[gangzoom]

So I've been the owner of a 109 BHP, 100 mile range full electric Nissan Leaf for the last 5 days....My previous 3 cars have been a: Honda Integra Type R, Nissan 350Z, and a tuned BMW 335i running upto 380bhp...

So how I find swapping my BMW for a Leaf??



to a



The first thing to say is that the current generation of EVs have two main short comings compared to ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) cars.

1: Battery range needs to increase by about 30-40%.

Unless you can afford the Tesla S (£50K+) if your daily commute is more than 30 miles one-way I wouldn’t bother trying an EV. Realistic range of the Leaf in current chilli temperature is around 70 miles, so a 60 mile daily round trip will have some ‘anxiety’. People do it, but I couldn’t.

2: Initial upfront cost needs to come down.

I’ve ‘bought' my Leaf for £13K….but that’s with a £5k government grant, Nissan taking £5K off the list price, and some fancy leasing options on the battery. If you look at an i3 £30K (before government grant), that’s a lot to pay for what is essentially a city car.

Both these two points, are been addressed, Nissan is set announce a 150 mile range Leaf in the next 18 months, and prices will come down, as battery technology gets cheaper.

So with these two issues in mentioned upfront what do I think about the Leaf?

In short - I love it, and I wouldn’t swap it for any of my previous cars

1: The EV drivetrain

In the last 10 years spending £££ on a car has never been a issue for me, my last three cars have been:

Honda Integra Type R
Nissan 350Z
BMW 335i (modified to 380bhp)

So believe me, the last thing I want to drive around in is a 3 cylinder shopping trolley regardless of how cheap it is...I really really wanted to hate the Leaf on the test drive, but I was sold on the EV drivetrain with-in by the time I had pulled out of the dealership.

Performance car manufactures strive to develop drivetrains with several main features:

Rapid access to torque (hence some people love diesel), a smooth drive transmission (DCT), combined with good Economy/reliability ...

The truth of the matter is, even though the Leaf is a pretty mundane family run-about, and has a EV motor only capable of 80kw (109bhp), it delivers on the power in a way no ICE car can ever manage.

The ability to access 100% torque at 0 rpm, along with the concept of NOT having any gears or any engine noise/vibration, makes for a really fun and refined driving experience.

Now that I've got use to the driving experience delivered by the EV drivetrain of the Leaf, I honestly have to say I wouldn't swap the Leaf for any of my previous cars ....and the really exciting thing about EVs is the current crop of car are essentially 1st generation machines.

2: The technology:

I love gadgets, the 335i was pretty poor in that respect, our current Lexus has almost too much, but the Leaf is in a different league. Bluetooth audio/keyless entry/reversing camera etc (it's got all that).

Ok interior isn't covered in cow skin, and hasn't got the iPad interface of the Tesla. But you can tell this 'car' is more a technology product than a traditional car.

You can re-mote control charging and the climate confrol system on the car, Live read outs of the energy use etc



Nissan will will even analyse all the data and compare you to other Leaf drivers...It's like Strava but for cards!!


3: Cost of ownership (lack of)

My Leaf is currently reporting 4.1 miles per kWH of electricity.
Economic 7 rates = 6.6p/kWH (My economic 7 meter is going in next week)
Leaf therefore cost 1.65p per mile to ‘re-fuel’ - not including any free charging...

My 335i, assuming 25mpg (realistic mpg in urban traffic), £1.15/l = 20p per mile in fuel

Our IS300H, assuming 50 mpg, £1.15/l = 10p per mile.

So the Leaf cost 12(TWELVE) times less to refuel than the 335i, and 6(SIX) times less to refuel than even the very economical Lexus….

That said, running costs of a car has never been a concern for me, but for those wanting the cheapest to get from A to B, the Leaf is very hard to beat!!! (Even when compared to just walking/bus)

4: Range / Charge:

The first thing everyone asks me about the Leaf is range…Despite only using it to get around the City, I’ve managed to cover some 150 miles in the last few days, and the issue of range hasn’t bothered me once!!



Yet in 160 miles of driving the Leaf over the last 5 days m, range is the last thing I've been worried about. I plug my phone/laptop into the mains at night, and no do the same with the Leaf. It's less hassle than visiting a petrol station at 6am in the morning.

