Category Archives: Nissan

News and reviews of Nissan electric cars (including plug-in hybrids).

The ‘affordable’ electric cars with the longest ranges: Ten EVs on sale in Britain for less than £40k that go the furthest on a full charge

March 31, 2023Electric Cars, MG, News, Reviews and Comment, Nissan, VolkswagenRepost

These are the electric cars on sale in Britain today that evade VED ‘premium tax’ rates for motors over £40k
These less expensive EVs offer fully-charged official battery ranges of between 239 and 300 miles

The term ‘affordable’ is a relative one. What might be within one person’s budget might not be attainable for others.

Some will argue – and perhaps rightfully so – that no electric car on sale in Britain today falls into the ‘affordable’ bracket.

That was particularly highlighted in our recent report on the EVs with the longest quoted ranges, many of which cost in excess of £100,000. That’s not what you call battery-powered motoring for the masses!

But there are some models that are far less expensive and that will go plenty far enough on a fully-charged battery to last a week (the average weekly UK passenger car mileage is 131 miles, according to the latest figures).

We’ve set a price ceiling of £40,000 for the EVs that can make it into this countdown. This is the ‘premium tax’ benchmark for Vehicle Excise Duty, with owners of all new motors over this amount forced to pay an extra £355 per year in car tax for the first five years at the standard rate.

Here are 10 EVs that avoid this premium tax sting and can travel the longest distances between charges based on their ‘official’ claims…

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These are the cheapest new EVs you can currently buy

March 29, 2023Buying a new car, Electric Cars, Fiat, MG, News, Reviews and Comment, Nissan, VolkswagenRepost

New EVs are still by-and-large expensive products, but we look at the most affordable models currently available

If Volkswagen sticks to its promise, the ID.2 will arrive as the cheapest new electric car on the market, and tap into the relatively untapped affordable end of the segment, as EV manufacturers have so far been largely prioritising more expensive models that help them generate more money.

Ahead of the Volkswagen ID.2’s arrival, we have a look at the most affordable new EVs that can be bought today.

The entry-level MG4 is still able to travel 218 miles on a charge. (MG)

Volkswagen ID 4 (Image: Volkswagen.co.uk)

MG is now one of the key players in the electric car segment, with its affordable EVs really resonating with buyers that want to go electric, but without having to splash vast amounts of cash

Its new MG4 is also currently the UK’s most affordable EV, with a starting price of £26,995. That buys the entry-level model, equipped with a 51kWh battery that’s able to achieve a credible claimed 218 miles from a charge. It’s also good to drive, well-equipped and offers attractive styling too. MG’s current offers mean you can get behind the wheel for £269 per month over a four-year deal, with a £6,000 deposit.

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The ten best-selling used electric cars in the UK

March 1, 2023Electric Cars, Leaf, News, Reviews and Comment, Nissan, Renault, ZOERepost

The number of electric cars on the roads of the UK are rising rapidly – and in turn sales of used EVs are also soaring.

A record 71,071 used battery electric cars were sold in the UK last year, a rise of 37.5 per cent on 2021. But which models were most popular with used car buyers? Well, since you asked… here are the ten best-selling used electric cars in the UK in 2022.

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Transaction figures have been provided by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), while all estimated pricing details are taken from our sister brand What Car?’s Used Car classifieds (which are powered by Auto Trader).

If you’re thinking of trying to bag a bargain, make sure you read our Used Electric Car Buying Guide.

1 Nissan Leaf (17,270 transactions)

It’s no surprise that the Nissan Leaf dominates sales of used EVs: the hatch has now been on sale for more than a decade, and spans two generations.

That also means that there are lots of options spanning a wide range of prices available. Early first generation models featured a 24kWh or 30kWh battery, with a 30kWh version arriving in 2016. They could be charged at speeds of up to 44kW.

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Sales of new electric cars in the UK overtakes diesel vehicles for the first time

January 27, 2023Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, Nissan, Tesla, VauxhallRepost

The month of December 2022 saw battery electric vehicles claim their largest ever monthly market share

Sales of electric cars in the UK are growing so fast that they have now overtaken diesel vehicles to become the second most popular type of new vehicle, behind petrol.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders reported that greening of the British car market continues, with a record low overall level of emissions recorded in 2022 – 111g of carbon dioxide emitted per km travelled on average, a fraction of the level of only a few years ago.

