Eric Rayner drives a Nissan LEAF Tekna 40kWh 2020.
This is Eric’s first electric car, he’s owned the Nissan LEAF 3-4 years and drives 10,000-15,000 miles annually. The current mileage of the car is between 40,000-50,000 miles and he achieves 130 miles from a full charge.
Why did you choose the Nissan LEAF?
It was my first electric car and I wanted one that had a good reputation for reliability and some years of production under its belt. Nissan had been building the LEAF for a number of years and the 40kWh and 60kWh options were now available. There were some good deals available and that swung it for me.
I opted for PCP because I thought that with rapidly improving battery technology, the EVs of 2024 would be much better than 2020 and I was concerned that older EV prices would fall substantially.
The LEAF drove really well on test, I loved it compared to a manual diesel. In four years it has been completely reliable, it is well-equipped and I like the low-key intelligent driving aids (steering and cruise controls). I’ve never had a problem finding chargers, although most charging is done at home on a Pod Point 7kW charger.
Bad points are a fairly harsh ride, poor steering lock and poor demisting. Range is 150 miles in summer and down to 110 in really cold weather (minus 6 deg C).
Positives – List 3 or more reasons why you love this electric car
- Reliability is great
- very cheap to run
- good performance.
Negatives – List 3 or more things that you really don’t like about this electric car
- Poor steering lock
- harsh(ish) ride
- poor demisting in rain.
Compared to when you first bought the car, does your battery still charge at the same rate & do you still get the same range?
Battery has not shown any degradation, according to dealer analysis at annual servicing. This reflects current range and range when first purchased.
Have you experienced any faults with the car? If so, what have they been?
None. There have been a couple of dealer updates which were done while I waited.
What are the standout technological features of the car?
I like ProPilot, which provides intelligent cruise control and steering assist. It’s not hands-free (I don’t want that), but it does make driving much easier. The only thing that fools the system (sometimes) are cars sitting at junctions waiting to pull out or undertaking cars that are turning right. I’ve learned to switch to manual when these situations occur, otherwise the car will slow down.
Surprise us! Tell us something people wouldn’t readily know about this electric car
I’m a pretty steady driver but the performance of electric cars is stunning when you want to execute a fast overtake. I’m still not down to the tread-wear indicators on my original tyres.
What’s the biggest or funniest myth you’ve heard about EVs?
There are so many. I don’t know why some ICE car drivers hate us so much. Do they feel threatened?
What electric car(s) are you interested in next and why?
I’ve bought a Nissan ARIYA 87kWh Advance to replace the LEAF. I also looked at the VW ID.4 and models from Hyundai, KIA and Citroen.
Home charging unit – outline both positive & negative elements
PodPoint – it’s been reliable these past four years.
Electricity supplier & tariff – outline both positive & negative elements
Octopus – the really cheap rate is only available for four hours (so max 28kW) and my car/charger won’t work with their best tariff.
What public charging networks would you recommend to others and why?
I’ve used Osprey, IONITY and Intelligent Kerb (the latter for 7kW only). All have worked well.
Insurer – outline both positive & negative elements
Admiral – I usually go for best price. Admiral does have a get-you-to-a-charger facility if you run out of juice.
Please itemise where you’re saving money (or not) owning & running a Nissan LEAF
Fuel and servicing costs. Servicing costs are about £800 in four years, no road tax and it’s around 3p per mile charging at home.
See other Nissan LEAF Owner Reviews here
