Leaf energy display

The feedback system for electric vehicles is an important aspect to making these cars familiar to consumers who need to adjust to a different fuel source. Here is one of the displays on the Nissan Leaf (the car wasn't moving), which shows how much power in kilowatts is being drawn or fed into the battery. It also indicates how much power the heating, cooling, and other systems are drawing. In addition to in-car displays, the Nissan Leaf, Chevy Volt, and other electric vehicles will provide information to consumers through smartphones, allowing them to check and schedule charge status and preheat or cool a car while it's still plugged in. Because everything in the car is electric, range can be impacted significantly by temperature and driving habits.

October 14, 2010 11:09 AM PDT

Photo by: Martin LaMonica/CNET

| Caption by: Martin LaMonica