For those arriving in Geneva by air for the annual motor show this month, it was difficult to miss the Nissan LEAF. The 100 per cent electric car was stationed at a number of reception points for a 30-minute test drive, including one in Cointrin Airport. Electric vehicles starred at this year's motor show in the Swiss city. Twelve brands presented 13 electric vehicles, all of which were available to road rest.
Nissan also unveiled the LEAF in Hong Kong this month, at a ceremony officiated by Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah, who announced a HK$300 million government initiative in partnership with Nissan to promote the use of electric vehicles. He also noted that the city now had more than 300 charging stations.
The LEAF (an acronym for Leading Environmentally friendly, Affordable Family car), which is the result of five years' research and development, could be the best placed of the new models shown in Geneva to become a successful mass-market electric car, and is already available in many markets. Other producers were offering vehicles that would be produced in smaller numbers, or just didn't make the cut as a regular, all-round motor. The LEAF was named (European) Car of the Year 2011 by a panel of 59 motoring journalists from 23 European countries. To be in contention to win the accolade, a car 'must be available in at least five European countries at the time of voting', the rules state.
On the test drive in Geneva, the car pulled away after 'Drive' was selected on the small electric shift knob and a little throttle was applied. It did so with a smoothness you would expect of a luxury Swiss watch. My first impression was that it moved like a conventional petrol-driven car, except in almost total silence. Inside the cabin there was no noticeable variation of sound pitch at different speeds, not even the whine of an electric motor.
Wary that pedestrians might wander right into the silent path of an oncoming LEAF, Nissan has installed a device that produces a street-audible alert near the front bumper. Another interesting feature is the ability to use an iPhone app to control the start of the recharging process (to take advantage of cheaper electricity at night in Europe) and the time the car's air conditioning is turned on.
It's a stretch to call the LEAF a beauty, but it does feature some clever designs. The headlamps bulge out for a reason. 'They are designed to divert air flow in a way that the wind won't affect the side mirrors and cause wind noise,' Nissan says.