Nissan Leaf

THE arrival of electric cars in this country was something of a a false dawn.

With a sadly lacking re-fuel infrastructure, justified range anxiety and prices that raised eyebrows, there was never going to be a mass evacuation from the petrol pump to the charging point.

It’s three years now since the first examples of the pioneering Nissan Leaf eased, near-silently, off the production line in Sunderland as the world’s first purpose-designed 100 per cent electric car from a major manufacturer.

Zero-emission mobility was no longer a dream but a reality for a few hundred drivers.

There are now about 64,000 examples driving around the world emitting no tailpipe emissions at all.

And in Norway, where they always seem light years ahead of us when it comes to energy and the environment, the Leaf became the nation’s best-selling car last month.

Yes, a country that would normally opt for the petrol or diesel-powered Volkswagen Golf as its No 1 choice of passenger vehicle, had instead bought more all-electric cars than any other type.

There are signs of change here, too. On our own doorstep, for instance, York now has six pay-asyou- go “fast-charging” points at car parks, with four more on the way, and there are 12 other charging points in the city.

With an increasing frequency, private firms are also taking tentative steps towards improving the infrastructure. IKEA, for instance, this month announced that it will be the first major retailer to make electric vehicle rapid charging points available to customers.

Even though Leaf was one of the most advanced cars available on the market, progress doesn’t stand still.

Now we have the second generation, which looks broadly similar to the original but features significant significant improvements under the skin.

You can now buy a new Leaf from £15,990, if you are prepared to lease the battery at £70 a month, or £20,990 with battery included.

Whichever option you choose, that’s considerably cheaper than the £23,350 price tag when the car was first launched.

The big selling point is that the ‘fuel’ will cost you less than £2 for every 100 miles you drive.

There are more than 100 changes to be found, including a greater driving range, a larger boot, more comfort, more interior space and more choice, and some of the changes have been driven by feedback from early adopters.

Just how far you will get on a full charge will depend on driving style and conditions, and will vary between 76 miles for a motorway drive and 124 miles for a leisurely drive without the air-conditioning on.

Among the changes are:

• extended real-world driving range

• faster 6.6kw charging option cutting charging time in half

• subtle styling changes to the grille for better aerodynamic efficiency

•fully integrated motor and charger that frees up extra luggage space

• weight reduction averaging 32kgs

• chassis retuned to suit European driving conditions

• revised seats for more comfort and more interior space

• three versions – Visia, Acenta and Tekna

• more available equipment including leather trim and Around View Monitor

• wider colour range

• new range of wheel options

And yet, despite these improvements, the same nagging doubts remain. The claimed 80-mile range will severely restrict your journey capability; there’s no backup plan if you run out of ‘juice’ away from a charging point and whereas a filling station usually means only a two-minute stop to re-fuel, electric cars using a standard charge need an overnight connection to a power point.

There are now quick-chargers that deliver 50 kW of high voltage direct current to the depleted battery via a special safety-approved connector.

They are capable of replenishing a battery to around 80 per cent of its capacity in 30 minutes, allowing longer journeys to be undertaken without range issues intervening.

That’s welcome news, and will no doubt attract a few more converts.

The electric car as a concept has been around virtually as long as cars running on petrol or diesel, but whereas the latter has been immeasurably successful, the former has never really left the starting grid.

One key reason for its false start was the invention of the starter motor, which did away with the need to manually crank up the internal combustion engine.

The Leaf’s AC motor develops 80 kW of power and 280 Nm of torque, enough for a maximum speed of more than 90mph. The electric motor is powered by a Nissan-developed laminated lithium-ion battery with an output of more than 90 kW.

Recharging from empty to 100 per cent takes eight hours with a normal charger and only 30 minutes from empty to 80 per cent using a quick charger.

The emissions-free Leaf is instantly recognisable by its unusual styling.

It’s not hugely controversial or radical, but there are some curves and hard edges that are untypical of a regular-sized family hatch.

Climb inside and the Leaf is a little more conventional.

Where the Leaf starts to differ from a regular car begins with the instrument display. There is no rev counter or engine temperature gauge. Instead there is a battery temperature gauge and on the opposite side there is the equivalent of your fuel tank: the remaining charge. Alongside the range display, this is the crucial bit of information that tells you how far you can travel without plugging in.

The battery charge meter is backed up by a range-to-empty display which is constantly updating to give an accurate picture. There’s no physical gearbox although you shift between P, R and D for forward, reverse and park, but there is the option of an Eco mode. There’s also a B mode that allows more regenerative braking.

Punch a button on the sat-nav and it will instantly put two circles around your current location, giving you a conservative and a more optimistic radius of how far you can travel on the remaining charge, plus all the nearby charging points.

Once on the go, the Leaf encourages you to eke out every extra mile. The top of the display indicates the power demands according to the actions of your right foot, and coasting or using the brakes activates the regeneration.

With only wind and tyre noise to accompany you on a journey, plus the occasional hushed ‘milk float’ whine of the electric motor, the initial experience is a little disconcerting.

It’s a joy to drive around urban environments, and when you encounter more challenging environments you begin to appreciate its terrific pulling power.

But smashing little car that the Leaf is, the issue of range restriction and the still infant charging infrastructure remains an overwhelming one, and will continue to damage any chance of the electric car seriously challenging those fuelled by conventional means.

Fact File

Nissan Leaf

PRICE: From £15,990

ENGINE: Electric

TRANSMISSION: Automatic with selectable modes

PERFORMANCE: 0 to 62mph in 11.5 seconds

RANGE: 76 to 124 miles, depending on conditions