Realistic range is about 80 miles, so unless your been stupid on purpose and don't understand the limitations/concept of range/charging I cannot see how anyone could run of electricity…There are also a whole load of ‘free’ charging points in various places if you look.



Battery life also doesn't appear to be an issue. After an initial rapid full in charge capacity, Tesla owners report 94-92% battery efficiency at 50k, with a 1% drop in charge capacity every 18K miles or so….Just for reference my BMW has done 60K at time of sale, and had cost me in excess of £3K in repair bills using a friendly trustworthy local mechanic, that bill would be closer to £6K had I used BMW dealers.



The likes of Toyota/Honda are still obsessed by hydrogen fuel cells, these guys need to wake up and smell the air, battery EVs are here, and people are buying them with real money (like my self).


Insummary:

I’m 100% sold on the concept of battery EV as the future mode of transport. Having probably spent the best part of £50K+ on ICE cars over the years, I cannot see my self parting with a single penny for another ICE machine. The Leaf may only have 1/4 the power of previous BMW 335i, but the EV drivetrain is so much better than the ICE setup I’m not missing the BMW at all.


Finally I cannot do a whole write up on EVs without mentioning the car I will own next…The Tesla S.

Tesla is a technology young company with little previous experience of building cars. but in 2013 with only their second ever product, the Tesla S. Consumer Reports (American version of Which) called it the ' The best car ever tested'....2 years running...Can you imagine how good the 2nd/3rd generation EVs will be??...I cannot wait to see how the car industry develops over the next 5-10 years, I think much like how Apple shock up the entire mobile phone market in 2008, Tesla is going to do the same to the car industry.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/m...2014/index.htm

[makkan00]

Your article may tempt others to try EV.
Perhaps Tesla, none of us will mind.

However LEAF... seen them in flash over the weekend. Based on what they look....Its banned in my books.

Nissan has record of making ugliest cars....and they keep doing it.

So going back to what you have stated....Yes perhaps EV is the way to go however not LEAF mate.

[LaserPower]

0-62 is way too slow for any good...I wouldn't own anything that takes more than 6 seconds to get there, or takes more than 5 min to fill up. That's where my patience threshold lies lol.

[gangzoom]

I absolutely agree the Leaf is ugly and slow, but EV drivetrains are the future.

Given how long delivery is currently taking, I'll be putting in my order for a Tesla in about 18 months time (already have the wifes approval)....My 335i was the best ICE car I've owned, I'm glad I owned it, but for me technology has moved on.

[E92Dan]

I'm glad your enjoying the car, and I can see some benefits. But these EV vehicles aren't 1st generation, the electric car has been around for as long as the internal combustion engine car.
I also think that hydrogen is the future, yes it doesn't work now but that's what the future is about, pushing NEW technology.

[misterS3]

Batteries currently hold back tech but people still justify purchasing. Eg iWatch will sell well but it's pretty useless without a week long battery.

So until the battery tech gets there, i think hydrogen fuel cell tech still has the chance to be the VHS to the Betamax that is currently electric.

I've driven an leaf for a day and didn't enjoy it as much as you do,. But then i was having my GTR service, it was the courtesy car, and i can't compare the two - not a fair comparison. I do like the look of the Tesla S saying all that.

BTW - i really like your write ups. Not quite as 'cool' as palmnuts but the content is great

[gangzoom]

I wish I could afford the cars some of the you guys have the £££ to run...If I could I wouldn't have even looked at EVs

Did the first proper charge of the car last night using home plug (as opposed to 'free' public electricity).

Had about 35% charge remaining on the Leaf yesterday before plugging into the mains, so with the Leaf having a 24kWh battery, in theory it'll need 15.6kWh to recharge to full.

Our energy monitor says we used 23kWh of electricity yesterday, current average daily use (without having to charge the Leaf) is 7kWh. So the Leaf pulled an additional 16 kWh to go from 35% charge to 100%....So the transfer from main grid electricity to Leaf battery is not quite 100% charge efficiency, but its not far off (probably around 95%).

As for hydrogen fuel cells....If Toyota/Lexus ever release a viable mass market hydrogen fuel powered car in the next 5-10 years, we'll happily replace our hybrid Lexus with it (The current fuel cells cars released are really just test/pilot projects), but I'm not holding my breath for one...One thing is for sure, the 335i was the last ICE car I'll ever own, and the Lexus hybrid is likely to be the last ICE car my wife buys.

