The launch of the Nissan Leaf in South Africa last week is momentous for two reasons.
It’s the first all-electric car to go on sale locally, marking the beginning of an entirely new generation of motoring; and it’s the culmination of five billion dollars and 20 years of research by the Japanese carmaker into sustainable battery technology.
To date, around 88 000 Leafs have sold across the planet with over 500 million kilometres racked up – meaning some 85 million grams of CO2 has been saved from polluting our atmosphere.
The 2011 World Car of the Year winner, unveiled in SA at the recent Johannesburg International Motor Show, runs a front-mounted 80kW/254Nm electric motor powered by a 24kWh lithium-ion battery pack – which lives inside the floor between the axles for a better centre of gravity, and zero passenger or boot-space sacrifices.
PRICEY PLUG
Nissan officially prices the five-seater Leaf hatch at R446 000, but this excludes the cost of the mandatory home-charge unit, which will set you back another thirty grand (including installation), and will fully recharge the car in around eight hours.
Simply plugging the Leaf into a normal wall socket is not yet an option (Nissan is still investigating this with the South African Bureau of Standards), meaning your only other sources of power are nine specialised Nissan dealerships across Johannesburg and Pretoria.
These dealerships, which can be located via an app on your smartphone, provide 30-minute quick-charge points which should boost your charge levels to around eighty percent, and are available free of charge to Leaf owners.
The manufacturer claims a 195km range on a full charge and a top speed of 145km/h – both of which attest to the strictly city-car nature of this zero-emission green bean. Nissan SA estimates a full recharge to cost around R30 at current electricity rates, and reckons that (home-charging unit cost aside) the Leaf will set you back R470 000 over six years – versus R484 000 for a similar-sized C-segment 1.8-litre petrol competitor, and R505 000 for a hybrid (Toyota Prius).
MINIMAL MAINTENANCE
Included in that Leaf purchase price is a three-year/90 000km service plan and a three-year/100 000km mechanical warranty (with the service plan extendable to five-year/120 000km). Servicing intervals are scheduled at 15 000km, but as the Leaf has minimal moving mechanicals or lubricants the services are more diagnostic check-ups. The battery, which accounts for forty percent of the cost of the car, should last ten years – with the carmaker thereafter pledging to use it in other areas, like for the powering of underprivileged schools. When fully charged, the Leaf’s battery can apparently run an average household for two days.
Nissan says the car should be cheaper to insure than its competitors. This is due to the profile of the buyer it attracts, and the complexity it poses to thieves and hijackers, both in terms of its technology and driving range.
It’s certainly not the prettiest car on our roads, but to its credit is that the Leaf is instantly recognisable with its unique, flowing body design and roof spoiler with integrated solar panel – which powers a small 12V battery responsible for ancillaries like the radio.
Other little details include the super-efficient LED headlights, eco-friendly tyres with lower rolling resistance, and that the shape of the car helps with cabin-noise reduction.
SURPRISINGLY ZIPPY
The Leaf is a spritely little number to drive, thanks to its instant on-or-off torque delivery, with all that electric power on call without needing high revs.
The media launch route in Gauteng last week was all of around 50km long, and by the end of it my range was 51km – making me wonder just how realistic that 195km claimed range is. But having said that, there was a fair amount of high-speed open-road driving, which the Leaf is not really designed to do.
What can be attested to is that on open tar or in city driving the Leaf is both comfortable and capable, offering very favourable road manners. It handles reasonably well, is mechanically whisper quiet and lets no road or wind noise into the well-insulated cabin either. It offers a nice and direct steering feel from the pilot’s seat.
Electric it may be, but driver satisfaction was not forgotten in the Leaf’s execution.
Should maximising your range be of primary concern there’s the eco-mode, which deadens throttle response and allows maximum power regeneration when braking or coasting, while the many information displays will keep you posted on everything from driving range to setting up specific charging times when plugged in.
The next phase of the Leaf rollout to Durban and Cape Town will take place towards the middle of next year (including dealership charge points in those cities), while general public charging points within city confines should become a reality in the medium term.
We can also expect an electric NV200 van in SA next year, and an all-electric Nissan racecar at next year’s 24-hour Le Mans race. -Star Motoring
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