Featured 2026 Nissan LEAF Priced Under US$30,000

Their EV mini van used the same drive train and battery. It had a fan for not being able to plumb the convection air flow.

Passive cooling, whether air or liquid, is acceptable, as long as paired with a battery chemistry more tolerant of higher temperatures. Which just leads to a more expensive battery. Part of the new Leaf's price reduction is going to be in the active liquid cooling allowing Nissan to use a cheaper chemistry.

 

The question here is; did Nissan engineers learn from their past mistakes or are they doomed to repeat them?

 

Is the Aria or new Leaf using a passive liquid system?

 

IDK; The gen1 Leaf was probably a victim of Ghosen's aggressive cost cutting across the entire company. The gen2 got a more expensive battery, more heat resistive - because of the lawsuit and the ability to charge above market rates - higher profit margins w/government incentives; for EV's at the time. Tesla wasn't the only one at the government trough. This was a pathway for businesses to "look" green; in the eyes of public perception.

It's amazing how prices come down when government incentives are removed.

 

Most think the Leaf was Nissan's 1st EV that was prone to grenade. Nope.
the 90s CARB mandate brought about their 'Altra' ev - but unlike like the rav4 ev's of the 90s - it was equipped w/ lithium cells

Nissan's Forgotten EV Had Lithium-Ion Batteries a Decade Before Tesla And Still Failed - The Autopian



So - yea they MAY be better - but they're deffinately slow learners.
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Those old EV's was proof of concept. Most OEMs had the foresight to only lease them - NOT for sale. You couldn't buy them at the end of the lease period. I think Ford and GM did something similar in that time frame.

 

The first Renault Zoe had a fan and maybe even chilled that air with the HVAC system. Was Ghosen imposing stricter cost cutting at Nissan at the time?

Batteries were very expensive at the time, and Nissan was trying to make an 'affordable' model their first attempt at a commercial EV. Designing a battery case and car body for the convective air flow probably cost more than slapping a fan on the case. The passive cooling was probably fine for moderate climates, like Japan. I think it would still lead to faster capacity loss than an active system, but that doesn't mean excessive. The issues came to light with cars in extreme climates; namely the Arizona desert.

And many car buyers wouldn't try an EV without them during the introduction of the technology. It isn't easy when to have an end to incentives when writing the legislation. Too late, and manufacturers take advantage; too soon, and the tech loses support before it can support itself.

The most recent incentives were more about moving battery production to in the country than supporting the tech during the early stage. We'll see how the prices work out with oscillating tariffs when the car finally arrives.

 

We worked there early 90s. If it hadn't been for winter snows, it would have reminded me of sweltering Florida summers. Don't know if that year was exceptional in Tokyo - an anomaly? but I checked how this summer is doing -
Japan sets record high temperatures prompting worries over rice crops | CNN

Yeoza
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Yep, it was canceled.

This is why I'm just not interested in cars anymore. Long live the modern blob car with too many touchscreens.