Nissan's first-ever electric vehicle: the 1947 Tama

Nissan LEAF, which launched more than two years ago, is Nissan’s first electric vehicle for the global mass market. But did you know that Nissan’s electric vehicle history actually began as early as 1947? Due to the post-World War II energy shortage at that time, the Japanese government encouraged entrepreneurs to produce electric vehicles to cope with the crisis.

 

The Tama Electric Car was created by Tokyo Electric Cars Company - one of the ancestors of Prince Motor Co., Ltd., which later merged with Nissan. Developed by former military aviation engineers, the Tama used lead-acid batteries and generated 3.3kW power and a top speed of 35 km/h (22 mph). With a cruising range of 65 km (40 miles), they were used mainly as taxis. The car was sold until 1950, when Japan's post-war recovery was well underway and oil supplies were stabilized.