Our newbie user struggles with plug-in life
The electric car revolution still has some way to go, This weekend, I’ve had to plan my life around my car, not vice versa
My first experience with an EV is a weekend at the wheel of the Nissan Leaf. At first glance, it looks like any other hatchback: compact and neatly designed. Inside is much of the same, the only major departure from the norm being the funny nub of a gearstick that appears to be the wrong way around – to reverse, you have to flick the ball up, and drive is down.
Once I get used to the backwards selection process, the car is easy to drive. Almost too easy, in fact. The eco-pedal activates regenerative braking, allowing me to drive with one foot. Combine this with a total absence of engine noise and an eerily smooth ride, and it feels like driving a giant toy car. It is disconcerting at first, but once I adjust it makes a busy drive through town a far more relaxing experience than it ought to be.
However, my eyes are constantly monitoring the “tank” as I silently cruise around. Visions of being stranded in rural Scotland become increasingly vivid as I get down to 30 miles of range. Thankfully, I know that there is an EV charging point at the garage at the end of the road. I pull up,
plug in, and get a coffee. After 20 minutes, the battery has gained 0 per cent more power. I try another plug; still nothing. As someone used to refuelling for hundreds of miles in two minutes, this is immensely frustrating. To charge my Leaf I now have to use 12 of my precious 22 remaining miles and sit working in the car for an hour that I don’t have to spare.
Sixty minutes results in about 20 per cent charge, which is going to have to do. Once back at my parents’ house, I plug the car into the mains (sorry, Dad). Thankfully they live in a very safe area, so I don’t worry about running the cable through the unlocked front door overnight, but I’d feel less comfortable doing so in my suburban Essex house.
This weekend, I’ve had to plan my life around my car, not vice versa. Like most things that purport to be good for you, EV ownership involves compromise. I’ve no doubt that the Leaf would work well as a guilt-free city runaround, but until the infrastructure improves, I can’t see them fitting in on country roads any time soon.