Nissan LEAF 24kWh Tekna 2015, Russ Harrison – EV Owner Review

Nissan LEAF 24kWh Tekna 2015, Russ Harrison - EV Owner Review

What name would you like to appear in the review? 
Russ Harrison

 

What is the make and model of your EV?
Nissan LEAF 24kWh Tekna

 

What year was your EV registered?
2015

 

How long have you owned your EV?
4 – 5 years

 

What is the mileage on your EV?
40,000 – 50,000 miles

 

How many EVs have you owned?
This is my first

 

What is the average mileage range you achieve from your EV when fully charged?
80

 

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Why did you choose this car?
I’d been looking for an EV for a while but Nissan were offering a scrappage and deposit contribution, so it made buying it much more affordable.

 

Positives – List 3 or more reasons why you love this car.

  • It’s quiet
  • the acceleration is addictive
  • …and I know that I’ve taken one less fossil fuel car off the road.

 

Nissan LEAF 24kWh Tekna 2015, Russ Harrison - EV Owner Review

 

Negatives – List 3 or more things that you really don’t like about this car.

  • The in-car tech is a little dated and dim-witted at times
  • I don’t like that folding the seats down doesn’t give you a flat boot floor
  • …and I can’t think of a third.

 

Have you experienced any faults with the car? If so, what have they been?
Not one fault since I purchased it.

 

What are the standout tech features of the car?
The big one for me on this is the ability to pre-heat the car in a morning so that, not only does it have more range as you’re not hitting the heating hard, but it also means you have that sense of knowing that on cold days you’re not going to be out in the frost trying to de-ice the car.

 

Also, the fact you can remotely activate the heater from the app before getting in the car. A most welcome feature after a cold Sunday League football match.

 

Other than that, it does have lots of tech and toys but not something you wouldn’t find on many other cars.

 

Surprise us! Tell us something people wouldn’t readily know about this car.
I think the surprise is just how simple it is to use on a day-to-day basis. Before we bought the car, we downloaded apps and changed energy provider so we could get a reduced price when using their chargers but the simple fact is that once you can charge at home (and I know some people can’t), it’s just a case of plugging the car in overnight and you have a full tank in the morning. It’s no more complicated to drive than any automatic car.

 

I’ve been asked lots of questions about it but that’s mainly from people who think that because it’s electric, you have to drive it in a completely different way.

 

Rate your EV out of 5.

 

What car are you interested in next and why?
I would like another LEAF as I like and know the brand and they’re made in the UK. The e+ appeals because of the range you can get. Honestly though, I will shop around and see what’s available within our budget. We are going down to one car, so we need one that will do at least 120-150 on a charge as we go on longer runs once in a while.

 

Also in the running is the Corsa-e and the Peugeot e-208 (essentially the same car), but whatever we buy has to have a heated steering wheel, LED headlights and the ability to pre-heat as once you’ve had those things you won’t want to go back!

 

That has been the only sticking point on the car we have now. We went into the purchase with our eyes open and knew that the maximum range was only 80 miles max. so we weren’t surprised. You also realise how seldom you need to do 80 miles in one go but you do need to every so often and that’s the main reason for change.

 

What home charging unit do you use? Would you recommend it to others and why?
It’s an untethered 7kW Pod Point. I haven’t had a single problem with it in the 4 years it’s been in. The engineer who installed it knew his stuff and did a fantastic job, so absolutely no complaints there at all.

 

Rate your home charging unit out of 5.

 

What home electricity supplier & tariff do you use? Would you recommend it to others and why?
We’re on Bulb for now. It’s the equivalent of the old Economy 7 where we get cheaper electricity overnight and can charge the car. We’ve never had an issue with them but in the current climate I wouldn’t want to recommend them.

 

Rate your electricity supplier out of 5.

 

What public charging networks would you recommend to others and why?
Pod Point have been reliable for me and the app is simple to use. They’re great for your destination chargers. For complete ease of use though, it’s got to be Instavolt. You just turn up, plug in, tap your card and you’re away. No messing with an app or anything (not cheap though).

 

List your top 3 favourite public charging networks (in order of preference).

  • Instavolt
  • Pod Point
  • bp pulse.

 

Who do you insure your EV with? Would you recommend them to others and why?
I’m with esure. I usually shop around and switch each year but they have been the best value for the last 2 years. Having never made a claim, I don’t think I can truly recommend them as I don’t know how good they are then. All I can say is the cover is pretty comprehensive, although I have to have mis-fuelling insurance because of the combination of extras I have!!

 

Rate your insurance provider out of 5.

 

Estimate how much money you save per month owning and running an EV compared to a petrol/diesel car.
£75.

 

Nissan LEAF 24kWh Tekna 2015, Russ Harrison - EV Owner Review

 

 

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