Nissan LEAF 2019 Long-Term Test #1

Having an electric car in the long-term garage at Carsales HQ has created quite the buzz. People who’ve never really shown an interest in EVs are suddenly very curious.

“What’s it like to drive?” “How far can you get on a charge?” “How much does it cost to recharge at home?” The questions are endless – but equally encouraging. Australian drivers seem prepared to embrace the electric car.

Logistically, however, the Carsales team is scrambling to catch-up. We’re as enthusiastic about driving and reviewing electric cars as our readers (and colleagues) are to learn about them. But charging the Nissan LEAF and the growing fleet of EVs at Carsales HQ is becoming a bit of an issue.

I guess that’s one of the ‘teething problems’ of any new technology. As modern as the Carsales building is, it wasn’t designed with EV charging bays foremost of mind. I’d dare say a lot of workplaces are the same.

And, if you live in an apartment, or in any residence without a garage, I reckon you’ll find yourself facing a similar conundrum. If electric cars are to succeed, then infrastructure needs to adapt.

For now, however, that’s an argument for another day. The Nissan LEAF is to be assessed on its own merits, and not those of the infrastructure that (for now) limits its appeal. Viewed from my perspective, the LEAF is a completely serviceable vehicle I have no trouble accommodating. I’m fortunate to be able to charge it at work (when I can access the single charging bay we have) and at home.

I also live within a commuting radius that makes an electric vehicle feasible.

So far, it’s a win…

Released to the Australian market last month, the second-generation Nissan LEAF is a pure battery electric vehicle. That means there’s no petrol motor to get you out of trouble should you run out of charge.

Nissan claims a range of 270km from the LEAF’s 40kWh lithium-ion battery, and says the synchronous electric motor makes 110kW/320Nm, which is roughly the same as a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine.

The LEAF is sold only as a five-door hatch and is comparable in size to a Hyundai i30 or Toyota Corolla. Of course, it’s far more expensive than its conventionally-powered competitors, and in the single-format example sold locally retails for $49,990 (plus on-road costs).

That figure includes a five-year warranty for the vehicle and an eight-year battery warranty. Service intervals are set at 12 months or 20,000km (whichever comes first) with capped-price servicing over four years totalling $1131.

Price wise, the Nissan LEAF falls within striking distance of all-electric competitors like the Hyundai IONIQ Electric (from $48,990 plus ORCs), Hyundai Kona Electric (from $59,990 plus ORCs) and Renault ZOE (from $49,490 plus ORCs).

It’s cheaper than the BMW i3 (from $69,990 plus ORCs) and upcoming Tesla Model 3 (from $66,000 plus ORCs); and way cheaper than the Jaguar i-PACE (from $119,000 plus ORCs) or Tesla Model S and Model X (from $85,000 plus ORCs).

That said, it’s still probably far too expensive for those wanting a second car for the family.

If you do find the coin, though, you’ll find the LEAF is quite well-equipped. On the safety front it includes autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection as standard, alongside a 360-degree camera, blind-spot monitoring, lane departure warning, rear cross-traffic alert and traffic sign recognition (to name but a few).

Single-zone climate control, adaptive cruise control, manually-adjustable heated seats, a heated steering wheel, and an Apple CarPlay/Android Auto-equipped infotainment system are also included.

On the downside, there are a LOT of hard-touch and monotone plastics inside the cabin and the steering wheel doesn’t adjust for reach (only tilt). There’s also a clumsy foot-operate park brake to deal with, and if you plan on charging the car at home, then you’ll need to fork-out another $2000 for a 32-amp wall box.

If you manage to find a wall box, the LEAF will take around 7.5 hours to charge. For me, using a 240-volt/15-amp outlet that number is closer to 24 hours (from empty) – though I hasten to add you don’t need a full charge every time you go for a drive.

Obviously Australia lacks any subsidisation of Electric Vehicles, and most of the country’s electricity comes from brown coal. If you really want a zero emissions car, you’ll need to sign up to a ‘green’ energy plan, or better still, charge the car from solar panels at home… during the day… when you’re at work… See the problem?

Look beyond that and the LEAF actually performs quite well.

In a week of mostly flat, mostly freeway commuting – around 90km/day in stop-start traffic – I managed to elicit an average of 17.9kWh/100km, or 0.8kWh over the ADR claim of 17.1kWh/100km. Nissan’s WLTP figure says the LEAF should extract 270km from a full charge. Under my usage conditions, I’d say it’s closer to 224km.

By way of comparison, my 2015 Hyundai i30 Active (1.8-litre petrol, automatic) uses 7.1L/100km over the same commute. Based on a fuel price of $1.51/litre, that equates to $0.11/km. For the Nissan LEAF, and based on my home’s electricity rate of $0.32/kWh, the number is $0.06/km, which means the LEAF is cheaper by $0.05/km.

Of course that quick equation is based on fuel use only, and does not include well-to-wheel calculations, the age of the vehicles in question, or other running costs such as servicing. It also doesn’t factor in CO2 emissions (which for the Hyundai i30 were 170g/km when new) which for the coal-fired power used to charge the LEAF at home – and its subsequent transmission losses, etc. – are anyone’s guess.

Irrespective of either point, it means you’d need to drive a lot of kilometres in the LEAF before you recouped the cost of a conventionally-powered and same-sized hatch.

Over the next few months we’ll talk more about the LEAF’s range as it’s put through its paces over different staff members’ commutes. We’ll also look at the car’s packaging and accommodation, its various technology and equipment highlights, and finally, whether we think the electric car makes sense in Australia right now.

Watch this space!

carsales.com.au aims to make your choice of vehicle easier. Our Editorial section does this via our mix of news, international and local launch reviews, as well as our seven-day tests.

From time to time we also take the opportunity to spend even longer with a vehicle. These longer-term tests can be as short as a couple of weeks, but more recently we’ve settled on a three-month period as indicative of ‘normal’ ownership.

Long-term tests give our staff writers and contributors a chance to get to know a car as an owner would. While the car is with us, we pay for fuel (or electricity), the servicing, and generally use and live with the car as a new owner would.

We believe long-term tests give car buyers a deeper insight into the vehicle on test, but also the qualities behind the brand and nameplate. The extended period also allows us to touch base with the dealer networks in question.

It comes as no surprise that manufacturers tend to have a love-hate relationship with long-term tests. Three months is plenty long enough to fall out of love with the latest and greatest, and start to nit-pick — just like real owners do.

Price: $49,990 (plus on-road costs)
Motor: AC synchronous electric
Output: 110kW/320Nm
Transmission: Single-speed reduction gear
Battery: 40kWh laminated lithium-ion
Range: 270km (WLTP); 224km (as tested)
Electricity: 17.1kWh/100km (ADR); 17.9kWh/100km (as tested)
Safety rating: Five-star ANCAP (2018)