[Russbmw]

The technology sounds good (good write up BTW), but I don't know why all such cars are just designed in such a gash way - they are just not visually appealing.

Prius - ugh
Leaf - ugh
BMW i3 - ugh

I mean, the I8 looks lovely, as does the Tesla, but then they are not aimed at the mass market.

Why they can't make EV cars look like normal cars I don't know. Even if it's primarily the city car market.

For example, an EV version of a small hatchback like the Citroen C2 or Clio Sport would be a surefire winner - even making and EV 1 series would be an idea.

[half Colin]

Leaf no, i8 oh yes!

[The0pportunist]

Firstly i want to check you are not an employee or a share holder @ Nissan? lol

Secondly, thank you for the good read, im genuinely surprised you would not swap back to your 335 after living with the leaf. Any plans to mod it?

[gangzoom]

First week of ownership and 200miles done.

I've only had to pay to recharge the car overnight once (from 30% to 100%). This is because currently there are many free public charging points. Today I charged up for 1.5 hrs whilst we were doing supermarket shopping and light lunch (post night shift), over easter weekend I charged up for free whilst in a large shopping centre....So in fact over the last 200 miles I've paid about £1 to 're-fuel' the Leaf....I cannot think of any other form of transport that can come close!!
But for me, getting the Leaf was as much about trying out the new technology as much as saving £££. I’m really really surprised at how much I love the Leaf, despite the fact it’s by far the slowest car I’ve owned in the last 10 years. The more I drive the Leaf the more I’m sure I'am that I have no wish to swap the Leaf for my previous 380bhp BMW 335i, despite the yawning performance gap.


I just have one thing to say to Elon Musk and Tesla….Just get on with it and announce the Tesla III, and I’ll happily drop a £10K deposit today to secure an early build slot for a RHD car





Oh my 'free' home charge point was installed today, it can pull unto 7.2kWh compared to 2.1 kWh from normal 3 pin....I've turned it off at the master switch, the Leaf doesn't have big enough batteries to need that kind of charge rate...This thing is reserved for the Tesla

[jammy78]

No offence but I'd want Nissan / the government to pay me to drive that car!

Life's too short..... that car is just awful!

[gangzoom]

Originally Posted by jammy78

No offence but I'd want Nissan / the government to pay me to drive that car!

Life's too short..... that car is just awful!

No offence taken....The government and Nissan are virtually paying me to drive the car. And your also right about life been too short, the sooner I can get into a Tesla the happier I'll be...Hence driving the Leaf for the next 24 months

Sales of Hybrid/EV cars qualifying for the £5k goverment grant up nearly 400% this year!! That's despite cheapish petrol prices..

[Waspo]

Very Very Good write, and written in a way that has you reading the whole thread! Nice one.

IMHO, I get the 'Electric Car' thing and this or Hydrogen is the future no doubt, but the cars have to start looking like cars not boxes on wheels.

[singh21]

We have to enjoy the petrol cars while we can!

[old grey steve]

Originally Posted by singh21

We have to enjoy the petrol cars while we can!

Agree with that, in a lot cases power plant aside the nails are out and are getting banged in the coffin re manual gearboxes(Porsche/BMW)to name but 2 manufacturers are in many cases putting the manual transmission cars on the back shelf the tide appears to be slowly very slowly turning re what we know/drive, diesels for instance were the in thing everyone had to have one but now with the enviorment issues rearing their head (think Paris ban in 2020 and other country's)there will be more pressure to move on forward re technoligy.

Nissan, Renault, Toyota and now to a degree BMW have all latched on to the wonders of battery powered or assisted vehicles, Honda have been in this camp but their FCX fuel cell hydrogen technoligy has surely got to be worth watching in the future.

Now can we stop talking electric and running costs and concentrate on POWER

[gangzoom]

You want power....I give you the Tesla P85D...

Looks cool, seats 5+2, £10 to 'refuel' or free is your close to a super-charger, 200miles + of realistic range (300 according to Tesla), more gadgets than you can imagine....

We've all seen cars in Sci-fi films/technology shows that pull out of their parking spaces and greets you at your door....Well Tesla are going to give that to you SOON!!


