Highlight of the week was finally getting a go in Nissan’s all-electric Leaf. Unexpectedly, the UK sales unit was offered a left hand drive near-production prototype for a couple of weeks and has cheerfully spent the last couple of weeks offering drives to assorted hacks and potential fleet buyers.
I’ve always liked electric vehicles, having, in the city I misspent student and early ‘adult’ years, lived on one end of what was, I believe, then the world’s longest trolley bus route. I’d regularly let an ancient Daimler or Leyland diesel bus (with Wilson pre-selector gearbox) go in favour of waiting five minutes for an equally ancient AEC electric, preferring the quieter, fume-free ride. The city fathers in their wisdom, subsequently cancelled a contract for new Volvo trolleys as the cost of new overhead wiring was deemed to high, and then, in a country with emission-free hydroelectric electricity generation, the second world oil crisis hit. They’re still running diesels.
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All electric cars won’t suit everyone and Nissan, and Renault, and Smart and every other automaker who’ll soon weigh in all know that. Just as we make the choice today between petrol, diesel, hybrid, LPG or CNG, we choose the vehicle and motive power that best suits the need and, for some, including me about 90% of the time, a family hatchback-sized Leaf running solely on volts, would do just nicely. And battery life will only get longer.
Right in the middle of the Leaf first-drive programme, the UK government decided buyers of EVs would get a grant and Nissan’s US chief said support would be needed for three to five years to enable the automaker to reduce the cost of EVs over time.
We began the week with our Rob Golding bemoaning the fact that Ford results are no fun to cover any more, Ford launched its new unibody, seven-seat Explorer in the US with a multi-city media blitz and ‘new GM’ moved a step closer towards buying the European automatic transmission plant from ‘old GM’.
And, just to close your week on a cheery note, analysts told us they fear a ‘double dip’ recession could hit the European auto industry before the year is out. Let’s hope China and India hold up, then.
Have a nice weekend.
Graeme Roberts
Deputy/News Editor
just-auto.com
