Electric Motoring. Lib Dem Councillor Takes Advantage of Nissan Leaf 24-Hour Test Drive Offer
Lib Dem County Councillor for Tring & the Villages, Nick Hollinghurst, has just taken up an offer of a 24-hour test drive in a Nissan Leaf Tekna. He drove the car around in Aylesbury and then back home without mishap. Then hw and his wife, Rosemarie, made a couple of journeys around Tring.
They were pleased to notice that the number of miles available on the travel range indicator went up by 3 miles after driving downhill from Wigginton to Northchurch. This car really does pump power back when going downhill or slowing down.
They took some friends out to a restaurant in the evening - on the spur of the moment - and found the car performed just as well with 4 people in the car (capacity 5) as it did with one.
They needed to hurry a bit the following morning when taking the car back, but found it had more than adequate acceleration and cruised very smoothly at 70mph at well below maximum power. It took the corners beautifully and, as an added bonus for the more senior of the population, was somewhat higher off the ground than a similar conventional car - presumably to protect the batteries mounted underneath.
Councillor Hollinghurst has been checking out charging possibiiities at County Hall in Hertford and has discovered at least four points around the site - bookable by phone at short notice.
He was delighted to learn that a full charge at home would cost less than £2.30 and give 90 - 110 miles of motoring. Charging costs when out and about are only £20 a year for registration and access but no charge for the electricity used. At 10,000 miles a year the fuel cost saving is about £2,000 a year at current prices and other savings, such as a zero Road Fund Tax, reduced service costs and free parking at railway stations, brings that up to £2,500 p.a. In other words the savings means that over 10 years the car would have paid for itself.
A decision will have to be made soon - and Nick is feeling quite positive at the moment!