When it comes to electric motor vehicles, one company steals the headlines and the other quietly goes about making the sales figures. Tesla might shine in the spotlight, but in terms of putting keys in the hands of ordinary consumers, the Nissan Leaf is doing for electric mobility what the Prius once did for hybrid technology.
It’s pretty amazing when you think about it. Here, sold at a regular dealership alongside ordinary internal combustion engines, is a perfectly ordinary car with four doors and a hatch that just happens to plug into the wall. It’s not wildly futuristic, nor impractical, nor really avant garde.
It’s just a car.
Mind you, there are all sorts of details that make the Leaf an unusual choice of transportation. On the market for four years now, Nissan’s electric car is unique in many ways. The question is: does it work for you?
Design
With no need for a conventional radiator or the other trappings of a gasoline-powered car, the surprise is how much the Leaf actually looks like its entry-level cousin, the Note. It’s got an amphibious-looking face, LED headlights and taillights, a few blue-means-efficient badges here and there, but to the average onlooker, it’s just a pleasant little hatchback.
Standard wheel size is a 16” steel wheel, with S models coming with 16” alloys, and SL models equipped with 17” alloys. All cars come with a rear spoiler, with the SL trim gaining a small solar panel embedded in it. Mudguards are standard.
Environment
Inside, the Leaf is again mostly ordinary, with a few unusual touches. Because it saps power to warm up the cabin, there are heated seats front and rear, and a standard heated steering wheel. This latter is just the best. I don’t know how we all manage to live through the winter without a heated steering wheel.
The seats are nicely comfortable, with plenty of rear leg room, and the trunk is well-sized. Because it was designed from the ground up to be an electric car, the Leaf doesn’t suffer from the cargo-loss you find it electrified versions of regular cars, such as the Ford Focus EV with its cramped rear hatch.
Other than that, some futurism extends into the cabin, where the instrument display shows a series of dots displaying power use or regeneration. Mid-range models and up get a range indicator as part of the satellite navigation that shows how far you can go on a charge, and the puck-shaped gear-lever is like something you’d expect to find on a Star Trek shuttle.
Performance
Forget Rolls-Royce: this is probably the quietest car I’ve ever driven. Heavily insulated against road noise, the Leaf is whisper quiet, especially at city speeds, with the loudest thing in the car being the fan.
Power comes from a 107hp, 187lb/ft electric motor that provides instant shove from rest through a single-speed transmission.
While the Leaf is nominally no more powerful than a Micra, the immediate availability of the torque means that it feels much faster.
That’s assuming you have it in the right mode, however. Put the Leaf in eco-mode, and the throttle response drops to a level that makes it feel like you’re driving through maple syrup. Range is improved, but the car feels very slow.
Flick it back into regular mode while driving (just a push of the thumb on the steering-wheel-mounted button), and the Leaf surges forward with glee. It’s actually pretty fun to scoot around in regular mode at city speeds, with the Leaf’s point-and-shoot torque meaning you can zip forward to merge with ease.
Now, here are a few words about the range. The ‘15 Leaf is much quicker to charge than previous models but, with the batteries fully topped off, still only provides a total theoretical range of 135 kilometres. That’s about a quarter of your average compact commuter, and if you run low on electric power, recharging is a somewhat more involved affair than just popping over to the gasoline pump.
However, for most everyday driving tasks, the Leaf is more than up to the job. I drove it home, up the hill from downtown to the North Shore, didn’t bother plugging it in, then I drove to and from Richmond in rush hour. Even though the weather was cold enough to be running the power-sapping heater nearly full blast, there was still enough juice left over to run for groceries, or pick up kids from school, or all the other little end-of-day tasks you might have.
You don’t even really need a quick charger at home, as the Lower Mainland is dotted with chargers these days. Park out front at the Granville Island market and you can charge up your car for free.
It’s an interesting way to get around, with hardly any drawbacks. Yes, long-distance road trips are a bit tricky, but that’s why you buy a Hellcat
Challenger as a second car. Or maybe that’s just me.
Features
As mentioned, mid-range Leaf models come with satellite navigation, based on a 7” touchscreen display. A backup camera is standard, and the top-level cars come with Nissan’s clever Aroundview monitor which shows a view all around the car — hence the name, obviously.
Keyless entry and pushbutton start are standard, as is the aforementioned heated steering wheel, which I may have allegedly tried to steal and install in my own personal car. Allegedly.
There’s also a huge suite of Bluetooth-related technologies, including streaming audio and a hands-free text-message assistant. Possibly the most interesting smartphone-related feature is the Carwings app, which lets you monitor your Leaf’s charging, battery levels, and even kick on the air-conditioning remotely.
Fuel economy is officially rated at the equivalent of 1.9L/100kms, or about $3 to charge. You can also set the Leaf up to draw power during off-peak times, when electricity is cheaper, bringing costs down further.
Green Light
Very quiet ride good; very responsive torque; smart available features; spacious cabin.
Stop Sign
Slow to heat up; power use saps range; no incentives in B.C. make it costly.
The Checkered Flag
It’s a completely usable electric car for every day. If the range fits your intended use, it just works.
