No leaf in the mouth
With the Leaf, Nissan played a pioneering role. The model appeared on the market in 2010 and then carried a modest 24 kWh battery pack. A capacity that was later optionally increased to 30 kWh. The second generation Leaf appeared in 2018, the battery pack of which has grown to 40 kWh and later, in the ‘e+’ version, to 62 kWh. Will this second generation Leaf please its owners and users? Their reviews provide the answer.
The second generation Nissan Leaf not only got a larger battery, the engine power was also increased from 109 to 150 hp. An important size, the wheelbase, remained the same at 2.70 meters. It is one of the indicators that shows that the second Leaf is not new from top to bottom. Despite this, the second generation is a reasonable success. The sales figures show that Nissan Netherlands already sold more Leafs in 2018 than in the previous seven years.
Ease of use and space
Let’s start with universal things like ease of use and space availability. The Leaf already scores points on that point. “The space offer is huge, or at least it has far exceeded my expectations. More than enough space for our family with 3 children and their luggage. Also in the back seat,” writes the business driver of a Leaf 2.Zero Tekna from 2018. He is supported by the next driver, who very consciously chose his Leaf. “The Nissan Leaf is the perfect electric family car as far as I’m concerned. Because the trunk is very spacious, you can also sit comfortably on the back seat and there is enough legroom.”
Moving is also going well, a private lease driver experienced: “During the move, I discovered that a surprising amount of space fits in the Leaf. The folded rear seat is high in relation to the trunk and cannot simply be removed. By removing the headrests from the right front and rear seats, the front seat can be completely flattened and long items can be accommodated.”
Sit in the Leaf
The seats and sitting position get less hands on each other. “Despite my average height (1.81 metres), the backrest is too short and the headrest is too slanted forward. Consequence: neck and headache” writes a driver, to continue: “Armrest is too far back and too high, so you hit it exactly with the tip of your elbow.” Another points out another shortcoming. “The steering wheel has limited adjustment. You get used to that, but not great with my height.”
This irritation is also experienced by the following Leaf driver: “The seats are soft, but you miss good adjustment options. You can hardly adjust the seat, it is not possible to adjust the tilt angle, there is no adjustable lumbar support and the seats are quite short. Do you want to improve the seating position by adjusting the steering wheel…” Indeed, as indicated earlier, you can only do that up and down. Finally, a taller driver points out a point of attention: “At 1.93 meters, the interior mirror is just a bit in the way. I would like to move it a little further to the roof, but have not yet found a solution for that.” He also says he would like to have electric seat adjustment with memory positions, but that is not possible with Dutch versions.
How do owners experience road handling?
So far, owners have come up with quite a few points of attention. The Leaf makes up for a lot with driving, the comment of the following user is endorsed by many owners: “The Leaf makes it possible for me to drive around in a relaxed way. I think the chassis is a nice mix of comfort and sportiness, partly due to the low center of gravity, the car is very stable on the road and you can quickly direct it through bends. In addition, due to the lack of a fuel engine, it is nice and quiet in the car, which contributes to the feeling of comfort.”
With the second generation Leaf, Nissan introduced ‘e-Pedal’, which slows the Leaf to a stop when the user releases the accelerator pedal. This owner thinks: “So-called ‘regenerative braking’ is present on many electric cars, but Nissan has taken it a little further. If you take your foot off the power pedal, the car not only brakes strongly, but it even comes to a complete stop and then also activates the physical brake. This way of driving takes ten minutes to get used to, but after that you never turn off this option. Good for consumption too and a very pleasant driving experience.”
Also enjoyable is the ProPilot+, Nissan’s semi-autonomous driver assistance system that debuted on the Leaf. This system is – if it works – well appreciated. For example, an owner notes that the system cannot be switched on on many provincial roads.
Driving range and (fast) charging
You can’t ignore it with an electric car: the range. This is the point at which several Leaf drivers have expressed their dissatisfaction, such as the next owner about his 40 kWh Leaf. “Dramatically high consumption, average range in daily use: 90-130 km (manufacturer specification: 380 km NEDC). If you are prepared to drive at a maximum speed of 90 to 100 km/h on the highway, then a range of approx. 170-190 km is feasible.” He then points out a second disadvantage: “Battery is not cooled! I once experienced that the fast charger did not want to start charging because my battery was too hot.”
You could argue that this driver has a too sporty driving style, but a calm driver also encounters limitations. “The range based on WLTP is 270 kilometers, but I honestly have no idea how that should be feasible. In practice I never got over 200 real kilometers on a charge and I’m certainly not a ripper.” Another shares his experience with winter rides: “Consumption in winter is a bit higher. I expected to have about 180 km driving range with mainly highway kilometers, but I can’t make it. I average 165 kilometers.”
Fast charging troubles
As far as fast charging is concerned, several owners indicate that they suffer from ‘Rapidgate’. This phenomenon indicates decreasing charging speeds if rapid charging is used several times in one day. “The first two charges still averaged almost 40 kW, but after that the battery was so hot that the speed dropped below 15 kW,” writes an owner who drove his 40 kWh Leaf to France. “That’s why we’ve made the last stages shorter so that the charging breaks don’t get too long.”
In addition, several owners indicate that they would have preferred a three-phase on-board charger. Charging at home takes longer than is desirable with the single-phase charger. An owner wanted to have his car adapted to three-phase charging by a third party, but received no response and ultimately opted for a different EV. A bright spot: the range and the slow charging are the biggest technical shortcomings, the technology used by Nissan also seems quite reliable.
Two currents
Looking at the user reviews, there are two streams of Leaf rider. One is mainly driven by low costs – including addition – and is honest about this, the other makes a choice from more idealistic considerations. Both types of user appreciate the driving characteristics of their Leaf, but the car falls short particularly in terms of range and charging for the first group of users. The space offer is unanimously positively assessed, while the seat and steering wheel adjustment mainly receive negative reviews.
It exposes that Nissan has relied too much on the qualities of the 2010 model with the second generation Leaf, while the competition has not been idle. Not even Nissan itself, because with the considerably larger – and completely new – Ariya they are making another attempt to win over electric drivers.
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– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl