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On the road Most owners use their Leaf for commuting. It’s great in this role thanks to auto box and nippy acceleration

ELECTRIC vehicles are here to stay, and although EVS are still in their infancy, there are a few brands that have been pioneering this type of car over the last five years or so. Nissan is one of them, with its Leaf family hatch.

It’s the first EV success story, and you can pick up an updated version of the world’s best-selling electric car for seriously attractive money. With prices below £6,500 even for 2014 models, the Leaf represents incredibly cheap motoring, both to buy and to run.

Most owners only use them for shorter trips, so there are cars that haven’t covered many miles given their age. We found editions just a few years old with fewer than 20,000 miles at some bargain prices.

It’s worth mentioning the battery pack. You’ll need to discover whether it is included in the price of the used model you’re buying or whether there’s a separate battery lease attached to the Leaf.

Like all EVS, the Leaf is very quiet at low speed, and performance is good. It’s delivered instantly when you squeeze the throttle, so there’s no lag as the Leaf zips between rest and 30mph with surprising urgency.

It’s not at the expense of comfort, because while the ride isn’t as smooth as that of a conventional family car such as a VW Golf, there’s just enough compliance that it is bearable in town. That makes it a great commuter car, with the single-speed auto gearbox meaning dealing with traffic is simple.

Then there’s the huge cost saving you’ll make running an EV. An average commute will easily be covered by the 24kwh Leaf’s 124-mile range, but later models are available with a 30kwh battery that extends this to 155 miles. That means at today’s prices, even the 30kwh version shouldn’t cost any more than £4 to charge.