As one of the first non-Nissan people invited to spend some time behind the wheel of a pre-production Nissan LEAF in Japan this week, I wasn’t sure what to expect. But, the word is in folks, and after having a good amount of time to experience the car from the inside out, my overwhelming feeling is that Nissan has a true winner of a car on their hands.
Even without the electric motor the LEAF would be a great little hatchback. But add that motor in, and now you have a great car with an incredibly compelling reason to buy it.
It Just Fits
Looking at the LEAF from the outside, it appears to take up the same amount of space as many other cars in the compact class. But when you settle into the driver’s seat, that feeling changes. There’s a roomy, open feeling to the cabin that the designers at Nissan went to great lengths to create.
I’m 5’8″ and I immediately felt at home in the car, but even if you’re 6’8″ you’re in luck. As I showed over at PluginCars.com, there’s easily enough room for a 6’5″ person in the front with a 6’5″ person sitting in the rear seat directly behind them and they’ll both have plenty of leg- and head room.
As can be expected from a hatchback, there’s also a rather cavernous amount of space in the trunk. But, because of the lack of under floor equipment in the back (e.g. a tailpipe), and the battery pack being located under the center of the car, the cargo area is incredibly deep… which will make things like transporting groceries and loading in awkwardly proportioned stuff all that much easier.
As Quiet as a Falling LEAF
Pulling away from the Opama test facility parking lot, all I could hear from inside the car with the windows up was the slight sound of rubber rolling over pavement. Nissan had enabled the pedestrian warning sounds on this car, but even with the windows down they’re almost inaudible. From outside the car you can hear them when you’re close, but they’re still very unobtrusive.
When the vehicle drives forward the pedestrian alert is a kind of quiet electric whooshing sound and when driving backwards it generates more of a beeping sound. You can hear the sounds for yourself in a post over at PluginCars.com, but suffice it to say that all the hullabaloo about how adding noises to electric cars kills their quiet appeal is completely overblown — at least with the LEAF. And, above about 20 mph those sounds turn off anyway.
I was able to take the car up to about 60 mph at the Opama test facility, and at that speed all you can hear is the quiet constant whir of tire noise. But the engineers have done a great job at reducing the wind noise as the car slices through the air as well as at sound insulation. As it was explained to me, the noise and resultant drag that are normally associated with the side view mirrors cutting through the wind have been significantly reduced in the LEAF by the fin-like front headlight casings. The moving air is split by the fins and diverted around the mirrors.
The Drive
Two words here: completely normal. And I mean that in the most flattering way possible. If you were expecting the world’s first mass-market, affordable electric car to do strange things as you drive it around, you are in for a big disappointment. Aside from the lack of engine noise, the car feels just like any other modern, well-designed vehicle.
The LEAF corners well, it has a very sturdy feel and it accelerates like a champ. In fact, due to the electric motor’s flat torque curve, the acceleration characteristics are better in the low speed range than even some high-end combustion cars. Same goes for overtaking acceleration.
Also, the battery — the heaviest single piece of equipment on the car — has been positioned right at the car’s center of gravity and the frame has been stiffened to keep the battery secure. This results in an very rigid frame and pretty good handling in the twisties. This also gives the LEAF an advantage over most of its combustion cousins because they have the majority of their weight in the front of the car due to the engine — making the balance lopsided.
The car has two driving modes, one in which regenerative braking is at a low level and is essentially unnoticeable — the so called normal driving — and another “Eco” mode in which regen braking is a bit more pronounced and driving range is extended by about 10%.
Not All Roses — Some Qualms
While my general feeling is pretty damn excellent about the LEAF, and I’m personally drooling with anticipation to purchase my own now, I do have a one issue that I hope Nissan can address either before launch or at some point in the near future.
The driver interface (the instrument cluster, specifically) — while very pretty with its soft glowing blue vibe — doesn’t communicate enough information to the driver. It lacks a simple charge level indicator and the estimated driving range remaining display varies drastically depending on the driving conditions. While some amount of this is good, the super dynamism of the LEAF’s display is somewhat disconcerting.
