A greener future? What can we learn from the popularity of the Nissan Leaf in the US
A greener future? What can we learn from the popularity of the Nissan Leaf in the US
The last decade has seen the rise of the green car – and we don’t mean the colour of the paint work either. Hybrid cars and plug-in electric vehicles have proven particularly popular across the US for a host of reasons – be it the lower fuel costs, cheaper car insurance or the fact that, yes, it’s actually cool to be green these days too. Sales are particularly strong in California where the environment is a huge concern.
One of the leading players capturing the mood in this market is the Nissan Leaf. Its name is a ‘backronym’ for ‘leading, environmentally friendly, affordable, family car’ and it is by living up to that description that it has captured the imagination. You’ll see from that list that environment is just one of several attributes that shows how the issue has moved on.
Green cars are good for the environment but the way in which they’ve caught the imagination is by being not ‘just’ good for the environment – they’re now within more people’s price range, suitable for families and are leading the way with technological innovations – appealing to the tech-savvy generation.
The Leaf lasts about 100 miles per charge offering a much lower cost-per-mile than hybrid or fuel models and is a smooth, quiet drive – said to produce fewer decibels than a crying baby, vacuum cleaner or ceiling fan.
The features are one thing but it’s not the novelty factor that makes the Leaf a success – it’s the fact it’s just, pure and simple, a good car with good performance that can hold its weight against its rivals.
Those values have fed through into strong sales. The Leaf has now shifted more than 76,000 vehicles since it was launched in America at the end of 2010, making it the best selling plug-in in the States.
The lessons of the Leaf are being felt in the UK too where we are quickly catching up with the green car trend.
Take a look at motorway service stations and shopping centres these days and you’ll see that charging points are there ready for the plug-ins – with more than 1,500 installed and ready to go.
But the green influence is not just felt in the types of vehicle we buy – the sorts of features in eco-friendly cars have found their way into a whole host of models as manufacturers embrace the change in taste and technology.
So take a look at the Hyundais stocked by TW White and Sons. If you’re not ready to go for a plug-in electric vehicle – maybe because of the impracticalities of charging – then take a look at its range. The i30 falls in the B car tax category – meaning it costs just £30 a year – and can do more than 50 miles to the gallon. Models also sport stop-start technology so they don’t waste energy while idle in traffic and have super-low CO2 emissions.
The Leaf has taught us that green is now mainstream. Efficiency isn’t some fantasy goal that we have to compromise other aspects to achieve – it’s something we’ll all weigh up as we purchase our next car and something that a variety of models have incorporated as a result.
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