The Electric Vehicle market in the UK is booming, with sales increasing 117.2% year-on-year in October 2015. Down here at Vospers Marsh Mills, Plymouth we’re pretty excited about this exhilarating new market, and so we challenged our off-road expert, Nick Agg-Manning to test drive the new Nissan Leaf. What would he think? Could he handle the quiet, the smooth drive and the automatic gear box? Would he be able to stay away from the trails? Let’s find out!
The Nissan LEAF lent to me by Vospers Motors from Marsh Mills, Plymouth, was only the second All Electric Car that I have driven, so it’s wonderful silence and positive response did not surprise me, but what did surprise me was the space and comfort coupled with the exceptional all electric, economical performance of this vehicle.
On this day, I had the opportunity to find out just why there are over 65000 LEAF owners out there already….
Obviously enjoying zero emissions makes for economical tax and the cheap cost and availability of re-charging are to be enjoyed, but once driving this amazing piece of automobile innovation gives me the full explanation of why it is becoming so popular. A definite ‘Eco-warrior’!
Shaped with panache, the front promoting a fully aerodynamic nose with a range of LED lights, the car offers a confounding amount of space, 5 doors and an expansive feeling of comfort within its protected environment having the latest safety equipment of air bags, 360 degree ‘Around View Monitor’ and ESP = Electronic Stability Programme offering enhanced control on corners.
The LEAF’s gear selector is dynamic in the way it is designed – nearly a thing of beauty in its own right! It has a centre console button, set neatly into its housing and a joy to flick from Power to Drive or Reverse but with an extra option of selecting an even more economical drive power to recharge ratio.
My usual requirement for a complete sound system was matched by a wonderful 7 speaker Bose system – standard in the Tekna, which is the car I drove.
Obviously, being electric, it was a quiet getaway but the response from the throttle did surprise me and I was soon gliding up from Marsh Mills in Plymouth towards Dartmoor. Cornering, indeed, steering generally is a joy and we soon climbed up to the moorland and weaved through the corners as though they were not even there. The reduction in range seemed to be slow, suggesting that my driving was consistent with sensible management of the electronic charge – a fact further enhanced when I read on my return journey that I had 72 miles of charge to go and arrived back at Marsh Mills, 18 miles away, with a reading of 75 miles to go! Yes, it was downhill, coming off the moor, but that was a most encouraging sign and answers a lot of critic about the use of Electric Cars! Deceleration re-charges!
The LEAF definitely ticked a number of my boxes – exciting, responsive, comfortable, safe and yet purposeful – a true advocate for cheap electronic motoring giving a performance that defied logic based on old thinking about Electric Cars.
The technology and information provided to the driver is sensational, leaving no guess work with a comprehensive dashboard, brilliant screen and SatNav system feeding comprehensive information constantly so nothing is left to chance.
The Nissan Leaf: Innovative; the future surely for motoring, for the environment and for the wallet.
Well, it seems our resident off-road expert has taken to the Nisan LEAF! To find out more about the Nissan Leaf visit the Nissan Showroom at Plymouth Marsh Mills or call one of the team on 01752 636444
If you are interested in finding out more about Electric vehicles have you visited the brand new Vospers Electric pages online? www.vospers.com/electric provides a handy guide to electric vehicles available from Vospers, as well as the very latest offers and deals.
