Nissan Leaf
EVS have come a long way in just six months. Did the Leaf prove to us during that time that it won’t get left behind?
After six months, the final reckoning
WHY WE RAN IT To see if Nissan’s advanced the cause of EVS at the affordable end of the market
This is an exciting time in the evolution of electric vehicles. Ranges are rising, charging times are falling and a host of all-new models across a wide price spectrum are either already here or due this year. Battery-powered cars are getting to the point where they’re truly viable propositions for a large proportion of motorists. Many of them look mouthwatering, too – especially if, like me, you’re already a fan of such cars.
But where does that leave existing EVS such as the Nissan Leaf we’ve been running for the past six months? Let’s not forget that EVS wouldn’t be at the level of maturity they are today without the influence of Nissan’s pioneering hatchback. The secondgeneration model, launched early last year, may not have really moved the game on in relation to existing rivals such as the Volkswagen e-golf and the smaller Renault Zoe, but it brought useful improvements in range, performance, practicality, interior quality and driving manners compared with the 2011 original and remains a key player at the more affordable end of the market.
However, its range between charges has now been made to look decidedly ordinary by similar-priced newcomers from Kia and Hyundai, begging the question: did Nissan push the boat out far enough this time around to make the Leaf practical for all-purpose use, not just as a short-haul urban runabout but for longer trips as well?
Let’s deal with range first. During the summer months, I found I could cover about 140 miles between charges on average, or up to 160 if all of the miles were around town, driving at the same speeds as I would in any car – in other words, not making any specific effort to eke out as many miles as possible per charge.
That was adequate for the majority of my needs, including some longer trips of 200 miles or more, although such journeys still required advanced planning and at least one half-hour stop for a partial top-up at one of the rapid chargers that can now be found at motorway services. Some of my more intrepid colleagues even used the Leaf as transport when taking on the Three Peaks Challenge, covering 500 miles between Ben Nevis in Scotland and Snowdon in Wales without too much hassle. But as is the case with most EVS, the range dropped by a good 40 miles when the weather turned colder.
In general, the Leaf was a pleasure to drive, thanks to its comfortable ride, the refinement and instantaneous response of its electric motor and low noise levels, even at motorway speeds. The ability
to drive it using just the accelerator, owing to the strong regenerative braking effect of Nissan’s ‘e-pedal’, came in very handy in urban driving. The fact that you could turn it off completely was welcome when parking (because the car was then able to creep like a normal automatic) and on the motorway, when coasting was generally preferable to slowing rapidly when you lifted off.
Using the regular braking system was something to be avoided as much as possible, though, because the pedal felt spongy and often resulted in very abrupt stops.
The fact that you have to be stationary with your foot on the ❞brake pedal to switch between the two e-pedal modes was inconvenient at times, too; I like being able to change the level of regen on the move, as some of the Leaf’s rivals allow via paddles on the steering column.
The interior is roomy and there’s lots of useful storage space, but it’s not what you’d call classy. I didn’t really get on with the driving position, either, mainly because the steering column doesn’t adjust for reach and the seat doesn’t provide much support, becoming uncomfortable on longer trips. A bigger, clearer, more responsive infotainment touchscreen and a more configurable, fully digital instrument panel wouldn’t have gone amiss, either; both seemed surprisingly low-tech for a car like this. There were a few rattles to contend with, too, notably from the seatbelt buckles tapping against the hard plastic trim on the door pillars.
While it’s great that the Leaf comes with heaps of driver aids, I found some of them quite intrusive – notably the automatic emergency braking, which tended to activate too often, reacting to parked cars and even the barriers in our car park. The overly sensitive front and rear parking sensors were highly irritating, too. However, the adaptive cruise control proved effective on the motorway and the blindspot monitors came in handy all the time. Since these items are also available on the mid-range N-connecta trim, that’s the one I’d go for next time; I wouldn’t miss luxuries such as the advanced but rather time-consuming Propilot Park self-parking system that’s exclusive to the Tekna version.
I’ve very much enjoyed running around in the Leaf every day, despite its f laws. And compared with hatchback rivals, the Leaf remains competitive, thanks to its low running costs (just 4.8 pence per mile in electricity), practicality and comfortable ride, and a good choice for mainly urban use. However, it isn’t a game-changer. With real-world ranges of more than 250 miles, that accolade must go to the Hyundai Kona Electric and Kia e-niro family SUVS. Likeable though it is, the Leaf already seems a little old hat.
Compared with hatchback rivals on sale right now, the Leaf remains competitive