Turning over a new Leaf
HAS there ever been a better time to launch an electric car? There’s a good argument in favour with current anti-diesel semantics and to a lesser extent anti-combustion engine sentiment from the Government.
However concerns about range in pure electric vehicles has kept their sales to a small percentage of the UK total. With this new second-generation Leaf, Nissan hopes to persuade even more drivers to switch to electric thanks to a greatly-improved range capability and a host of new technology.
Nissan claims the Leaf will be bought by a wide cross-section of the public, just like any other hatchback. It claims buyers aren’t limited to cities and the car isn’t just a second car in a household. However the majority are bought by private individuals.
Nissan doesn’t give exact figures for sales expectations but the previous Leaf sold 5,600 units in its best year in 2017. It’s a safe assumption that the Japanese firm will want to sell more of this new model. Not only does the new Leaf have a greater range but the styling is much sleeker, although there are still a few angles where the front looks a little ungainly.
The new Leaf carries the current Nissan family styling which sees the front bumper design flow into the lights and wrap into the side of the car. The side profile is distinctive with an upward kick to the window-line behind the back doors. The biggest improvement is to the rear where the tailgate is now much more integrated into the overall design.
But while the second-generation Leaf now looks more modern and appealing than before it’s under the bodywork where the biggest changes have taken place.
A new motor has been installed which sees the horsepower figure rise from 109bhp to 150bhp. To “fuel” this motor Nissan has fitted more powerful batteries, 40kWh rather than the previous car’s 30kWh.
The result is a significant boost to acceleration. Few Leaf drivers will care directly about a 0 to 60mph time but the drop from 11.5 seconds to 7.9 seconds is large and for the first time makes the Leaf feel usefully quick. Where this improvement is felt most is at speeds above 40mph. Accelerating on to motorways and overtaking have become safer as a result.
Probably of more use to electric car buyers is the greater range. Using the same criteria as the previous car, the official range jumps from 124 miles to 235 miles.
Nissan has also tested the Leaf using a newer, more real-world system that provides a range figure