018. “Paris Climate Agreement: Everything You Need to Know |
NRDC.” Natural Resources Defense Council. Retrieved July 1, 2020
(https://www.nrdc.org/stories/paris-climate-agreement-everything-you-need-know).
4. Energy Information Administration, Us. 2019. International Energy Outlook 2019.
5. Lee, Henry, and Alex Clark. 2018. “Charging the Future: Challenges and
Opportunities for Electric Vehicle Adoption.” SSRN Electronic Journal.
6. Nissan Malaysia. 2020. “Nissan Malaysia - ALL-NEW LEAF - Price &
Specifications.” NISSAN Malaysia 1. Retrieved June 30, 2020
(https://www.nissan.com.my/vehicles/all-new-nissan-leaf/prices).
7. NUNEZ, CHRISTINA. 2019. “Fossil Fuels—Facts and Information.” 2015-2020
National Geographic Partners, LLC. Retrieved June 30, 2020
(https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/energy/reference/fossil-fuels/).

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8. McKinsey & Company. 2017. “Electrifying Insights.”
9. Hannan, M. A., Hoque, M. M., Mohamed, A., & Ayob, A. (2017). Review of energy
storage systems for electric vehicle applications: Issues and challenges. Renewable
and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 69, 771–789.
10. Copper Development Association Inc. Electric Vehiclel [Online]. Available from:
https://www.copper.org/environment/sustainable-energy/electric-vehicles/ [Accessed
20 June 2020].
11. Jojusolar. Is an electric vehicle good for you? [Online]. Available from:
https://www.jojusolar.co.uk/ [Accessed 20 June 2020].
12. Wally Tyner (2011). Electricity pricing policies may make or break plug-in hybrid
buys [Online]. Available from:
https://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/research/2011/110113TynerHybrids.html
[Accessed 20 June 2020].

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