My daily commute is currently a 64 mile round trip; a beautiful cross country route ending in Milton Keynes (free parking for electric cars – yippee – saves me £20 a week).
I know that my first generation Leaf is good for 75 miles in cold weather, increasing up to 90 miles in the summer (and even higher if I drive slowly). Probably because I am a bit mean and only like to charge at home on Economy 7, this means that in winter, I am always down to my last 10 miles when I get home.
However, last week we had an exceptional day. It was very cold, with snow sweeping through the country and the combination of cold, with surface snow and slush (which increases resistance to movement) meant that I knew I would be closer to the limit than usual.
Sure enough, as I got close to home, my remaining distance went from 6 miles to blank and the gentle voice of my satnav told me to find a charge point urgently.
‘Battery Level is Low’ (Image: J. Tisdall)
All was well as I got home and plugged in, but it was interesting how an event that in my early days of ownership would have had me on the edge of my seat and white-knuckled, was now something to take in my stride. I realise that what has changed is that electric car driving has now become normal for me. I have come to trust that the range is actually pretty consistent, and I have learnt the slightly different way of thinking that electric cars demand.
Finally, I am free to simply enjoy the ride.