Report: Nissan Leaf Hits 60 MPH in 7 Seconds

While a car’s 0-60 time is far from a perfect metric for evaluating performance, it does act as a heuristic, giving us a quick and easy method to judge how a car does in a straight line.

Electric cars, by this same logic, are often thought of as slow cars for timid drivers more concerned about efficiency than speed. But electric motors, with their instant torque, can make for some serious acceleration, and the Tesla Roadster isn’t the only EV to stake this claim.

The Nissan Leaf, a car that looks like it belongs at the Whole Foods parking lot rather than the drag strip, can allegedly hit 60 mph in 7 seconds. This isn’t exactly a blistering time like the Tesla Roadster‘s 3.7 second number, but it is very respectable, and on par with nearly every mid-size car. A Hyundai Sonata Turbo, which makes 274 horsepower, can do it in about 6.5 seconds, as can most V6 family sedans. On the other hand, Nissan’s Versa, upon which the Leaf is based, will take a glacial 9.5 seconds.

Now, we have to warn you that these times are strictly unofficial, and not done with proper instruments or controlled conditions. But if they are true, then the anti-EV camp just had some wind taken out of their sales.

[Source: Green Car Advisor]