A longer range for one of the first electric cars on the market could be what it takes for buyers to conquer their EV anxiety
2016 Nissan Leaf 30kWh
As more and more electric vehicles come on to the market, Nissan has upped the Leaf’s game in terms of the thing that matters most – range.
This new 30kWh model runs a denser battery pack than the existing 24kWh version, giving it a claimed range of 155 miles. That’s a 25% improvement, and it gives the newcomer a place at the top of the Leaf range.
Available only in Acenta and Tekna trim, it costs from £30,935 – though that’s before the government’s EV grant contribution is taken off.
Our test vehicle was a Tekna, so it featured 17” alloys, heated seats, a premium stereo and more on top of the Acenta’s climate, rear-view camera, sat-nav and EV-specific telematic system.
Despite all the kit, though, the interior suffers from being trimmed out in plastics that are hard to the touch and all too often not very nice. That’s a shame, because it’s otherwise comfortable and, on the move, impressively refined.
Drivetrain noise is negligible, of course, but that just creates the risk of wind rustle and tyre roar taking its place. These are never offensive, however, even at high speed – and neither is ride quality, which was particularly good on every kind of road we could find.
As always with electric cars, initial pull is very strong indeed. But mid-range is a little lethargic, so it’s never much fun when you need to accelerate past a slower vehicle. Cars like the Leaf are most popular with people who do a lot of urban driving, however, and in this environment it’s in its element.
A longer range means this Leaf wants to tempt you out of the city, but it’ll take time before Motorway Man starts seeing such cars as a viable alternative to his mile-muncher.
Still, what we’re witnessing here is another step along that route. Dealing with range anxiety is a big issue for EV makers, and that’s what Nissan is doing with this new model.
They’ve addressed another kind of worry by upping the warranty on the Leaf’s batteries for eight years or 100,000 miles, too. All of which will help knock down the walls in people’s minds.
Source: Wharf