Vauxhall Corsa-e (Image: Vauxhall.co.uk)

The month of December 2022 saw battery electric vehicles (BEVs) claim their largest ever monthly market share, of 32.9 per cent while for 2022 as a whole, they comprised 16.6 per cent of registrations.

The Tesla Model Y was the best-selling electric car in Britain, and the third best selling car overall, behind the Nissan Qashqai and Vauxhall Corsa (both now with electrified versions).

The growth in electric sales is largely due to fleet and business users – the private car buyer remains more sceptical, fearful of range and difficulties in finding public charging stations.

The government’s Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy forecasts that the UK would require between 300,000 and 720,000 chargepoints by 2030.

Meeting just the lower number would still require more than 100 new chargers to be installed every single day: the current rate is around 23 per day.

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Nissan marks its 250,000th Leaf electric car with festive lights display

January 19, 2023Charging, Charging, Electric Cars, Leaf, News, Reviews and Comment, NissanRepost

Sunderland Plant’s Christmas decorations are powered entirely by vehicle’s vehicle-to-grid technology

Nissan is marking its electric milestone in lights, as it celebrates the 250,000th Leaf electric car rolling off its production line with a dazzling festive display.

The motor manufacturer is using electric vehicle technology as the sole power supply for its Christmas decorations at the entrance of the Washington production site, with a Leaf rigged up to tree lights to power them. Star of the show is a 32-foot high Christmas tree.

Nissan began building the Leaf EV at the Sunderland plant in 2013, and this year started to produce electric versions of the Qashqai and Juke models.

Like many of the latest electric cars on the market, the current Leaf has vehicle-to-grid – or V2X – technology, meaning it can become a mobile power supply for household products, which Nissan decided to demonstrate by using the Leaf as a power source for its festive display. The V2X system allows drivers to use electricity stored in their vehicle’s battery to power a variety of appliances, including a fridge-freezer, laptops and kettles, by using a three-pin plug converter that slots into the charging socket.

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The (Wonderful) Downside of Electric Cars

January 16, 2023Electric Cars, Leaf, News, Reviews and Comment, NissanRepost

It’s a lovely problem to have.

I’ve written regularly and enthusiastically about my 7+ years with a used Nissan Leaf. And for good reason. I firmly believe that purchasing this car is one of the single best things I have done for both my family finances and my own personal carbon footprint, in many years. (Yes, it’s used. Yes, I drive it as little as possible. And yes, I do own a bicycle.)

However, as my 2013 model starts to inch toward its 10-year mark, I am beginning to reflect more regularly on the one significant downside of electric vehicle ownership: And that’s the fact that I never have to take it to the shop.

No oil changes. No transmission fluid to worry about. And none of the mechanical failures I have previously had to contend with in similarly-aged ICE vehicles. I mean, sure, once a year I do have to get it inspected. But other than that, the maintenance I have had to do on my weird-looking blue steed is little more than occasionally changing a tire, and once having to switch out the 12v battery that runs the accessories. Leaving aside the money I save on gas, I am pretty sure I have saved thousands over the years in maintenance costs alone. So what’s the problem?

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How much does an electric car cost? Why switching to an EV can save you money, from cheap charging to road tax

September 16, 2022Buying a new car, Electric Cars, Leaf, News, Reviews and Comment, NissanRepost

With fossil fuel cars on the way out, battery-powered alternatives are not only cleaner but can also be cheaper to run

With the cost of petrol soaring and the potential benefit to the environment becoming ever more apparent, electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming an increasingly attractive option for many drivers.

Registrations of new battery EVs grew at a record rate of 49.9 per cent in the past year, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), even as the car market lagged due to supply issues. One in 10 new cars sold is now powered by electricity rather than fossil fuel, up from just one in 100 in 2015.

That uptake is only likely to increase as the Government’s 2030 ban on sales of new petrol and diesel vehicles looms. A poll of drivers by Moneysupermarket found that of those considering a new vehicle this year, 28 per cent were thinking of buying an electric car and 27 per cent were considering a hybrid.

