
Normally, electric or electrified cars are launched to the media in urban settings, never far from an emergency recharge point, but Nissan clearly had confidence in the newly extended range of its latest Leaf – a theoretical 250 kilometres or, in old money, 155 miles. Hence a coffee stop 1,607m above sea level at a place called Col de Turini, to which we had scampered up from Nice, had another 78km to run, had a thoretical range of 25km left on the 'fuel gauge' and there was zero chance of a reviving fast charge. Merde!
This high mountain pass in the French Alps, with its many hairpin turns, is used for a stage of the Monte Carlo Rally, has also featured three times in the Tour de France and has been featured in Top Gear when the presenters went in search of the greatest driving road in the world. Just the place to demo an EV, then…. After debating whether to ask Madame of the Hotel des Trois Vallees if we could borrow a domestic 240V outlet for a bit, we figured that (a) the route to lunch was at least half downhill and (b) the Leaf has excellent regenerative braking so there was a good chance we could put back in more volts than we were going to use to get to our destination. And so it proved – we arrived back down at sea-level St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, with various lights flashing, chimes chiming, satnav asking us if we'd like to find a recharge point NOW and all the rest, with 25km to spare. And no range anxiety.
By now, Nissan has considerable experience with EVs. It's sold over 200,000 copies of the Leaf worldwide, 46,000 of those in Europe, and reckons buyers have clocked up some 1.8bn kilometres in the cars. The daily average drive is 50km and 94% of owners do under 120km a day while 98% do less than 170km. Leaf 1 started with a nominal 160km range, Leaf 2 (now built in the Europe and US as well as Japan) had about 200km and now there's a 'generation three' with optional longer-range battery pack offering a nominal 250km. As with the fuel economy of a fossil fuel-powered vehicle, various factors can influence actual results – how you drive, what equipment you make use of in the car (a/c or not, maximum regen braking or not, seat/steering wheel heating or not) and ambient temperature (extreme heat or cold affects range) can all determine just how far you get before breaking out the recharge cord. In the event, of a dozen or so cars on the UK media drive, only one ran out of charge before reaching final destination and an 80% quick charge in 30 minutes restored us to 87km of range for the short run back into Nice and the plane ride home.
Nissan Europe claims over 92% of its Leaf buyers are 'satisfied' with the car and that 96% would 'recommend' it. It has long stressed that dealers qualify prospects well and establish that an EV will suit buyer need before making the sale. Substitute car hire for the occasional long-range trip is offered through dealers but the automaker has also been working hard – in cooperation with other EV makers and local governments and authorities – to build up a decent CHADEMO quick charge network across Europe so you can make that long trip on 'lecky and the tally is currently 2,308 (500 here in UK) with 5,500 targeted by 2020.
The updated Leaf, on sale in UK from December, carries over the previous 24kWh battery as standard or, for GBP1,600 extra with the more upmarket Acenta and Tekna trim levels, there's the option of the new 30kWh longer-range pack. Exterior dimensions are the same but weight goes up 21kg. Key to the new battery's higher performance is an update to its internal design and chemistry. The introduction of carbon, nitrogen and magnesium to the electrodes improves performance, while the change to the cell layout also contributes to the gain. Nissan has extended the larger pack warranty from five to eight years or 100,000 miles (160,000km).
There's no external badge recognition of the larger battery and the only change for the 30kWh 2016 model line is a new radio aerial. Inside, though, the NissanConnect EV telematics system replaces the previous Carwings and adds new features, a simplified activation process and a new design.
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By GlobalDataAmong these is a new charging map that shows which charging points are available and which are being used. The navigation system, maintenance alerts and a car finder facility have also been revised. All Acenta and Tekna models have a new interface with digital radio receiver and capacitive seven-inch touchscreen that allows owners to zoom in and out of maps and flick between menus by moving fingers on the screen. A new bronze paint colour has also been introduced. Prices for the 30kWh car start from GBP24,490 with Acenta trim. Options include a solar cell (GBP300), 6kW onboard fast charger (GBP1,150) or the two together. The range starts with the 24kWh Visia at GBP20,790.
Nissan insiders say 30kWh is about as much battery pack as can be fitted into the current Leaf and reckon about 50% of buyers will opt for the larger pack. They've found the vast majority of users charge either at work or home and will welcome a useful boost in range for only a small amount extra on the monthly payments.