DRIVEN: Is The Nissan Leaf Starting To BREAK Barriers? CAR Long-term Tester Starting To Impress...

DRIVEN: Is The Nissan Leaf Starting To BREAK Barriers? CAR Long-term Tester Starting To Impress...
One of the major things that happens when you're driving a bunch of vehicles and offering a critique of each is you soon start to get a bit jaded. It's natural, really.

You're just exposed to so much and there's a certain amount of cyclicality in this game. I try my best to check my attitude at the door.

This year I've been excited to drive a smattering of vehicles. And, interestingly enough, one of those is the all-new Nissan Leaf. As one of the more economical electric vehicles though, I see it as a window into the future.

Sure, its design isn't going to win any awards and its interior is that of an economy car, but the same can be said of my daily driver Volkswagen Golf. It's purpose is to be an appliance.

Our friends at CAR magazine recently published its 10-month log for its long-term Leaf. And, I found the results a bit shocking. That's because the Leaf is doing something that may come as a bit of a surprise.

It's impressing.

See why via the "Read More" link, below.



With increasing rarity a car will come along delivering such a knockout punch in one specific area that it completely recalibrates your clemency counter, and you find yourself forgiving it for all its other shortcomings and foibles. Nissan’s new Leaf did that to me. Quite unexpectedly, too...

...It took just a month and 1000 miles to realise my mistake. I recall with clarity parking up at home after returning from Weybridge – a 140 mile trip undertaken at get-a-serious-wiggle-on-or-we’re-going-to-be-late pace – and realising I’d not given a second through to the Leaf’s range...
Read Article

MDarringerMDarringer - 6/22/2019 11:02:42 PM
0 Boost
Someone needs to build the "VW Beetle" of EVs: affordable, simple, durable, and iconic looking.


TomMTomM - 6/23/2019 1:02:35 AM
+1 Boost
With all of the new EVs coming to market - there remains a shortage of Lithium and other rare earth elements needed to product EVs- which means right now there will not be AFFORDABLE Evs out there too quickly because Battery costs are not going down as everyone predicted.

I would suspect that the current Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf are going to represent the low end for a while - as an SUV looking one will still be a year or more off. But EVs will still end up being smaller than the average ICE car - and more expensive than them.

And there is still the issue of charging stations - where maybe Thousands more will be needed in Major Metro areas. We are still at least 20 years out of significant EV sales unless they are required by law.


vdivvdiv - 6/23/2019 2:48:26 AM
+2 Boost
Tom, the article is from Europe (yes, the UK is in Europe) where EV affordability is a different proposition. There are "lower end" more affordable EVs on the market than the Leaf, the VW e-Up/Škoda Citigo-e, the Renault Zoe, the Hyundai Ioniq Electric, the Kia Soul EV, the Smart ForTwo ED, etc. The Volt/Ampera was pulled from that market a few years ago and now killed by GM.

The Bolt/Ampera-E is not available in RHD, so most are in Norway/Germany.

Used EVs from the US make it to Central and Eastern Europe where purchasing power is not as strong.

Crossovers now include the Kia Niro electric, the Hyundai Kona electric, the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, as well as the Jaguar I-Pace and the Audi eTron for the well-to do. A bunch of cargo/mini vans as Nissan eNV-200, Kangoo ZE, etc.

Oh yes, and the Tesla Models S3X, lots and lots and lots of those.


MDarringerMDarringer - 6/24/2019 8:02:05 AM
+1 Boost
Of course the dummies over there pronounce it as "Tezzzla"


valhallakeyvalhallakey - 6/24/2019 2:19:55 AM
+1 Boost
@AGENT00R why oh why would you accept appliance for your daily driver???????? I want every drive to be a thoroughly enjoyable experience even if I am just going to the grocery store. I thought all car enthusiasts could agree on that? Have I been living in an alternate car universe? Please tell me it ain't so (although the Golf is a nice appliance :)


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