The new electric car is a step forward for zero-emission motoring. Just be sure to pack a few warm clothes if you want to avoid 'range anxiety'
? UK government launches new �5,000 electric car grant scheme
One thing that's not mentioned in the hype for the Nissan Leaf ? which is being touted as the first "mass market" electric car ? is that you'll need a good jumper. Or at least that's what I found when I took it for a spin during the chilly pre-Christmas weather.
The Leaf is available to buy in the UK from March, costing a hefty �28,350. But from 1 January, the government will be subsidising the price of this and other electric cars to the tune of �5,000. So what's it like?
Driving the Leaf to Charles Darwin's old home, Down House, in Bromley it began to snow. But switching the heating on has an unfortunate side-effect ? the battery-range display plummeted from 77 to 54 miles. You can see why people talk about "range anxiety" with electric cars, even on this one, which officially goes for 110 miles on afull charge. Fortunately, having the lights and Radio 4 on don't have such a dramatic effect.
Silently whirring around town and country, the Leaf's quirky styling ? the headlights look like frogs' eyes ? attracted admiring looks and comments. Down's staff even ventured into the snow to stare. The interior is smart, too. More like a Toyota Prius or Honda Insight hybrid, less like early electric cars, such as the Boris-backed G-Wiz or Norway's TH!NK City. Hi-tech but now surprisingly ubiquitous toys like a rear camera for reversing and an onboard computer to look-up nearby charging points are included.
It's not spacious ? the Leaf's about the size of a VW Golf ? and with two child seats in the back and a pushchair in the boot, I had my knees up against the dashboard and no room for any luggage beyond buggy paraphernalia.
But it is fun to drive in a dodgem-like way ? it's fast to accelerate and will do 90mph, and coped admirably in a snowfall. My daughters gave it their blessing by falling asleep on the way back from where Darwin wrote On the Origin of Species. Ultimately, the Leaf is no revolution, but it is a small step in the evolution of the electric car.
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