Jesse Crosse takes a test drive in the Altra, the first Nissan electric car to go on sale outside Japan and one with a unique battery pack. Nissan recently confirmed pricing for its Altra EV following the success of initial trials in the US during 1998. The Altra is an estate built for the US market and the EV version is the first zero-emissions Nissan to go on sale outside Japan. The retail price will be $50,999 and the monthly lease cost $599, including warranty and roadside assistance. 98 cars will be supplied during 1999 and 2000. At the Altra's heart is a Hitachi-developed, water-cooled, permanent magnet, synchronous electric motor, which is the first to use the highly efficient neodymium-iron-boron alloy (Nd-Fe-B). In fact the alloy was discovered by accident, when an order for materials was misinterpreted. Now the Hitachi motor is one of the most powerful in the world developing 84 ps (62 kW) and 159 Nm (1,17 lb ft) with a maximum rotor speed of 13,000 rpm. That alone far exceeds the average, which is 8,000-9,000 rpm, while the power-to-weight ratio of the 39 kg device is a substantial 1.6 kW/kg, one of the best in the EV field.
展开▼
