Blog of RENAULT NISSAN Alliance

We all know that Nissan LEAF is powered by electricity… but how many of us know it can also be powered by gravity?

 

As part of a series of short films about Nissan LEAF owners, Nissan spoke to Neil Wagner who lives on the Hawaiian island of Maui. One of Neil’s favourite journeys is to witness the jaw-dropping beauty of sunrise over the island’s Haleakala volcano.

 

He gets up in the middle of the night and, lights ablaze, sets off in his LEAF on the road to the top of the 10,000ft (3,050m) volcano. The long, winding climb naturally uses much of the car’s battery charge – it’s about 85 per cent depleted by the time he gets to the top.

 

And there’s no charging station up there.

 

But that couldn’t matter less. After enjoying one of the most spectacular sights in the world, Neil turns his LEAF around and cruises back down the volcano, replenishing his battery charge as he goes simply by keeping his speed in check.

 

How? LEAF’s regenerative braking system recovers some of the energy used going up allowing Neil to drive back home or to one of Maui’s dozen or so public charging posts back at sea level.

 

See how Neil does it (and check out the sunrise) in this short video and discover more about life with the Nissan LEAF for real owners here.