Driving the new 100% electric Nissan Leaf is certainly a different kind of driving experience. If you are one of those electric car sceptics who can’t see the point in driving something which technologically resembles a milk float, then you will need to think again, The Leaf may be electric, but that is where its resemblance to a milk float ends.
You just get in to the car, press the button marked “Start”, select D and press very lightly on the accelerator and you are on the move. If you want to feel a little zip then depress the accelerator further and the full might of the cars available 108 bhp is delivered almost instantly to its wheels. This equated to a massive torque of 280 Nm which is as much as you would get from a standing start in a 2.5 litre V6; certainly this baby is no slouch.
Within 12 seconds you will be travelling at 62 mph and you can keep on going right up to its top speed of 89 mph. As a town car it is perfect, though of course it is hardly a motorway cruiser.
Handling is surprisingly good, and this is probably due to the car’s very low centre of gravity which is mainly as a result of its heavy battery; again, perfect for zipping around in town. It is quite comfortable even on our potholed city streets and of course it is very, very quiet. There is sufficient room for five occupants too.
Of course there is a big downside. The car’s maximum range is only 100 miles and if you drive too quickly you can reduce that considerably. It takes eight hours to fully charge the car but you can partly charge it in 30 minutes, but what do you do if you run out of juice – just knock on a stranger’s door and ask if they wouldn’t mind if you plugged your car into their electrical socket? The fear of running out of power is known as range anxiety, and it can be painful.
Eventually when the infrastructure is more advanced this problem will be overcome and the 100% electric Nissan Leaf could well be the ideal way of getting around town.