Pete drives a Nissan LEAF Tekna 40kWh 2021 and shares how he got started with his electric car.

Why did you buy this electric car?

Was increasingly unhappy with my Ford Puma, as the build quality was poor. Had been thinking about an EV for a while to replace our Volvo XC40 but struggled to get anything that matched the quality of the Volvo at a price that wasn’t eye watering. Looked at the LEAF on an off chance that it would be OK as a replacement for the Ford and ended up buying the demonstrator!

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What got you into an electric car in the first place?

Cheaper running costs – currently 25% of the costs of running the Puma, plus wanting to try out EV ownership.

Initially, what did you find most confusing about electric car ownership and how did you solve that?

The different battery sizes and charge rates took a bit of working out to start with, as did getting used to a much smaller range than my petrol car. In the end, neither has been an issue at all.

What sources of information helped you e.g. people, groups, websites etc?

Websites and owners clubs on Facebook have been a really useful source of information.

What are your top 3 pieces of advice for those people considering their first electric car?

Consider what typical journeys you do in a day and get an EV for those, not for the once in 20 year mega trip to Scotland from Cornwall. Research options and speak to existing owners to find out their experiences. Look in your local area for charging options if you are not able to charge at home.

See other getting started reports here