Discussion
AnotherClarkey said:
I am seeing quite a few Nissan Leaves on the road now and I have to say that they look rather good in the metal - certainly a damn sight better than I expected and much more pleasant than the new Focus.
With an 8 mile commute to work and zero company car tax I actually got as far as asking what the lease rates were, thinking if they were low enough I'd get some cash top-up as well - let's face it to have an almost free car for the daily grind whilst keeping something a bit more fun for the weekend isn't too awful a prospect. £550 a month was the price. End of interest . . .
mnkiboy said:
The funny thing is that to make the sums work you have to drive the Leaf about 30k miles a year to make the fuel outweigh the extra purchase price.
But you can't do 30k miles a year in one, because there aren't enough hours in the day to charge the bloody thing up!
Interestingly, my daily commute is 55 miles each way, with recharge ability at both ends, and we tend to use the MX5 at the weekends, which is why I'm keen to try one.But you can't do 30k miles a year in one, because there aren't enough hours in the day to charge the bloody thing up!
In my very specific situation, it could be a viable option, and reduce my (company car) costs over the Prius.
The Crack Fox said:
CambsBill said:
£550 a month was the price. End of interest . . .
Out of interest, how much would a Fiat 500 TwinAir be ? These look great.
Also, I'm one of those weird people who tries to buy stuff that's made in the UK these days (which the Leaf will be). Price & quality have to be right, of course, but in the car sector there are plenty of cars coming out of UK factories that would suit my needs & tastes so why give a job to a foreigner?
I drove one last night - my first time in an EV - and was very pleasantly surprised by it. The range will drop from that figure if you don't drive it like a saint but I found the eery silence of it all made me actually very conscious of my surroundings and of driving it very smoothly. The indicators on the dash also encourage you to drive sensibly - reminded me of a 21st century version of eeeking out the most mpg out of my old Golfs' MFA trip computers.
They're expensive but worth a look if your lifestyle fits with it. The Renault Fluence and Zoe EVs are expected to be a few thousands less than the Leaf...
They're expensive but worth a look if your lifestyle fits with it. The Renault Fluence and Zoe EVs are expected to be a few thousands less than the Leaf...
mattbvw said:
I drove one last night - my first time in an EV - and was very pleasantly surprised by it. The range will drop from that figure if you don't drive it like a saint but I found the eery silence of it all made me actually very conscious of my surroundings and of driving it very smoothly. The indicators on the dash also encourage you to drive sensibly - reminded me of a 21st century version of eeeking out the most mpg out of my old Golfs' MFA trip computers.
Indeed I had a go at a Sunday Service, it was very serene to drive as you say, and there was a surprising amount of initial poke, but obviously that tended to dent the range somewhat. Didn't handle too badly but you could tell there was a fair amount of mass, although fairly well balanced. My only major complaint other than the range is that it is a big car, perhaps too big for what is intended to be a commuter tool (according to the Nissan marketing guys). If they could make it smaller, it would be lighter - and perhaps give more range (but you have to fit all the batteries in, perhaps that's why it's so big)The Crack Fox said:
CambsBill said:
The Crack Fox said:
CambsBill said:
£550 a month was the price. End of interest . . .
Out of interest, how much would a Fiat 500 TwinAir be ? These look great.Also, I'm one of those weird people who tries to buy stuff that's made in the UK these days (which the Leaf will be). Price & quality have to be right, of course, but in the car sector there are plenty of cars coming out of UK factories that would suit my needs & tastes so why give a job to a foreigner?
RenesisEvo said:
mattbvw said:
I drove one last night - my first time in an EV - and was very pleasantly surprised by it. The range will drop from that figure if you don't drive it like a saint but I found the eery silence of it all made me actually very conscious of my surroundings and of driving it very smoothly. The indicators on the dash also encourage you to drive sensibly - reminded me of a 21st century version of eeeking out the most mpg out of my old Golfs' MFA trip computers.
Indeed I had a go at a Sunday Service, it was very serene to drive as you say, and there was a surprising amount of initial poke, but obviously that tended to dent the range somewhat. Didn't handle too badly but you could tell there was a fair amount of mass, although fairly well balanced. My only major complaint other than the range is that it is a big car, perhaps too big for what is intended to be a commuter tool (according to the Nissan marketing guys). If they could make it smaller, it would be lighter - and perhaps give more range (but you have to fit all the batteries in, perhaps that's why it's so big)No thats a lie i've got the lawn to cut tomorrow
But I'd buy one on Monday
RenesisEvo said:
My only major complaint other than the range is that it is a big car, perhaps too big for what is intended to be a commuter tool
The Renault Zoe looks like it'll be a size smaller... perhaps a better compromise. The Leaf is fairly large car. The forthcoming Renault Fluence will be big (4 door saloon) too.Saw one on the road today and it was keeping up with traffic, it had its lights on, it was being driven by a guy in a suit not a hippy and he stopped next to a SUV at the traffic lights and didn't jump out of it screaming at the driver that he was a planet killing b
d.
And its better looking then a golf
d.And its better looking then a golf
mattbvw said:
RenesisEvo said:
My only major complaint other than the range is that it is a big car, perhaps too big for what is intended to be a commuter tool
The Renault Zoe looks like it'll be a size smaller... perhaps a better compromise. The Leaf is fairly large car. The forthcoming Renault Fluence will be big (4 door saloon) too.Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff