Nissan has unveiled the plug-in electric car they’ve been working on so feverishly over the past couple of years, promising that it will cost the equivalent ‘of a well-equipped C-segment vehicle’. It’s called LEAF, and if you can get past the catfish-wearing-safety-goggles front end styling, you’ll find a spacious, five-seater hatch with zero emissions and a claimed 160km range. There is of course the naff name, which isn’t half as cool as Volt or even Joule. It could have been much worse though, Nissan (Totally) Amped anyone? Jokes aside, the technically impressive LEAF is powered by laminated compact lithium-ion batteries, powering an electric motor, which delivers power and torque outputs of 80kW and 280Nm. The batteries can be quick-charged to 80% of their capacity in half an hour, while a full recharge takes 8 hours. Nissan’s regenerative braking system is employed to boost the driving range.

Packaged within an attractively futuristic interior design is an advanced IT system, constantly connected to a global data centre. Nissan says it will provide information, entertainment and support if necessary, 24 hours a day. That sounds great. More worrying is Nissan’s desire to use the system to ‘create a zero-emission community.’ Hopefully that doesn’t mean a bunch of flower power freaks FaceLEAF-ing each other while driving.

Nissan’s new eco-warrior is slated for launch in late 2010 in Japan, the United States, and Europe, with an expected S.A. launch sometime thereafter. Are you excited by the prospect of affordable electric cars or will the bubble burst faster than a drained battery?