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An electric car on trial for a week: the formula might not have missed you, but I was anxious to restart it! And the car that will take care of it is just another big news of the year: the new Nissan Leaf. After the taking in hand carried out by Ancelin it is time to see what this Leaf is worth daily …
During this week …
… I revised my courses of mechanics of fluids 
Yes, there was a time when I was on the benches of an engineering school. It did not last long, but I still could learn the joys of the mechanics of fluids -with some failure, it must be admitted. But when I saw my Leaf on Nissan's car park, everything came back to my mind. So, I promise, I'm not going to tell you about Navier-Stokes equations, Reynolds number or quasi-static flows, but rather the bodywork of the Leaf. Look at this front with very few openings, this bonnet down, these overhangs very flat, these profiled skirts or this fin. As you can see, the Nissan plays the aerodynamic game to the full.
For all that, and contrary to a Prius or a Ioniq the Leaf do not sacrifice his style on the altar of the aero. She is pretty pretty! So ultra consensual, certainly, but rather nice. Finished the bizarre shapes and fantasies of the first generation, this Leaf II fits into the mold and adopts all the latest Nissan cannons: wide V-shaped grille, floating roof, shark fin on the C-pillar, rear boomerang optics, the total. The white livery highlights the blue details, such as the diffuser headband on the back or the original checkerboard grille. In any case, I had only positive feedback on the car throughout the week: not bad, no?
… I discovered the automobile equivalent of california maki
No, I do not I do not want to talk about these maki upside down, but rather about American appropriation of a piece of Japanese culture. Because the inside of a Japanese car, it is recognized right away: it is cold, dark, not very beautiful but able to resist the end of the world. But when I got to the Leaf, it felt like I was in a house in Wisteria Lane: a warm and quite impersonal interior, which makes everyone happy. The shapes are soft, the stuffed materials, the beige harmony brings light: everything is there. But the essential is not forgotten since we still have good big buttons platters and rockers ugly for heated seats. I am filled!
… I had back pain
And yet it is tolerant, my back. But here it is: because of its non-adjustable steering wheel in depth, the driving position of the Leaf is far from ideal. Basically, it will choose between having the legs to the right length (and arms too far from the steering wheel) or arms (and have the legs too close to the pedals). Add to that very high seating and you get a driving position totally the opposite of my tastes. The seats, hold on! The first thing you notice when sitting down is how soft they are. The second thing we notice is how the maintenance of the back is non-existent … The rest is mathematical: poor posture -> bad posture -> back pain. Nissan ergonomics engineers should take courses at Citroën to create seats that are both soft and comfortable!
… I thanked Larry Page and Sergei Brin
(They are the founders of Google, it can serve you for your next part of Trivial Pursuit). Why, will you tell me? Because without them, not Google. And without Google, no Android Auto. And without Android Auto, we would have been forced to tap this central screen which, between his definition of Minitel, his menus not very readable and his graphics of another age, does not have much for him. Fortunately, just plug in your phone to access an ultra-intuitive interface! One can then find one's favorite addresses, a neat navigation and all his music with a movement of the hand. It's still good …
… I forgot the existence of the brake pedal
Already that there is no clutch pedal in an electric car, it starts to no longer do much. Driving with the only accelerator pedal, how is that possible? Simply thanks to the e-Pedal, a system exclusive to this new Leaf. What you probably already know is that you just have to step off the accelerator so that an electric car slows down; the kinetic energy is transformed by the motor into electric current and returns to the batteries. But in the case of the Leaf, the car does more than that! One can arrive at the stop complete while raising only the foot of the accelerator. Why that ? Because the Nissan is also able to handle all four disc brakes in these phases. And that changes everything. The explanation may be more understandable in video:
That's the theory. In practice, it will take you about fifteen minutes to tame this e-Pedal. We learn not to raise the foot suddenly, but simply to modulate its pressure on the accelerator. The system is bluffing with softness and transparency. I estimate that in 95% of cases I did not use the brake pedal-the remaining 5% being for unpredictable cases, such as a pedestrian crossing or a light that turns orange. You will only need to have fingering (foot) for maneuvers, where the system is sharp enough to master. For the rest, it's only happiness, with a driving totally devoid of stress and jerks.
What is appreciable is the constancy of the deceleration: on many electric and hybrids, the management between regenerative brake and mechanical is quite complicated … and it feels, with a consistency of the brake pedal variable and braking quite hit. Not on the Leaf: when the battery can not receive a lot of current, because it is cold or filled, the mechanical part will take care of the braking; when the battery is hot, the opposite will happen. And everything is done with absolutely perfect transparency: what a great work of development!
… I won the Grand Prix of the Red Lights
You know, a mbadive advantage of electric motors is their ability to deliver their maximum torque from the start. And that of the Leaf develops 320 Nm … To put a little in context, the Peugeot 308 GTi offers 330 Nm – and Ancelin can guarantee that it does not drag . So, at startup, the Leaf is able to catch a lot of people, and T-Max potted Akra have found to talk. The raises are also quite explosive, with only 5.8 seconds to go from 80 to 120 km / h! And the 0 to 100 km / h shipped in 7.9 seconds is not shameful. Going into Eco mode will calm the game a little, and you will find performance of a clbadic compact of 120 C.
It is also in Eco mode that you will probably spend most of the time, because the behavior of the Leaf has absolutely nothing sports. I've already talked about the seats without any maintenance, but we must also talk about the light-weight steering that isolates completely from the road and tires with very low rolling resistance that are not happy if we take turns too fast. No, it's better to let yourself cruiser, soothed by the silence and the relaxing driving experience. Especially since the sound is nicely tuned: it does not break bricks but remains well balanced. The only point to raise is the amounts of windshield, too thick for my taste, which can hide things and people when moving in the city.
… I went to see street art
Sir Chat is one of those artists you probably know, even though street art is totally unknown to you. A yellow cat with a gigantic smile, does that tell you anything? For Parisians, a gigantic fresco of his creation was installed at the beginning of the year at junction A1 / periphery to wish a happy new year to the Dionysians (they are the inhabitants of St Denis).
What does it tell you something? 19659023] In short, all this to tell you that, besides his success in Paris, the guy likes to go into exile in the province and make some graffiti here and there. Thus the small town of Lucheux, about thirty miles north of Amiens, is Mr. Chat-isée -reste the question of why.
That's fine, but still there is a need to go to Lucheux. A journey of 155 kilometers is waiting for me: can the Leaf do it? Knowing that a few years ago, the same trip aboard a Zoe of 22 kWh had a maximum speed of 95 km / h (even on the highway, yes yes) and a quick charge break of 30 minutes to Amiens. Bifbof, then. The advantage of the Leaf is that the capacity of the battery has increased to 40 kWh! No need to prolong the suspense any longer: after a milking at 120 km / h on the highway, I arrive with 28% battery remaining, enough to cover another 73 km. Boum. Aside from this expedition, I got scores ranging from 270 to over 300 km with the full battery according to my uses, with a very respectable average of 13.2 kWh / 100 km after 880 kilometers spent driving. What to get rid of a certain weight.
This highway was also an opportunity to test the ProPilot. Under this denomination hides the semi-autonomous driving system of Nissan, which clbadically combines adaptive controller and track maintenance system. Not much to report as the ProPilot is found at the same level as his friends: keeping track well damn … as long as the road does not turn too much, a regulator soft enough (kudos for the small acceleration in overtaking!) and comprehensive badistance in relaxing traffic jams. Nothing extravagant but it makes the job.
I'm wise and I drive at 80 km / h
… I made the difference
It came time cathedrals of the conclusion. Which will be generally positive: pleasant to drive, technological, endowed with a respectable autonomy, the Leaf ticks many boxes. But here it is: during the test, I caught myself remembering the VW e-Golf on several occasions. Because she was good, this e-Golf. Comfortable, ultra punchy, info-entertainment / connectivity at the top: in a word, quali. Probably more than the Leaf. But now, going to fetch the prices of the Golf, everything has been explained: the VW starts at 40 040 €. The Leaf? From 35 700 €. And again, when we arrive at levels of similar equipment, we arrive at € 42,705 for the Golf and € 37,500 for the Nissan … € 5,200 difference, it's still a little too much. Especially since the battery of the Golf board 5 kWh less!
A price-equipment ratio in wide favor for the Leaf, therefore. It must also be said that, at the entry-level Acenta, the central screen with GPS connected is standard, as the system e-Pedal, the heat pump, access and start hands-free, the regulator speed and many other things. If I had to recommend a version, it would be the Acenta, with optional heated seats (useful in winter). Which gives us a € 30,200 bonus Leaf deducted, with all that can be expected from a modern car.
As you can see, this new Leaf is becoming more mainstream. I would say that it becomes more consensual, in the good sense of the word: less eccentric line, improved autonomy, technologies that facilitate life and tariff without much increase, everything is together for this second generation continues the momentum of the first and truste the podium of the most sold EVs in the world!
Photo credits: Jean-Baptiste Pbadieux
I'm on Twitter: @JBPssx
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