Sacramento,
California -- I don't know exactly why, but the all-electric Nissan Leaf and I have been
avoiding each other for years.
It's not a
hostility thing ... well, at least I don't think so. I have nothing against the Leaf, rightfully
touted as a groundbreaking electric marvel in 2010. And I hope the Leaf creators have nothing
against me.
Sure, among
fellow auto reviewers, I winced at the single-charge driving range of
less than 100 miles when the Leaf made its North American stage debut. I figured that limited the Leaf to being a
stay-close-to-home urban vehicle.
A recent week
in the 2019 Nissan Leaf SL Plus changed my mind about everything. Here's the key fact: The Plus model's enhanced battery pack
and powertrain enable a single-charge range of up to 215 miles.
That is a
game-changer. Let's say I wanted to drive from
Sacramento to Los Angeles. In previous
Leaf models, that meant a serious online search for charging stations up and
down Interstate 5 ... and praying that those stations were not jammed with
other vehicles.
With the SL
Plus, that's a much less serious concern.
And there's a
bonus: The SL Plus high-capacity battery and more powerful 160kW motor team up to
produce 214 horsepower and a serious torque boost of 250 foot-pounds. That was clearly evident in my test runs into
the Sierra Nevada, where the Leaf easily climbed steep hills and sailed past highway
stragglers like a champ.
It was smooth, strong
and, well, very much like a fine-tuned internal-combustion machine.
Wait, there's
more. Plugging previous EV testers into
the standard, external electric outlet next to my garage usually produced a
charging speed somewhere equivalent to that of a massive glacier. Not so with my Leaf ride, with a 25 percent
(or more) battery boost over a typical night's sleep.
Very impressive.
On top of
everything else with this technologically-marvelous hatchback was a comfortable
interior and an extensive layout of comfort/convenience features. The eight-inch color-touch display, the
leather-appointed seating surfaces (perfectly stitched) and the HVAC timer to
preheat/precool the cabin were particular favorites.
All this comes
at a price, which was a somewhat hefty $44,315 on the bottom line of the tested
model. But given everything this Leaf
has, I don't consider that price to be a deal-breaker. In fact, it's a fair price to pay for this
thoroughly modern, environmentally friendly vehicle.
I'm just a
little upset that I didn't hook up with the Leaf sooner.
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