In terms of providing affordable electric vehicle transportation, Nissan Leaf may have opened the way, but don't just assume that it is the best car for the job. There are many attractions, such as ready availability and impressive usability, but the 40kWh version has been left behind by some competitors. If you don’t travel long distances often and charge at home, this is what you need, but if you travel long distances and rely on the UK’s public charging infrastructure, we will only consider the 62kWh model. Most Leaf owners like their cars because they are low-cost and easy to drive, but reliability may be more important than you think, so please check that everything is in order before buying.

With major brands scrambling to put as many electric vehicles as possible into production, when Nissan launched the original Leaf in 2010, it seemed unbelievable that competitors had followed suit for nearly a decade.

In fact, before most automakers bring their first electric models to the market, the company will launch a new second-generation Leaf. Therefore, although there are many electric cars on the new car list, many of them have only recently arrived, making the Leaf Mk2 one of the few electric family cars with a large number and relatively affordable prices.

Even better, if you can afford the upfront purchase price, then you will be impressed by Nissan's ultra-low continuous operating costs.

Mk2 Leaf arrived on British roads in February 2018, equipped with a 148bhp electric motor and a 40kWh battery pack. The maximum power used in the original version was 30kWh, and the earliest Mk1s packaged power was only 24kWh.

The entry-level Visia starts at 21,990 pounds, and the top-end Tekna starts at 27,490 pounds. There are Acenta, N-Connecta and 2.Zero decorations in the middle, and then the 3.Zero option and the 3.Zero e+ limited edition were added in January 2019.

The latter is equipped with a 214bhp motor and a 62kWh battery pack, which can provide 239 miles of cruising range. By March 2019, Leaf Tekna came standard with a 62kWh battery pack, and then in June 2019, the limited edition 3.Zero e+ became the top e+, as the standard production version in the Mk2 Leaf series.

If the budget allows, we will choose Leaf equipped with a 62kWh battery because it has a longer cruising range and faster charging speed. Then there is the question of choosing the right decoration that suits your needs. The entry-level Visia is equipped with 16-inch steel wheels, 7-inch display, DAB radio, climate control with timer, four-speaker stereo, automatic headlights and wipers, front and rear power windows, cruise control and speed limiter.

Acenta brings a 16-inch alloy, adaptive cruise control, rear parking camera, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and six-speaker high-fidelity audio. N-Connecta adds 17-inch wheels, privacy glass, electric folding door mirrors, heated steering wheel, front and rear seats, and front and rear parking sensors. Tekna is also equipped with LED headlights, partial leather trim and high-quality Bose sound system.

We assume here that only electric can do it, so your head will not be turned by anything with an internal combustion engine. Alternatives to electric vehicles include the Volkswagen e-Golf, which is easy to drive, but expensive and rare, and has poor cruising range. Renault Zoe is much better, it's affordable and well-stocked. But pay attention to the leased battery pack.

In terms of cruising range, affordability and size, the Hyundai Ioniq may be the most suitable and impressive. The more expensive Kona, the better. We also like the Kia Soul and BMW i3, as well as the Vauxhall Corsa-e, which will arrive in spring 2020, and the closely related Peugeot e-208. Other electric family cars worthy of careful study include the Volkswagen ID.3 and Kia e-Niro.

Mk2 Leaf initially claimed a range of 235 miles. This was revised to 168 miles, and the 62kWh model was officially set at 239 miles.

For less than £20, you can download the LeafSpy app, which interacts with your car and tells you the health of the battery pack.

The 40kWh Leaf has a 50kW Chademo charger, but the real-world rate is closer to 30-35kW; the 62kWh model has 100kW charging.

All leaves are equipped with tire movement kits. You can buy a steel space saver, but some car owners will invest 130 pounds to buy a full-size steel trunk spare tire.

Electrical failure is the most frequently reported problem of Nissan Leaf Mk2, although it is usually a reliable car, only one manufacturer has been recalled. This may be due to the fact that electric vehicles have fewer moving parts.

Although Leaf's dashboard looks technically complicated, Nissan still keeps its design very traditional, so newcomers to electric vehicles will not be frightened. Therefore, it is generally user-friendly, but the quality of cabin materials is variable.

The rear seat space is good, with enough legroom and headroom for two adults. Although the small space is insufficient, the luggage space is not lacking. The 435-liter capacity is impressive. The rear seats are folded Can be expanded to 1,176 liters.

In addition to the 8-inch touch screen, six-speaker stereo is standard, but the Tekna model is equipped with a seven-speaker Bose setup.

Leaf Mk2 requires maintenance every 12 months or 18,000 miles. The timetable alternates between Minor and Major, and the prices are 159 and 209 pounds respectively. Considering that there are few parts to be replaced, maintenance costs should be cheaper.

Fresh brake fluid needs to be added every maintenance, and the coolant must be replaced after 15 years or 125,000 miles, and then every four years or 48,000 miles.

A new pollen filter is required for every repair, but beyond that, routine maintenance is purely a series of inspections of suspension, brakes, cooling and battery packs, all of which are basically maintenance-free in the first few years . Ye's life.

Nissan provides a service plan for Leaf owners, including two, three or four inspections. They are priced at 22, 32 or 42 months respectively, at £13.99 per month.

The original Nissan Leaf has only been recalled 3 times so far, which is an impressive record, and it seems that the second generation is moving in a direction with almost no problems.

More than three years after Nissan launched the Leaf Mk2, it has only been recalled once. The campaign was launched in November 2020 and affected 2,547 cars; some were Leafs and some were NV200 vans.

All affected vehicles were manufactured between July and September 2019, and there was a problem with the nameplate inside the gearbox when they left the factory. Once you leave the car, this may fail, causing the parking lock to not engage properly, allowing the vehicle to move when it shouldn't. Nissan’s solution is to install a new plate in the gearbox that is manufactured to the correct tolerances.

In 2019, the Mk2 debuted at No. 18 in the Driver Power new car survey; it ranked No. 24 in 2020, and this year ranked No. 40 out of 75 cars. The lowest score for car owners is the full range of vision, but they are not keen on infotainment, interior and exterior design, and even more worrying is reliability. But they like low operating costs, performance, sophistication, ride quality and the quantity of standard safety equipment.

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