LV Just Being Me: Review and photo diary of the Nissan LEAF (English)

An Electric Car - a totally new driving experience! As a born planner and organiser, this was a week where I could put my skills to the test.

I had never experienced an electric car before, so after picking up the LEAF from Nissan HQ a few questions went through my head:

Do I have enough mileage to get from A>B? How about if I take a detour in between?

Where are the energy points along the way and at my destination?

What speed, on the highway, would be most energy efficient?

Planning is where it's at. You need to be prepared before your trip: know much many kilometers you will be driving and where the (quick and slow) energy points are along your drive.

I downloaded CARWINGS, an awesome app that lets LEAF owners communicate remotely with their car. You can check the charging status of the battery, set timers, find charging stations, start charging, turn on the air conditioning and more. Pretty cool!

I also tried out a few other apps (Oplaadpunten, Oplaadpalen, ChargeMap) that locate and show charging stations, however I preferred to use the website www.oplaadpunten.nl before setting off.

The Nissan LEAF technology center (including GPS and navigation system, CARWINGS, nearby charging stations, usage and energy economy, radio, bluetooth, assisted parking etc.) was great - extremely easy to use with everything at your finger tips.

Comfort and aesthetics

I really liked the exterior design; stylish, futuristic and elegant. In my opinion, a true unisex car – neither too masculine nor too feminine. A sleek design that works really well.

Regarding the interior, it is extremely spacious. Plenty of places to put your things (from water cups and sunglasses to gym bags and kids toys). The whole family was comfortable and we all had plenty of room.

The dashboard is both functional and very aesthetic in its form. User friendly, clear, easy to read and visually pleasing. It provides you with all the necessary information to see how much energy you are using when driving, how much you have used, how long you still have before you need to make a charge and how long your next charge will take.

The drive

The LEAF is automatic, which makes city driving and highway rush hour traffic a breeze. A zippy drive that has a lot of power and absolutely one of the smoothest drives I have experienced. Oh, and, it's the quietist car ever. Seriously.

I also liked the “Eco” drive option, making it more energy efficient, which saves you money whilst extending your driving range and mileage.

Conclusion

It is a great city car and absolutely perfect as a small family car. It excels at city driving and is great for small short city trips. I felt much more comfortable and relaxed after knowing where a few energy points were around my neighbourhood and at my most used destinations. I also felt happier once I knew the range I could drive on 100% charged.

It’s a totally new way of driving and mentality.

It would be absolutely fantastic if the infrastructure was in place to have additional quick charge energy points at more petrol stations, at least that would put my mind at ease when you knew you could re charge along the motorway when you are making longer trips. Another proposal would be to have quick chargers located near supermarkets, where you could park and charge your car whilst you do your groceries.