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No need to be a rocket scientist to be behind the wheel of this zero-emissions vehicle. Yes, information displayed is somewhat different to that of a fossil-fuelled car. And the Nissan LEAF is silent. No throaty roars like those from a naturally aspirated or turbo-charged engine.
Nor do you pull into a fuel station to “fill up”. But despite a different powertrain and lack of exhaust pipes, you drive this electric vehicle (EV) the same way you would any other car.
The LEAF’s rounded rump and distinctive Nissan DNA may not be to everyone’s taste but then too, this is not your everyday conventional vehicle.
Yet it is the very simplicity of the traditional looking interior, dashboard and instrument cluster coupled with intuitive operation that is appealing in this otherwise unorthodox car.
And it is fitted with all the necessary mod cons. Among them are user-friendly colour touchscreen display, navigation, cruise control, rear monitoring camera, as well as hands-free Bluetooth connectivity that pairs seamlessly with your device.
A compact five-door hatchback the LEAF may be, but you wouldn’t say so given the generously proportioned, comfortable and uncluttered cabin.
Although I wasn’t that keen on the pumping action required to increase the height of my seat, there is little else to gripe about in this quirky green car.
So, you hop in, press the start button, engage the single forward gear or reverse gear and off you go. But what concerns consumers most about EVs is how far you can go, so if you don’t mind a bit of mollycoddling (read that as driving like granny in Eco-mode) you are less likely to be beset by range anxiety in the LEAF.
But reason doesn’t always hold the reins when passion drives. Efficient driving aside, if you are to truly enjoy driving this car, then switching out of Eco-mode to provide better performance is always going to be a temptation.
The downside of that added power is loss of range, and with that eyes that are continually drawn to how much range is left.
Given dollops of non-Eco-mode driving and occasional use of air conditioning, the best range I managed to achieve in a combined cycle using both driving modes was just under 100km.
Less likely to tempt a heavy foot on the accelerator are the conditions that this zero-emission vehicle is perfect for. The urban environment.
Here the urban driving landscape that involves plenty of braking and low speeds, feeds power back into the battery that boosts range, making this front-wheel-drive EV an ideal urban runaround.
Good news for the range-anxious is that the LEAF’s larger 30kWh battery, already introduced in Japan and parts of Europe, will increase the car’s range to around 250km, Nissan South Africa managing director Mike Whitfield tells finweek. For South Africans, these range-extending batteries will only be available year-end or early 2017.
The LEAF might not be a dynamic drive, better suited to city driving than the precision required to take twists and turns at speed, but it’s a supremely easy and serene drive.
Boasting good all-round vision, it’s a silent, fluid and extremely comfortable ride, one that soaks up road blemishes with quiet composure.
Silent travelling though does have its downsides. Pedestrians can’t hear you coming.
Though the LEAF is fitted with Vehicle Sound for Pedestrians (VSP), the futuristic whine is barely discernable, requiring higher-than-average hooter use. Conversely, the reverse sound is a tamer version of the high-pitched beeps used in reversing trucks, providing pedestrians with more of a heads-up.
As an everyday urban commuter, where charging devices are within easy reach, this EV more than fits the bill for city slickers and the eco-conscious.
But city commuting is not always a given, and charging on the road to accommodate longer distances proved a challenge, compromising the LEAF’s practicability and usability.
A pity, because this user-friendly EV is one that you should be able to enjoy driving worry-free, every day.
This article originally appeared in the 3 March 2016 edition of finweek. Buy and download the magazine here.
