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There’s no conventional engine hiding under the bonnet of the LEAF, instead there’s an electric motor with an 80kW power output, which is equivalent to 109PS. The performance benefit of having an electric motor instead of a conventional combustion engine is that full torque is near instantaneous put your right foot down on the pedal and acceleration is brisk, and with no gears to cycle through it is silkily smooth, reminiscent of a CVT automatic gearbox. Although the official 0-62mph time is a pedestrian 11.9 seconds, over a shorter sprint say to 30mph or 40mph the LEAF is swift. Top speed has been restricted to around the 90mph mark, any higher and the drain on the battery was deemed by Nissan to be too great. Being an electric car there’s no tailpipe, so there are no CO2 emissions either, with potential range on a full charge of 109 miles. However during our time with the car we found 109 miles to be unrealistic – anywhere between 60 to 80 miles would be our guesstimate depending on driving style and road conditions. To assist in conserving the battery the car also comes with an ECO driving mode, when in this setting acceleration is blunted and the car looks to conserve energy wherever possible, and this should enable an approx. 10% increase in available range. Word of warning though, when in ECO mode, the perky acceleration which makes the LEAF a pleasure to drive is replaced with a very lethargic experience.

With sharp and responsive handling the LEAF is a delight to drive around the city. Steering is very precise yet very light, making it a very easy drive too – perfect for the stresses of the commute. With a turning circle of only 10.4 metres it is also a great car for manoeuvring into tight car park spaces. It is an exceptionally nimble car and coupled to the automatic transmission its one of the simplest cars to drive on the market. Ride is on the hard side, with the car having a slight tendency to bounce over the nation’s pothole epidemic but it never becomes too harsh.

Nissan has so far invested $4.5bn into the development of their electric powertrain technology and the LEAF is a critical component of the Japanese carmaker’s electric aspirations. So it is pleasing to report, but not surprising, that the LEAF is a well put together car. As the poster boy for the whole electric car movement Nissan has ensured that the high quality materials have been used throughout the interior and the single trim level available comes with a high specification. One complaint is that the interior is only available in one light colour which can quickly begin to look grubby if not regularly cleaned. Nissan has also slapped a 5 year warranty on the electric drive components (which includes the motor and battery packs) and a more standard 3 year warranty on the other bits of the car. Technically there is less that could go wrong with an electric motor compared to a conventional engine so reliability should not be an issue with the LEAF.

Nissan has put the LEAF through the tough Euro NCAP crash test assessment with the result that the car achieved the top 5 star mark. In all four testing criteria (adult occupant, child occupant, pedestrian, and safety assist) the car scored good results. Any LEAF will come with ESC as standard, while there are plenty of airbags primed in the event of a smash.

In the emerging electric car market the LEAF dominates the opposition in terms of space – it is a true ‘small family’ C-segment car. Something which its main competition the Peugoet iOn/Citroen C-ZERO/Mitsubishi iMiEV electric car cannot lay claim to. Space in the front and rear is impressive, and with the majority of the battery packs hidden away under the cabin there is also plenty of boot space - 330 litres in fact. The rear seats can also be folded down which increases available load space to 680 litres, it is by no means a flat space but flexible enough. Practicality is not something which an electric-powered car can currently score well in, any journey more than 40 miles needs to be planned and considered in regards to the available battery charge. With the current dearth of public charging points in most UK locations, being able to park your LEAF within 6 metres of a secure 3 pin domestic plug for long periods of time is a must. For motorists used to the flexibility and speed of the petrol station this is a foreign and backward step.

All this new fangled technology doesn’t come cheap, even when you take into account the generous £5,000 government grant. On the road the Nissan LEAF costs £30,990 without the grant, and £25,990 with the grant, substantially more than an alternative C-segment car. Our test car also came with rear roof spoiler with integrated solar cells, an optional extra at £260. Obviously there’s no petrol or diesel costs to consider, VED is free, while companies have some strong tax incentives to consider, however the car will have to cover a lot of miles for the total cost of the car to become comparable with an efficient diesel-powered Golf or Focus. Buying a Nissan LEAF is also a jump into the unknown with regard to residual value of the car – what will it be worth when you come to trade it in? When will the batteries need replacing? Unfortunately as of late 2011 there are no concrete answers. Best estimates at the moment are that the batteries will last substantially longer than 5 years, while CAP believes that the car will retain 40% of its value after 3 years.

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