Nissan Leaf Limousine Takes Green Limos to a Whole New Level
A custom coachbuilder in Missouri recently completed a very unusual and challenging project – turning a fully electric 2012 Nissan Leaf compact car into a fully electric not-so-compact limousine. It took the craftsmen at Imperial Coach Builders of Springfield, MO, ten months to finish the ambitious project, but it is now ready, and the builders hope to sell this and other electric limo models to limousine services across the country. Nathan Daily is the head electrician at the company. When asked how his company created the world’s first fully electric limo, he took a fairly straightforward approach.
“We took a regular Nissan Leaf electric sedan and we cut it into two and basically extended the frame and everything to add a center section to stretch it into a limousine,” he said.
Like other Leaf models, the limo’s power plant is a 24-kilowatt-hour battery pack located beneath the floor of the cabin. Daily did not mention whether or not he and other workers made any other modifications to the Leaf’s electrical system to handle the extra size and weight. He also did not mention what, if any, luxury amenities were built into the new limo. However, he did mention that Imperial began working on the Leaf after learning that limousine companies are under increasing pressure to increase the fuel economy of their fleets of luxury vehicles.
“Limo operators have to decrease their overall gasoline consumption, so obviously by putting an all-electric Leaf (in their fleets, they) would decrease their overall gas consumption and be able to legally stay on the road,” said Imperial sales manager Gary Spaniak.
Although we are making strides to make our fleet of San Francisco limousines and other luxury vehicles more fuel-efficient, it might be a while before we add a Nissan Leaf electric limo to our fleet. However, if you’re looking for Bay Area hybrid car rentals, we can help you out there! We proudly offer Toyota Prius and Camry hybrid models at very affordable rates for clients who want to lower their carbon footprint without lowering their checking account balances. For more information about our San Francisco hybrid rentals or any of the other vehicles in our fleet, please call us at NLS Limo today at 800-339-8936!