Nissan Leaf prototype

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Introduction

Nissan is promising to have this battery electric plug-in car in its showrooms by 2010. That's an incredible stance, Nissan pushing ahead with a production plug-in vehicle while rivals are still talking in multiples of years before limited experimental vehicles reach the road. If you live in the USA or Japan you'll be able to walk into a showroom and buy a Leaf in 2010 - assuming demand isn't so high as to result in a huge waiting list - while European buyers will be able to buy the Leaf from 2011. It's more than just a new type of car; it represents a sea change in how we consider personal mobility and our power consumption.

What is it?

An electric car. Powered by the energy stored in lithium ion batteries under its floor, the Leaf is solely propelled by electricity. So there's no range-extending petrol engine or fuel cell stack, the Leaf getting all its power from a plug socket. An eight hour charge should fill it, giving it enough for 99 miles of motoring - more than enough for the typical return commute. It's a full five-seater and has passed all the relevant worldwide crash tests too.

How does it drive?

Quietly, swiftly and without any surprises. Get in, turn the key, select 'Drive' and the Leaf glides as silently as a tree's leaf does falling from its branch. There's the rustle of wind and some tyre noise as the speed rises, but the zero emissions of the powertrain is just as applicable to the lack of noise from the Leaf's 108bhp electric motor as it is to CO₂.

The surge from that electric motor is much like that of a modern turbodiesel, only its linear delivery is on offer from standstill and mid-range requests for more pace are met with instantaneous response. It's all extremely drivable, Nissan's engineers working a great deal on smoothness - to very good effect. Given this is the first of its type it's remarkable, the future looking very bright, as range and performance will only get better with time.

This prototype drivetrain uses Nissan's Tiida as its basis, the Leaf itself sharing roughly the same proportions as this five-door hatchback. There are no obvious compromises in space, Nissan integrating all the electrical bits and pieces under the floor and bonnet. It doesn't feel heavy either, and there's none of the heavy regenerative effect we've experienced when lifting off the accelerator on other electric cars as the drivetrain scavenges back otherwise wasted energy.

Plug it in at the end of the day and it'll only start charging when cheap power rates kick in, the Leaf emailing your Smartphone to tell you it's full charged. Much of the battery management can be done from your phone too, be it paying for remote charging, looking at range, or pre-cooling the car via automatic air conditioning, while the Leaf's satnav also features a range display and finds plug-in points where you can charge it up. A quick charge gives 80 percent capacity in just 30 minutes, while ten minutes at such a rapid charger gives around 30 miles of additional range.

Planet hugger or planet mugger?

This is a hugger in the extreme - if the Leaf had arms it'd be able to wrap them around the entire planet. Nissan is looking at a holistic approach to its electric plans - not just producing batteries and cars to fit them in, but looking at uses for them after they've ceased to be effective in cars. With 80 percent of their capacity still being useable after about 10 years driving, Nissan is looking at ways of using old batteries to store power within the national grid - from solar, wave, nuclear and conventional power stations.

Verdict

The Leaf is a bold step from Nissan, it the only mainstream company that's currently prepared to push its electric plans into production. As a starting point the Leaf is an extremely impressive car, all Nissan needs to do is convince buyers that it's for them. That shouldn't be too difficult, though it'll need the £5,000 purchase subsidies the UK Government is promising to be able to sell it at a cost that's not beyond the reach of ordinary buyers. With those incentives Nissan suggests it'll cost around the same as a well-specified rival, so think a little more than £20,000. With low running costs; so long as you can live with its range limitations the Leaf is the future of motoring.

Kyle Fortune

Sunday October 25