But the best bit....550BP XJR comes in at £92K, the i8 at £100k is a shopping trolley in comparison and the 590bhp S class is £120k…

The P85D at only £79K has 691 BHP!! That's only 301 bhp (or a BMW M135i) away from the 1000bhp Bugatti Veyron, but unlike the Bugatti almost anyone can afford to actually run/use it every day, and bring the whole family along!!!…

If you have the cash to splash on a hyper-saloon I really don’t understand why anyone would buy anything else but a P85D Tesla S, it's probably the bargain of the century (as much as a £75K car can be called a bargain )…..Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes F1 car still has more BHP though....but only just at around 750bhp, but his car cannot self park

I've never bought a car on finance before, but after my cheap PCP deal on the Leaf finishes I'm going to find it very hard NOT to buy a P85D through finance....The most ridiculous thing is though, the Tesla S has only been on sale for 2-3 years....Can you imagine what else is coming down the pipeline from these guys, if your a ture petrol head I cannot see how you aren't excited about EVs

In a way I'm really glad I'm now committed to the Leaf for 24 months, because it gives a chance to build up my Tesla fund nicely....The decision I'll have to make in 18 months or so would be around if I should be sensible and buy something like the base 70D (only 380 BHP) outright or just go for it and finance the latest insane P85D (But will need to save up £1.5/k a month..not impossible to do on my income, but still needs displine).....

Someone earlier mentioned 'life is too short', I 100% agree, I'm lucky enough to have a big enough disposable income to make something like the P85D with-in reach, so as far as I'm concerned everyday that goes by is another day I could be driving to work in a 691Bhp machine. In my view life is far to short to waste £££/time on dead end technology (like the ICE) when things like the P85D already exist ....Hopefully people can now see why I don't miss the 335i one bit

[Needbmwpartzz]

Sadly electric vehicles will makes some great leaps and bounds as is already the case(tesla,leaf..etc etc)although I believe this will be way too painfully slow to market I'll most likely choose a ICE over EV power plant as long as they are available,unless someone make s something tres tres speciale(for now I still can't foresee that day or product).
And what's next....hydrogen,nuclear etc....the future is coming and with it definitely will be change!
Let's see what the future holds.....something great I'm sure.

[gangzoom]

Originally Posted by Needbmwpartzz

Sadly electric vehicles will makes some great leaps and bounds as is already the case(tesla,leaf..etc etc)although I believe this will be way too painfully slow to market.

You do know you can order a Tesla S today, from the comfort of your desk

I had to leave the Leaf at home today, need to stop putting the miles on it 240 in 8 days...Didnt know it was possible to drive so much around Leicester city

Also had the look at the figuers of the Tesla 70D....Not sure if I can hold off not ordering one for another 18 months...Goverment is going to annouce changes to the £5K EV car grant later this year...Might be the excuse I need to swap the Leaf for a Tesla

[surrey 335i]

very interesting to read thanks for sharing the details.

But until we can buy a used Tesla for £5k I'm not interested.

And electric cars are bad for the planet, if we all had one where would the resource for all the batteries being made and the power stations fuelled needed to charge them come from? Fossil fuels

[gangzoom]

You drive a 335i and now sudden want to hug trees :P

I don't have much if any interest in the 'green' credentials of EVs. There's more than enough confusing data out there...All I will say, the Leaf 're-generates' 1/3 of the electricity needed to move itself every mile when I'm urban traffic. That's 1/3 more energy recovered compared to any non hybrid ICE car.

Anyways I'll update this post again in 6 months time....If I've some how a manged to resist the temptation to order a Tesla S70D

[Digitalize]

Very excited for EV technology, it is the future, there's literally no way to avoid it, the majority of cars will be EV only as soon as they become affordable.

Once the range can match fuel cars, I'm sold. I'd love a Tesla right now, but there's no way I can afford one.

Main thing I'm worried about is in 10 years time, will a used Tesla S be impossible to sell?

Anyone gripping on to fuel cars desperately is just plain wrong. I love petrol propelled vehicles, but if we're to continue enjoying them, our everyday cars need to stop using the fuel. There is literally no reason my 320D needs to use diesel, it is a waste of good fuel.

Hybrids will be the new performance cars, the P1, 918 and LaF have proven that, along with the i8, but the P85D as pointed out is already pretty much the fastest car in its class. So I honestly think the days of fuel are numbered, save it all for older cars.