Nissan’s all-electric alternative
Don’t laugh at the Leaf — it’s more realistic for our road than you think
The Nissan Leaf, like all of the pure electric vehicles today (there are actually a few), is not the car for everyone. It’s not even the car for most of us. But it is a viable, everyday usable car for more of us than would care to admit it.
Yes, you do have to remember to plug it in, though I suspect that an owner would quickly establish that routine. If your teenage kids borrow it, well, all bets are off, though you at least have the ability to receive reminders and check on the car’s charge status from your smartphone or any Internet source via Nissan’s “Carwings” telematics system.
Carwings (or built-in timers) can also activate the climate control to pre-heat or pre-cool the car while it’s still plugged in, sparing the batteries. It’s like remote starting without the needless idling.
That climate system is effective, but it’s a considerable power consumer. Consequently, Canadian Leafs all feature heated front and rear seats and a heated steering wheel, since it’s more efficient to heat the surfaces the occupants touch directly, rather than doing it indirectly with warm cabin air. Clever.
Officially, the Leaf is a five-passenger mid-size car, but four will be happier, even if there’s no large central console as in the Volt. The hatchback reveals a good-sized, deep cargo area, expanded somewhat by seats that fold flat to the height of the large bulkhead located behind them. Unfortunately, the Leaf’s thick, swooping C-posts do create healthy blind spots.
Beyond the fact that it’s eerily quiet and that its motor doesn’t “turn over” when its keyless ignition is pressed, the Leaf functions just like any other car. Any car with an odd, vaguely mouse-like shifter, that is.
Accelerator pedal response is nice and linear. It’s no rocket, but there’s decent pickup from the 80 kw (107 hp) motor, since it provides a maximum of 210 lbs.-ft. of torque. Highway merging is no problem, beyond the possible guilt of briefly pegging the power-usage meter. With no gears to shift and electric propulsion, power delivery is very, very smooth. Only a faint high-frequen- cy noise in the background betrays the Leaf’s modus operandi.
At speeds above 80 or 90 km/h, wind noise starts to become obvious, probably as much from the absence of engine noise as anything. Expect to hear the aural shortcomings of the vehicles beside you more than your own. Consider your wind noise an audible signal of consumption, because headwinds and higher speeds do increase power use noticeably.
Perhaps due to its own aerodynamic idiosyncrasies, or maybe because of the low-rolling resistance tires, I found that my Leaf had a tendency to wander slightly at highway speeds, as well as a susceptibility to cross-winds. Top speed is claimed to be144 km/h. A short run up to 125 — purely for evaluation, of course — was easy and uneventful.
Braking is accomplished by a computer-determined mix of motor/ generator-induced drag (which recharges the batteries) and fourwheel disc brakes. Nissan has done an excellent job of blending these two dissimilar methods, and unlike in most other hybrid or electric ve- hicles, you would be very hardpressed to determine to what degree either system is operating. As you’d likely suspect, the Leaf’s steering assist is electric; it provides decent feel and some feedback, notably better than with a Prius. Blessed with a near-50/50 weight distribution and a low centre of gravity due to the heavy battery pack being located beneath the seats, the potential for athletic han- dling exists. As equipped, though, it’s a ruse. The hockey-puck hard eco-tires prove to be the limiting factor; cornering grip, particularly in the wet, is unspectacular. You will want winter tires. While firm in typical Nissan fashion, the Leaf’s ride quality is better than expected, possibly a side benefit of the battery’s centralized mass. Fit and finish are good, but the materials used in places are not at the level you’d expect from a car starting at $38,395. (You’ll get $8,500 of that back from the province for buying “green,” though it’s not automatic and you have to apply for it.) The pale grey suede-like material on the door panels seems likely to suffer with use, and much of the interior plastic seems more Versa than Maxima.
There’s no shortage of content, however. Besides the obvious level of technological complexity you’re getting, the base SV model includes navigation with satellite radio and Bluetooth, Carwings telematics, the automatic climate system, cruise, proximity keyless entry and ignition, and Nissan’s first use of LED low-beam headlights.
Step up to the SL (at $39,995), and you’ll get several extras, including a tailgate spoiler-mounted solar panel that charges the main 12-volt battery, and — most critically — the DC quick-charger port that makes the $1,600 upgrade worth it.
If you can embrace the notion that the Leaf is most sensible as a second vehicle for a family, one that is best suited to known-distance commuting and local running around, you may discover that your needs actually fall well within its capabilities.
You might even find yourself — like I did, as an automotive enthusiast — surprised not only to learn just how well it works within those parameters, but green qualities aside, finding it’s strangely very cool in a non-high-performance kind of way. An iphone for car geeks. Brian Early reviews vehicles for Toronto Star Wheels. Contact him at: