Driving Emission-Free Down ‘Electric Avenue’

by Keith Morgan on Thursday, March 5th, 2015

“The fuel efficiency of the four-door, five-seat LEAF is calculated at the gas equivalent of about 2.0 L/100 kms with a range of around 120 kms on a full charge.”

 

 

Driveway will spend the next few weeks taking a spin down ‘Electric Avenue’ in a brand new 2015 Nissan LEAF.

And shortly after the Vancouver International Auto Show closes on March 29, we’ll be handing the keys to one of these eco-friendly electric cars to a reader! (See contest details on Driveway’s homepage.)

Even if you don’t win the prize car, you might want to do more than kick the tires on the emission free vehicle as the British Columbian government is set to renew its Clean Energy Vehicle incentive program. Details have yet to be revealed but the announced $7.5 million total commitment suggests the instant rebate scheme will reduce the sticker prices for all electric, plug-in hybrid and fuel cell vehicles by up to $5,000.

The Nissan LEAF S edition starts at just under $32,000, which, after the expected point of sale price reduction, puts the sedan at a competitive price point alongside small gas-powered family cars. The SV adds a quick charge port to the car, some additional technology and interior improvements for another $5,000 and the SL adds leather seating and alloy wheels for another $3,000.

The Nissan Quick Charge Port (standard on SV and SL) allows charging to 80 percent capacity in 30 minutes at public charging stations using a DC fast charger. There will be additional incentives for those installing 220-volt fast chargers at home, which reduce charging time to five hours.

The fuel efficiency of the four-door, five-seat LEAF is calculated at the gas equivalent of about 2.0 L/100 kms with a range of around 120 kms on a full charge.

The LEAF, which interestingly stands for Leading, Environmentally friendly, Affordable, Family car, is now in its fifth model year. It topped 1,000 sales in Canada late last year, making it the country’s top-selling electric car.

The 2015 Nissan LEAF models include Rear View Monitor as a standard feature; an available hybrid heater system that provides superior cold weather performance while consuming less energy; “B” drive mode increases regenerative braking during deceleration; and a standard charge port light and lock with a charge port door release button added to the intelligent key fob.

Enhanced interior features on the 2015 LEAF model range from a standard leather-wrapped steering wheel to a black interior colour and sun visor extensions. Rear cargo space is 680L with the second row seat upright. There is 850L of cargo space with the standard 60/40-split rear seat folded down.

EV-IT improvements for the 2015 LEAF model include an “Eco route” feature in the available navigation system that includes suggested power-saving alternative routes – plus Google local search. The Google Places search function allows Nissan LEAF owners to look for area restaurants, shops and other points of interest and browse user reviews using Google’s POI database to get the most up-to-date information at all times.

Next week, we report on the drive and the practicality of ownership.

Contact: keith [dot] morgan [at] drivewaybc [dot] ca