My battery was about 30% discharged at the time I got in to drive. In my 20 minutes of driving the car, my estimated range went from a high of 116 km (72 miles) to a low of 60 km (37 miles). The readout changed every 5 seconds or so to recalculate a new range based on my real time driving conditions. Most drivers are not going to get much out of seeing that their range is fluctuating so much. In fact, that could be a pretty distracting thing.
Drivers are used to seeing how much of their gas tank is still full, and the same will go for EV drivers. They’ll want to see how full their battery is. Over time, just as with your fuel gauge in a combustion car, drivers of the LEAF will come to know what 50% battery charge means in terms of range. It is, hands down, the most important thing an EV can display — but the LEAF lacks it.
Also, the LEAF could use a much better efficiency coaching tool. Currently it has a small stylized tree that “grows” if you are driving efficiently, but it is almost useless in terms of providing the needed coaching to tell you how to make it grow. As I’ve said before, all manufacturers should be looking to Ford for cues on how to create driver interfaces these days. Ford’s SmartGauge is light years ahead of everybody else. Partly, I’m just comparing the LEAF’s display to the one found in the Ford Fusion Hybrid, but it is a fair comparison.
So, that’s it for my overall general impressions. I’ll be dealing more in depth with the topics of range, the pedestrian alert sound, and a few other topics in subsequent posts here on Gas 2.0 and over at PluginCars.com as the days go on and I have some time to sort out my thoughts. So check back regularly for updates and to get answers to some of your questions.
Disclaimer: The author’s lodging and travel expenses were paid for by Nissan.
PDF 
Nick, thanks for the review and photos.
Can you find out how many Leafs they plan to deliver to US in December ?
Nick, thanks for the review and photos.
Can you find out how many Leafs they plan to deliver to US in December ?
Nick, thanks for the review and photos.
I’m from Portugal that will be the first countrie in Europe to get the LEAF promised to December 2010 (hope to be one of the first to get one) and I have a question that I would like you to ask if you don’t mind.
Could you please ask Nissan engineers about why they don’t use a full flexible photovoltaic panel to cover the top of the car and that way when in long cues and in countries with pleanty of sun like mine, get enough energy to supper at least the A/C working? Thank you so much
Rui
Nick, thanks for the review and photos.
I’m from Portugal that will be the first countrie in Europe to get the LEAF promised to December 2010 (hope to be one of the first to get one) and I have a question that I would like you to ask if you don’t mind.
Could you please ask Nissan engineers about why they don’t use a full flexible photovoltaic panel to cover the top of the car and that way when in long cues and in countries with pleanty of sun like mine, get enough energy to supper at least the A/C working? Thank you so much
Rui
Nick, could we (by we, I mean the users at mynissanleaf.com) get full resolution versions of the interior and engine compartment pics please?
You can email them to me (mwalsh@smad.com) and I’ll post them, or you’re more than welcome to join the site and post them yourself!
Nick, could we (by we, I mean the users at mynissanleaf.com) get full resolution versions of the interior and engine compartment pics please?
You can email them to me (mwalsh@smad.com) and I’ll post them, or you’re more than welcome to join the site and post them yourself!
I’m very jealous, Nick!
It’s odd — to the untrained eye, the view under the hood looks almost exactly like there is an ICE in there… I wonder if Nissan did this on purpose?
Sincerely, Neil
I’m very jealous, Nick!
It’s odd — to the untrained eye, the view under the hood looks almost exactly like there is an ICE in there… I wonder if Nissan did this on purpose?
Sincerely, Neil
neil,
i noticed the exact same thing! maybe that is the cooling system… but i was thinking, what is with the lead acid battery??? you don’t need to “start” an electric right? shouldn’t it just switch on?
neil,
i noticed the exact same thing! maybe that is the cooling system… but i was thinking, what is with the lead acid battery??? you don’t need to “start” an electric right? shouldn’t it just switch on?
I read that the lead battery is for the wipers and one other thing (I forget) so they don’t drain the main battery system. How the charging works between the small battery and your main battery system I’m not sure about though.
I read that the lead battery is for the wipers and one other thing (I forget) so they don’t drain the main battery system. How the charging works between the small battery and your main battery system I’m not sure about though.
Nick,
I think it important to have the estimated driving range constantly updated. With EV car the way you are driving is going to change the estimate driving range so drastically. Therefore, you want this to be obvious to the driver. For instance, if the estimated range did not adjust frequently and driver relies on the charge remaining there could be a case where the drivers see that they have 50% battery and then go race to work or some event at fast speeds because they are late. Jump out of the car and go to work or the event. Get back in the car when they are done and see that they only have 5% charge left where they normally would have 25%.
Nick,
I think it important to have the estimated driving range constantly updated. With EV car the way you are driving is going to change the estimate driving range so drastically. Therefore, you want this to be obvious to the driver. For instance, if the estimated range did not adjust frequently and driver relies on the charge remaining there could be a case where the drivers see that they have 50% battery and then go race to work or some event at fast speeds because they are late. Jump out of the car and go to work or the event. Get back in the car when they are done and see that they only have 5% charge left where they normally would have 25%.
The roof is an excellent place to put solar cells to dramically increase the range of your product.And add some beauty to it also! It is a mistake to avoid using thin-film technology here, since the car will be sitting around far more that it will be driven, and the synchronicity of a system that charges one way and discharges another will reduce the drain of battery use for other items that most people like such as radio or even video players for children, and cameras for backing…optional ideas… New Galium and Indium chrystaline multilayer processes can be encorporated into a cover-shaped unit that can be added aftermarket, provided there is an access port built for the intake of energy from the roof, and places to anchor an addon cover…DC is also appropriately less difficult to engineer…And A/C cooling can benefit from this addon…
The roof is an excellent place to put solar cells to dramically increase the range of your product.And add some beauty to it also! It is a mistake to avoid using thin-film technology here, since the car will be sitting around far more that it will be driven, and the synchronicity of a system that charges one way and discharges another will reduce the drain of battery use for other items that most people like such as radio or even video players for children, and cameras for backing…optional ideas… New Galium and Indium chrystaline multilayer processes can be encorporated into a cover-shaped unit that can be added aftermarket, provided there is an access port built for the intake of energy from the roof, and places to anchor an addon cover…DC is also appropriately less difficult to engineer…And A/C cooling can benefit from this addon…
I completely disagree with your comments on the frequently updated driving range.
The fuel level gauge is a silly holdover from the previous century when cars didn’t have the electronics to accurately calculate a remaining range. Yes, people “learn” over time what range to expect based on the fuel level, but it is a gut feel only. In a gasoline car with a range of 500 to 1000 km it doesn’t matter if your gut feel is off if you only commute 50 km per day. But in a BEV with 100 to 150 km range, it matters, and I for one will not accept a car without an accurate, and frequently updating range remaining display.
And why should it be up to the driver to develop this intuitive feeling for how much range is remaining based on charge level when the car is perfectly capable of displaying the remaining range accurately?
If the LEAF does not have a charge level indicator as you say, how do you know it was 30% discharged by the time you started your drive?
J in MN (and Nerraw)
I wish you could see the speed at which the remaining range indicator recalculates range, it truly is too quick and therefore makes it almost meaningless. The way I knew I had 30% left when I got in: 70% of the range was left when I turned the car on and it wasn’t moving yet.
Also, I’m not saying they shouldn’t include a range remaining estimator, I’m saying they need to have additional information… and make it user selectable what information is displayed. This day and age that is an easy request to fulfill.
I’m not alone in this sentiment; I’m accompanied here in Japan by people who have been driving RAV4 EVs for a decade in California; they also say that a simple state-of-charge meter is a necessity.
I completely disagree with your comments on the frequently updated driving range.
The fuel level gauge is a silly holdover from the previous century when cars didn’t have the electronics to accurately calculate a remaining range. Yes, people “learn” over time what range to expect based on the fuel level, but it is a gut feel only. In a gasoline car with a range of 500 to 1000 km it doesn’t matter if your gut feel is off if you only commute 50 km per day. But in a BEV with 100 to 150 km range, it matters, and I for one will not accept a car without an accurate, and frequently updating range remaining display.
And why should it be up to the driver to develop this intuitive feeling for how much range is remaining based on charge level when the car is perfectly capable of displaying the remaining range accurately?
If the LEAF does not have a charge level indicator as you say, how do you know it was 30% discharged by the time you started your drive?
J in MN (and Nerraw)
I wish you could see the speed at which the remaining range indicator recalculates range, it truly is too quick and therefore makes it almost meaningless. The way I knew I had 30% left when I got in: 70% of the range was left when I turned the car on and it wasn’t moving yet.
Also, I’m not saying they shouldn’t include a range remaining estimator, I’m saying they need to have additional information… and make it user selectable what information is displayed. This day and age that is an easy request to fulfill.
I’m not alone in this sentiment; I’m accompanied here in Japan by people who have been driving RAV4 EVs for a decade in California; they also say that a simple state-of-charge meter is a necessity.
Greg,
your forgetting about 1 very important point: cost. though i would agree it would be a nice addition, just not a $4000+ one.
Greg,
your forgetting about 1 very important point: cost. though i would agree it would be a nice addition, just not a $4000+ one.
Alex,
Let people say if they are willing to pay that cost ($ 4000) for a full optional photovoltaic high performance roof panel to cut down some range anxiety or at least help the A/C do it’s job whitout shortning range
Alex,
Let people say if they are willing to pay that cost ($ 4000) for a full optional photovoltaic high performance roof panel to cut down some range anxiety or at least help the A/C do it’s job whitout shortning range
Nick,
This is all fine and good, but did you drive through any big puddles?
Nick,
This is all fine and good, but did you drive through any big puddles?
Way to go, Nick. I’m looking forward to the rest of your reports. If this sucker takes off just a little, the Big 3 will be shitting bricks to get on board.
Well, probably not GM, but you know my feelings there. Let’s hope this doesn’t turn out to be a clusterfuck.
Good job, kiddo. Ciao.
Way to go, Nick. I’m looking forward to the rest of your reports. If this sucker takes off just a little, the Big 3 will be shitting bricks to get on board.
Well, probably not GM, but you know my feelings there. Let’s hope this doesn’t turn out to be a clusterfuck.
Good job, kiddo. Ciao.
What’s the story on the rear window tinting? Some of the demo cars on the track have smoked glass on rear windows, while others just a light tint.
What’s the story on the rear window tinting? Some of the demo cars on the track have smoked glass on rear windows, while others just a light tint.
I thought there was to be a gps that you could set your destination and route? From that the speed (and possibly hills)could be used to get a very accurate range.
I thought there was to be a gps that you could set your destination and route? From that the speed (and possibly hills)could be used to get a very accurate range.
I think it’s bizarre that they don’t have a simple amp-hour meter. I have a meter on my electric bike that tells me how many amp-hours I’ve used (among many other things). I know how many amp-hours my fully charged pack is good for and therefore I know how full my tank is. I have run out of juice twice in four years (both times from overshooting my destination). If things start to get dicey, which is rare, I start using range extension measures like going slower, accelerating slower or without power, pedaling more.
I was recently at a meeting for an Electric Vehicle Association and a presenter was talking about an electric car prototype that had ruined its battery pack because the driver did not have a simple amp-hour meter and had drained the batteries too far.
Common sense. Hard to define, but you know it when you see it.
Biodiversivist
I think it’s bizarre that they don’t have a simple amp-hour meter. I have a meter on my electric bike that tells me how many amp-hours I’ve used (among many other things). I know how many amp-hours my fully charged pack is good for and therefore I know how full my tank is. I have run out of juice twice in four years (both times from overshooting my destination). If things start to get dicey, which is rare, I start using range extension measures like going slower, accelerating slower or without power, pedaling more.
I was recently at a meeting for an Electric Vehicle Association and a presenter was talking about an electric car prototype that had ruined its battery pack because the driver did not have a simple amp-hour meter and had drained the batteries too far.
Common sense. Hard to define, but you know it when you see it.
Biodiversivist
Great article Nick. I agree with you about drivers needing to read/display the “tank” to see how full the battery charge is. No one wants to get stuck on empty.
For fun, check out my songs WIRED & ELECTRICITY on my site. I think you’ll get a real charge!!
Great article Nick. I agree with you about drivers needing to read/display the “tank” to see how full the battery charge is. No one wants to get stuck on empty.
For fun, check out my songs WIRED & ELECTRICITY on my site. I think you’ll get a real charge!!
Nick,
Are you on a ‘per week’ quota for your Nissan Leaf test drive stories? I mean, I appreciate the next ‘boy genius’ battery out of MIT, but really, a trip to Japan should yield more than one story in 7 days!!!
SteveF,
Have you seen the other two video blog posts I did over at PluginCars.com? You’re absolutely right, In addition to the three stories I’ve already done, there will be more coming out over the next week or two. But I hope you can cut me some slack… creating videos takes a lot of time, as does listening to, and transcribing, hours of interviews and presentations. The situation is complicated by the fact that I only returned from Japan on Friday and I’ve had family commitments. I’m only a one man show here… no secretaries, producers, video editors, transcribers… just me. So things take a bit longer.
Also, the daily news keeps coming, so I have to balance timely stories with the LEAF posts. Again, one man show.
Two other LEAF test drive posts:
http://www.plugincars.com/first-drive-nissan-leaf-%E2%80%94-its-roomy-inside-even-tall-folks-38507.html
http://www.plugincars.com/video-first-drive-nissan-leaf-%E2%80%94-alert-sounds-are-no-big-deal-39092.html
Nick,
Are you on a ‘per week’ quota for your Nissan Leaf test drive stories? I mean, I appreciate the next ‘boy genius’ battery out of MIT, but really, a trip to Japan should yield more than one story in 7 days!!!
SteveF,
Have you seen the other two video blog posts I did over at PluginCars.com? You’re absolutely right, In addition to the three stories I’ve already done, there will be more coming out over the next week or two. But I hope you can cut me some slack… creating videos takes a lot of time, as does listening to, and transcribing, hours of interviews and presentations. The situation is complicated by the fact that I only returned from Japan on Friday and I’ve had family commitments. I’m only a one man show here… no secretaries, producers, video editors, transcribers… just me. So things take a bit longer.
Also, the daily news keeps coming, so I have to balance timely stories with the LEAF posts. Again, one man show.
Two other LEAF test drive posts:
http://www.plugincars.com/first-drive-nissan-leaf-%E2%80%94-its-roomy-inside-even-tall-folks-38507.html
http://www.plugincars.com/video-first-drive-nissan-leaf-%E2%80%94-alert-sounds-are-no-big-deal-39092.html
Yes, thank you Nick, I do not mean to sound so critical. I did see the two videos. They were not especially illuminating, as I assumed that most size people would fit in a Nissan production car and the noise in the other video was drowned out by the wind. I guess that does prove the point that the electronic noise is not the boom box equivalent of warning chimes.
I’ll patiently await your further impressions. Several reviewers, including one from Australia today, included some critical comments about acceleration, about which I would like your impressions. The guy’s name was Steve Colquhoun. (Not sure of the spelling)
Have a good week, I know the jet lag can kick you several days later….
Yes, thank you Nick, I do not mean to sound so critical. I did see the two videos. They were not especially illuminating, as I assumed that most size people would fit in a Nissan production car and the noise in the other video was drowned out by the wind. I guess that does prove the point that the electronic noise is not the boom box equivalent of warning chimes.
I’ll patiently await your further impressions. Several reviewers, including one from Australia today, included some critical comments about acceleration, about which I would like your impressions. The guy’s name was Steve Colquhoun. (Not sure of the spelling)
Have a good week, I know the jet lag can kick you several days later….