CHARGE OF THE BRIGHT BRIGADE

The new Nissan Leaf is a major improvement over the previous model in a number of ways but perhaps the most notable has been in the effort to create a more powerful, useable drivetrain while increasing the car’s range.

The previous generation Leaf was powered by a 30kwh battery pack supplying energy to an 80kw motor, good for an Nedc-certified 155 miles. There was also a cheaper 24kwh version with a shorter range. For the new model there’s just one battery/motor combination – a 40kwh battery pack and a 110kw motor.

The new battery is not just a larger version of the old model’s but has been developed to be more efficient – offering greater returns from its larger capacity.

The motor, too, is more than just an uprated version of the previous car’s. While it offers 38 per cent more power – 148bhp compared with 107bhp – it has also been engineered to be more efficient, helping push up the range from the battery while offering a better driving experience.

Bigger batteries and a more powerful motor will only get you so far, though, so Nissan’s engineers worked hard on the whole vehicle to eke out as much as possible from the drivetrain.

Huge attention was paid to the car’s aerodynamics on the basis that the easier it cuts through the air, the less energy it wastes. The car was styled to fit the signature Nissan V-motion grille but everything was tweaked and trimmed to give the car a coefficient of drag of just 0.28.

Body panels, wing mirrors, the shape of the headlights all received the aero specialists’ attention. Even the rear spoiler was redesigned over time to reduce the impact of side winds on the range. And the engineers created a completely flat underbody to reduce lift and improve efficiency further.

Helping make the most of the battery’s capacity and the slippery aerodynamics is the Leaf’s regenerative braking system which reverses the motor’s operation, turning it into a generator under braking to recharge the battery. Its capabilities are impressive. On the launch, a spirited 75km drive which saw us climb 2,400m up a mountain used 68 per cent of the car’s charge but the 92km return leg to sea level used just five per cent thanks to canny driving and the regenerative braking.

Of course, no matter how carefully you drive, eventually the Leaf will need charging. As part of a deal between the Government and Nissan owners get a 7kw charging point installed at their home. This will take the car from the empty warning to full in around seven and a half hours. Out on the road, the latest CHADEMO rapid chargers can take the Leaf from ‘alert’ to 80 per cent in just 40 minutes. And Nissan has said it plans to expand its public charging network by 20 per cent in the next 18 months.