Nissan Leaf 30kWh: review

Yet there are no changes to the claimed figures for performance. Top speed is still a whisker under 90mph and 0-62mph takes 11.5sec. What that acceleration figure doesn’t show, though, is that it feels a lot quicker than that if you’re driving around town or in low-speed scenarios.

The Leaf, like all EVs, takes off from the line very promptly and there is a strong linear acceleration at speeds up to around 50mph, at which point it starts to slacken off. So around town it’s quicker than some hatches, but once you get onto bigger roads it’s going to struggle.

That heavier battery pack does make the handling a fraction more ponderous but it’s still remarkably good until understeer starts to bring in the stability control.

It’s also remarkably silent. At low speeds it really is quiet – something that more pedestrians are going to have to get used to. At higher speeds, the lack of engine noise means there’s nothing much to drown out tyre noise, wind roar and even noise from the suspension.

The cabin is comfortable although some of the materials are a bit low-rent. There’s a good amount of space and, unusually for an electric vehicle, the boot is still a sensible size, something that is often compromised by the need to store the big battery pack.

The infotainment system now features Nissanconnect EV on all trims from Acenta upwards. This is pretty neat, so as well as a touchscreen and sat-nav, you can quickly see where the nearest charging point is and whether, at that point, it’s occupied or not.

You can only get a 30kWh Leaf in Acenta trim or beyond, so prices start at £24,490 instead of the base model 24kWh at £20,790. It depends on how much that extra range means to you. To some it will mean the difference of bringing the daily commute within range, while for others it will bring more peace of mind.

It’s also a cheap form of motoring with Nissan claiming running costs can be as low as 2p per mile. The Nissan Leaf is a cheap route into ownership of an all-electric vehicle.

Nissan Leaf 30kWh Acenta 5dr

Engine: AC electric motor

Price: from £24,490

Power: 108bhp

Torque: 187lb ft

0-62mph: 11.5 seconds

Top speed: 89mph

Fuel economy: 0.0mpg

CO2: 0g/km

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