PREPARE for a lifestyle change with the Nissan Leaf – a lean, green, environmentally friendly machine, powered by electricity.
The vehicle is the world's first mass-produced mainstream electric vehicle, and boasts zero co2 emissions and the looks, spaciousness and luggage capacity of a premium small family car.
As soon as you go inside you are greeted with a predominantly white inside cabin that is bright and airy with comfy seats. The cushioned arm rest in the front also bodes well for long journey.
There is large in-vehicle monitor display which highlights all the important details such as battery charge, how many more miles you can do and a power gauge, showing you the effects of any exertion.
There is also a nifty little display of what supposed to be a 'tree trunk' which gets branches added on to it as you drive. After every mile or so it will become a fully fledged tree, showing you how much trees you’re saving whilst driving the eco friendly vehicle.
Also forget about the worries of going to garages and filling up with petrol because with this car you just have to worry about how much you use it.
Recharging can be done from the comfort of your own home but has its drawbacks – a standard household socket takes eight hours to charge. However using a specialised charging point can fill 80 per cent of the battery in half an hour, though the infrastructure for this in Britain is still in its early stages.
From putting the foot down too much, to playing music too loud, everything you do uses up battery power, which means you do end up constantly looking to see how much you have depleted.
In a positive way this makes you want drive a little gently and slowly, which is of course good for the environment and for everyone else on the road. But this is quite hard considering how nippy the car can be – it does 0-60mph in around 10 seconds. The moment you touch the pedal, all the power the car has, is right there, ready to go, unlike normal vehicles which take time to speed up.
Driving is really smooth and there is complete lack of engine noise.
ON the style front the leaf is bold but appears a bit too ‘clunky’ for my liking with its long, vertically slanting headlights which make it look a bit alien.
Overall the car is perfect for those who really care about the environment but don’t expect it to do road trips -this is more suited to city driving, It is originally £30,990 but is bought down with a £5,000 government grant which you are eligible for when you buy the car.