But EVs are generally more expensive than their equivalents: as of August 2022, the UK’s most popular car model (according to SMMT data), the Vauxhall Corsa, would set you back £17,330 for a petrol model, against £27,055 for the Corsa-e.

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Five reasons to buy an electric car

September 7, 2022Electric Cars, Leaf, News, Reviews and Comment, NissanRepost

Taking the jump to buy an electric car can be daunting, so we’ve listed five good reasons why you will enjoy owning an EV.

The benefits of electric cars go much further than just a lack of harmful exhaust emissions – although that is of course a huge boon, and the main reason governments around the world are pushing for the full transition from internal-combustion to battery power to happen as soon as possible.

Knowing they’re not contributing to local air pollution certainly makes people feel better about using their car to get around, but as most owners of electric vehicles have come to realise, there are myriad other advantages that zero-emissions cars have over their petrol and diesel counterparts.

Here, we’ve summarised the main plus points that come with owning and driving an electric car.

1. Electric cars are simpler and more reliable

Gone are the days of oil stains and petrol fumes from under the bonnet. Electric cars don’t need an engine that uses combustion to produce power, so it’s a completely different ballgame when it comes to motivation for the wheels.

This means an electric motor and battery used in an electric car is much simpler and has far fewer moving parts than a conventional petrol or diesel engine. This means there’s a lot less that could potentially go wrong and much less maintenance and replacement of parts needed due to wear-and-tear. Electric cars often don’t need to be serviced as frequently as combustion-engined cars, keeping running costs low for owners.

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Charge Of The “LEAF Brigade” Kept Small Towns In The Philippines Connected After Super Typhoon Rai

August 25, 2022Charging, Electric Cars, Leaf, News, Reviews and Comment, Nissan, UncategorizedRepost

In December of 2021, super typhoon “Odette” (international codename Rai) battered many provinces in the Visayas, the second largest cluster of islands in the Philippines, as it made landfall on and first ravaged the tourist town of Siargao, known for its pristine beaches and surfing. Rai devastated many other provinces in the region including the province of Tacloban, Leyte, still recovering 7 years after the onslaught of Typhoon Haiyan (local codename “Yolanda”), and the chocolate capital of the Philippines, Bohol.

As Odette rumbled through the Visayas, it took particular interest in Bohol and Cebu. And as it intensified into the equivalent of a Category 5 hurricane, with sustained winds of some 100 miles per hour (160 km per hour) sweeping across an area some 600 miles on both sides. By the time it exited the Philippines a day later, it had destroyed over 80,000 homes and displaced some 481,000 people in Cebu alone. In total, some 992,000 homes were damaged and 368,000 completely destroyed in the whole region, according to the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC).

The most immediate requirement was shelter, power, and water. For power, the most immediate solution was solar power kits which could run one household each. Big business and several non-government organizations and church groups chipped in for most of the needs.

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If We Want More EV Acceptance, Manufacturers Have to Think Small

August 3, 2022Electric Cars, Kona Electric, Leaf, News, Reviews and Comment, UncategorizedRepost

If manufacturers are truly serious about widening the appeal of electric vehicles, the market could use more Nissan LEAF and Hyundai Kona electrics. Remember, our current dependence on the automobile was built on the back of everyman’s Ford Model T and not the wealthy’s Cadillac.

Many of the makers committing themselves to a major shift toward electric vehicles are mostly luxury brands. And, as we’ve so far seen, volume manufacturers introducing electrics seem to be skewing their efforts toward a more well-heeled clientele. Given the higher costs of current electric vehicle technology, it’s understandable.

Still, within recent launches of high-dollar electric cars, trucks and SUVs are echoes of the large, flashy cars with big fins and massive chrome bumpers that marked the end of the 1950s. It wasn’t until an imported air-cooled economy car called the Volkswagen Beetle with an ad tagline suggesting that we “Think Small” that affordability took center stage. Perhaps manufacturers need to take a step back and think small to provide electric alternatives for average car buyers.

The key to affordability is to get over the relentless push to increase range to 600 miles or more on a charge. Unlike a traditional car, where you can make a tank bigger at minimal costs (in fact, on gas cars it’s more a question of space than cost), increasing range from bigger batteries comes at a huge cost in electric vehicles.

It’s Time to Go Green!

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