Introduced last August as the world’s first affordable, zero emission car, the Nissan LEAF is a medium-size, five-seat hatchback designed specifically for a lithium-ion battery-powered chassis and with range of more than 100 miles per full charge. In anticipation of the Leaf’s debut, Nissan advertising the new “green” car in NBC commercials throughout the Winter Olympics.

Scheduled for launch in late 2010 in Japan, the United States and Europe, The LEAF, according to Nissan, “ushers in a new era of mobility.”

Pricing details will be announced closer to start of sales. But Nissan expects the car to be “competitively priced in the range of a well-equipped C-segment vehicle.”

The Nissan LEAF is powered by laminated compact lithium-ion batteries, which generate power output of over 90kW, while its electric motor delivers 80kW/280Nm.

Unlike internal-combustion engine (ICE) equipped vehicles, Nissan LEAF’s power train has no tail pipe, and thus no emission of CO2 or other greenhouse gases. A combination of Nissan LEAF’s regenerative braking system and innovative lithium-ion battery packs enables the car to deliver a driving range of more than 160km (100 miles) on one full charge.

The LEAF can be charged up to 80 percent of its full capacity in less than 30 minutes with a quick charger. Charging at home through a 200V outlet is estimated to take approximately eight hours.

The LEAF is also expected to qualify for an array of significant local, regional and national tax breaks and incentives in markets around the world.