Nissan Release the LEAF
And so the build-up of news finally comes to something - the LEAF. Personally, I hate the name but to Nissan’s credit, it does tick a lot of boxes. 140kmph top speed and 160km of range would serve all but the most far flung commuters. It’s also full of telematic goodies, like an advanced GPS system that will tell you where the charging points are.
I would like to say it’s conventional looking, though I can’t help but find it a bit Japanese. Not to my personal taste but not exactly radical in design either. It’s as if they’re trying to say something like
look, this is for 95% of your driving needs, and its full of advantages that make up for the fact that you might have to rent a car to drive down the country.
So what are these advantages? Well, I suppose it’s ultra modern, super clean and your fuel costs just show up annually on the electricity bill (I would guess, about €200 a year if you charge at night). There is the novelty aspect of driving an electric car but this alone is unlikely to cut the mustard.
The entire proposition depends on three things. The first is technological competence. Will those lithium-ion batteries really do the 160km they’re supposed to? Let’s presume that they do because if any of the major OEMs are going to do it, Nissan can. They’ve spent years and years developing BEVs so it’s exciting to see their expertise come one into the market.
Two questions remain - how does it drive and how much does it cost? Both of these have yet to be answered.
Nissan keep saying comparable comparable comparable… but those of us who have driven electric know that a lot can be said both for and against the entire principle. The Tesla will apparently leave a smile on your face for a week but what do you expect with 0-60 in 3 seconds?
A middle performance vehicle is a very different ball game and a far more dangerous one too. For all it’s bells and whistles, people will not look kindly on a relatively conventional looking car with sub-par performance.
The ideal situation would be a thrilling ride combined with a very comparable price. Something within a few grand of a petrol car of similar size and quality. If they can excite people with electric propulsion in the way Tesla has, then they might well have a very good car.
