Nissan gives the Leaf a new energy-efficient Bose audio system

Typically, when we think of electric vehicles and driving range, we only think about the electric motors that actually propel the vehicle. However, electric vehicles have more than the electric motors that draw power from the battery. Inside the electric vehicle the HVAC system, infotainment system, and any other electronics have to get the power they need to operate directly from the battery packs.

The more power the systems required to operate, the less power is available to propel the vehicle. It would stand to reason that Nissan would want to place the most power efficient systems inside the Leaf it could possibly find. Nissan has announced that it is equipping some versions of the Leaf with a new energy-efficient Bose sound system.

Not only is the sound system more energy-efficient, but it's also significantly smaller and lighter than conventional systems. Smaller and lighter in an electric vehicle is almost as important as energy efficiency. Nissan says that the Bose system uses about half the electricity of the standard Leaf audio system.

The new Bose system will be available on SV and SL models as part of the premium package. The system uses smaller and lighter speakers and has a powerful bass unit mounted in the cargo area of the vehicle. The subwoofer is mounted in a 6.2-liter custom-engineered Acoustic Waveguide bassbox. The system has six lightweight speakers placed around the interior of the vehicle.

[via Nissan]