Nissan Puts the Leaf Through Its Paces in Snowy Japan

Nissan invited Japanese journalists to put the Leaf through its paces on a snow-covered course in Hokkaido, Japan. Located 230m, 754ft, above sea level, Nissan wanted to show off how the Leaf would handle the snow and ice. 

Journalists praised the Leaf's ability to handle the snow. The vehicle has good weight distribution because the batteries are located in the center of the car. The batteries are also mounted quite low, which keeps the center of gravity low. 

The Leaf's battery stayed between 5-10 Celsius during the entire event that took place in average temperatures of -9 Celsius. Nissan also offers a battery warming kit in places like Scandinavia and Canada that will keep the battery around 20 Celsius. Batteries suffer from diminished charge, which can have dire effects in a pure electric car like the Leaf. 

“I think EVs, like the LEAF, will expand in the future. If EVs can only be usable in certain limited conditions, they will not grow. But I was highly impressed by the key message here, that the LEAF can drive normally in hot or cold weather throughout the world,” said Takayuki Kinoshita, a journalist who test drove the Leaf at the event.