Can an electric car work as a family car in Australia?

More and more electric cars are arriving in Australia, but can they handle the daily chores and punishment of an Aussie family?

Nissan’s Leaf came here in 2012 and this second generation arrived in July with more power, better battery technology and increased range — it claims 270km, or an extra 100km.

A public fast charger will take the battery from empty to 80 per cent full in an hour — but is the Leaf suitable for Australian life with our country’s relative lack of infrastructure? Our family testers find out.

Fast chargers can add up to 200km of range in 45 minutes.

First impressions

Iain: I get asked about electric cars (EVs) more than anything else these days.

Jules: Understandable. People want to know if they’re a viable alternative to petrol, diesel or hybrids. And worth the money.

Iain: Short answer: they’re suitable for some but not all. Cost’s a major roadblock. To drive away our Nissan Leaf it’s $54,500; big coin for a small hatchback.

Jules: What price the environment? We’re increasingly conscious of reducing emissions. Many of my friends say they’d consider an EV.

Iain: The arguments for and against EVs are many, not least in Australia where the majority of our electricity isn’t from renewables. We’ll keep it simple and just report on what it’s actually like to live with an EV.

Jules: Well, the Leaf looks and drives much like a conventional car. It’s a good size, not offensive to look at and you just need to get your head around keeping it charged.

Iain: The challenge was to see if we could use it for a week and recharge using only renewables.

The Leaf’s price will scare off most prospective buyers.

Jules: No charging at home as we don’t have solar panels.

Iain: Exactly. I don’t see the point of an EV if you charge it using coal-fired electricity.

Jules: It’s stylish — no front grille, LED daytime running lights, 17-inch alloys and chrome door handles. Looks good in red too.

The living space

Iain: It’s a mixed bag inside. Leather seats,
flat-bottom steering wheel, decent screen running Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and part-digital dashboard — they’re all wins. Scratchy plastic for the centre console and no “wow” factor let it down.

Jules: At least there are goodies for your $50K. Satnav, Bose audio, heated seats front and rear and heated steering wheel.

Iain: Perversely, they’re easy ways to drain battery life and limit driving range.

Jules: A girl’s gotta stay warm. And spoil the kids by heating their bums too.

Iain: No electric seats and, comically, a foot-operated park brake rather than electric handbrake. An EV trapped in the 1970s?

Jules: Means there’s good storage in the centre console. But the rotating ball to shift into gear seems unnecessarily weird.

Electric cars make more sense if you can charge them from renewable sources.

The commute

Iain: I could slip easily into EV life. The Leaf doesn’t rival Tesla for mad acceleration but rest to 100km/h in 7.9 seconds feels quick. The torque pull is instant. And near-silent.

Jules: Leave it in drive and you forget it’s electric. It drives and behaves just like a normal hatchback and radar cruise control’s great for the highway commute.

Iain: For better range you need B Mode, which gives maximum regenerative braking. With the e-Pedal also engaged you lift off the accelerator and gradually come to a complete stop. It’s ideal for the city.

Jules: Regenerative braking? That’s where energy is harvested back to the battery?

Iain: Yep. Stick it in these modes and it buys you another few dozen kilometres between charges.

The Leaf drives just like a normal hatchback and the e-Pedal is ideal for city driving.

Jules: OK, let’s talk range anxiety. Even at maximum charge, with aircon on it only said we could go 250km.

Iain: How often do you travel that far?

Jules: Not often. But you constantly think about needing to charge it.

Iain: It takes some getting used to. Plugging it in at home or work — if using solar — gives the top-ups needed.

The shopping

Jules: It’s a surprisingly roomy boot. Thought the batteries would be in there.

Iain: They’re under the floor.

Jules: I love the 360-degree camera for parking but the turning circle is terrible.

Iain: You need to turn the e-Pedal off for parking. Otherwise it’s forever bringing you to a halt as you try to manoeuvre.

Sunday run

Jules: Shall we drive to the vegan cafe to show off how virtuous we are?

Iain: As long as there’s a fast charging station attached. If you’re doing long distances, you have to plan where you recharge.

A real-world range of more than 240km will e fine for most, but longer trips need to be planned.

Jules: More long lunch breaks?

Iain: Exactly. Fine for holidays, not so good for everyday life. One of our local hotels had a 50kW Tritium Veefil fast charger installed. We plugged the Leaf in with 10 per cent charge, had a 45-minute lunch and came back to 85 per cent — or roughly 200km of range.

Jules: It’s pretty simple to plug in and use really. A huge bonus: it was free.

Iain: All except one public charge point I used was free. I signed up to the Chargefox app and my credit card was charged $7 for a 25-minute fill at a shopping centre.

Jules: I used the PlugShare app to find where charge stations were. It’s quite good but could be more specific. I knew there was a fast charger at the shopping centre complex but had no idea exactly where. Turns out it’s on the very top level of a multi-storey car park. I wasted 20 minutes trying to find it.

Iain: I also plugged in at work where our electricity is solar. It’s just a standard power point though. It’d take a full 24 hours to totally charge the Leaf this way.

The family

Jules: I’ll admit, it was lovely driving past fuel stations and knowing they wouldn’t be getting my money.

Iain: That has to be balanced with the Leaf’s high purchase price. This spec of hatchback with a petrol engine would cost about $15,000 less. You can buy lots of unleaded with that.

Jules: Think of the trees, think of the children, you crazy polluter. Speaking of the children, the Leaf has all the safety kit I demand and just about enough space for life with two kids.

The verdict

Iain: Could I live with the Leaf? Probably 95 per cent of the time. Around town it’s a joy to drive and the fast charging is brilliant and often free, if time-consuming. Plan your charging properly and it’s smugly rewarding. I did come unstuck with a 400km round trip. I had a
50-minute thumb-twiddling wait to charge.

Jules: EV charging infrastructure will only improve. The Leaf’s opened my eyes to how I could live with one. It works great for short everyday journeys such as school drop-offs and shopping. I love its eco side but the Leaf is crying out for more fun and personality.

Nissan Leaf vitals

Price: About $54,000 drive-away

Warranty/servicing: 5 years/unlimited km, $1388 for 5 years

Motor: Electric with 110kW/320Nm, 40kWh battery

Safety: 5 stars, 6 airbags, AEB, 360-degree camera, blind spot, rear cross traffic and lane departure alerts

Range: 270km

Spare: Space saver

Boot: 405L/1176L