Review: The new Nissan Leaf - an electric dream

Saturday 24 February 2018

In time, there is no reason why Jersey can’t be the first place on the planet to rid itself of carbon-burning vehicles.

On a 45-sq-mile lump of granite, where the average journey is 15 minutes, we simply don’t need petrol or diesel-powered cars when we can drive ones powered by carbon-free electricity supplied from France.

Yes, electric cars are pricier that conventional ones but the cost is definitely heading in the right direction as technology progresses and the world gets more serious about climate change. The new Nissan Leaf, the second generation of the best-selling ELTON tectric vehicle, not only brings electric into the mainstream, it actually pushes the technology envelope even further.

The new Leaf is loaded with advanced technology, it has a new look and - perhaps most crucially -  longer range, removing any fears of running out of juice along the Five Mile Road in winter.

You’re looking at an almost entirely new machine here, despite the continuation of the Leaf name. From the uprated battery and motor system underneath, to the styling of the exterior and interior, there’s little carried over. 

Nissan have also loaded the car with new gizmos - at least in the one I test-drove. There’s the ProPilot semi-autonomous driving assistance features, which appear in the British car for the first time in the top-spec cars (like mine) - one of these is essentially adaptive cruise control and the other parks the car itself.

The other standout feature is e-Pedal. It’s a glorified version of the driving mode found in many electric vehicles that ramps up the regenerative braking effect, but here it’s tuned so that 90 per cent of driving can be done without using the brakes. It’s easy to use and helps to extend range.

The second-generation Leaf debuts the fourth iteration of Nissan’s electric powertrain. With a 40 kWh battery - up from 30kWh - the system makes 148 bhp and 320 Nm of torque, and has plenty of punch out on the road. 

What’s more important, though, is the fact that range has been increased to 177-miles. Coupled with the e-Pedal, this is definitely achievable (even in Jersey, the helpful Freelance staff told me), particularly if you resist the urge to take advantage of the high-torque acceleration the motor offers.

That said, I did open up the car a bit and the instant torque was incredibly satisfying. Driving around town was stress free, silent and smooth.

The interior was smart: the central tablet-like display embedded into the dashboard features a large screen at seven inches and menus are easy enough to navigate. Elsewhere, the new flat-bottomed steering wheel with a slim central hub added a more premium feel, and the dashboard plastics looked top of the range. My car had full LED headlights (with automatic dipping and full beam), leather heated seats and steering wheel, cruise control, a clever system which keeps an eye on the road markings and vibrates if you stray from your lane, and a seven-speaker sound system by Bose.

Electric vehicles are more expensive than petrol and diesel ones, but that’s beginning to change, with the new Leaf’s starting price £1,500 cheaper than before. My top-of-the-range model was just shy of £30,000 but the entry model starts just above £23,000. Running costs are estimated at about 2p per mile. 

In the face of increased competition, Nissan has really stepped up to the plate with the new Leaf. It looks better, goes further and provides better value, but the improvements go further than that. The ride is composed and there’s a real sense of refinement from a decent interior and lack of noise intrusion from outside. It steers well enough and the electric motor provides enjoyably punchy acceleration. 

If we, as an Island, are serious are making our home a cleaner, quieter place to live, then more of us should consider making the switch to electric. The Nissan Leaf is the sort of car that makes that decision easier.