http://www.forbes.com/sites/lianeyvkoff/2016/02/29/the-2016-nissan-leaf-is-a-107-mile-range-compact-ev-suitable-for-the-suburbs/#4e4d3d25142d Suburb Stress-Testing The 2016 Nissan Leaf: Is 107-Mile Range Enough Outside The City? [2016/02/29] Liane Yvkoff
[images http://blogs-images.forbes.com/lianeyvkoff/files/2016/02/2016_nissan_leaf_12-1200x800.jpg The 2016 LEAF available with a new 30 kWh battery that delivers an EPA-estimated 107-mile driving range on a full battery http://blogs-images.forbes.com/lianeyvkoff/files/2016/02/2016_nissan_leaf_23-1200x800.jpg The 2016 Nissan Leaf cabin interior ] Electric cars are often marketed as the perfect mode of transport for savvy city dwellers who mainly take short trips around town rather than suffer through long daily commutes. The thinking is that cities are where the electric charging infrastructure is, but most apartment buildings can’t accommodate electric chargers, if they offer parking at all. In that one important respect, the suburbs seem better-suited for electric vehicles, given their abundance of two-car garages and plentiful square footage in which to install home chargers. However, driving distances are long, and EVs’ limited range and long recharging times make many people reject them as suitable family cars without even considering them. Could the 2016 Nissan Leaf finally change that? For the first time, electric car shoppers have an abundance of options, including the Volkswagen E-Golf, Chevrolet Spark EV, and Kia Soul EV. To keep its edge as first mover in this burgeoning market, Nissan upgraded the 2016 Leaf with a 30 kWh battery that has an estimated 107 mile range—a 27% increase from the previous 24KwH battery. This change makes the Leaf the only mainstream (read: not a $80,000 Tesla Model S) battery electric vehicle with more than a 100-mile EPA estimated range on the market. But are the extra 23 miles enough to ease range anxiety outside of an urban environment? I tested the 2016 Nissan Leaf to find out. It’s been five years since I last drove a Leaf, yet with its quirky shifter and minimalist aesthetics the interior still feels very familiar. A Google GOOGL -0.76% Search-enabled navigation system, low-energy consumption Bose sound system, heated front seats just some of the features offered in the 2016 Leaf, and all are new to me. The heated steering wheel and rear heated seats are creature comforts I didn’t expect in a compact EV, but they’re appreciated during the Pacific Northwest winter, which is approximately 9 months out of the year. [© forbes.com] For EVLN EV-newswire posts use: http://evdl.org/evln/ {brucedp.150m.com} -- View this message in context: http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/EVLN-Suburb-Stress-Testing-The-107mi-2016-Leaf-tp4680780.html Sent from the Electric Vehicle Discussion List mailing list archive at Nabble.com. _______________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org Read EVAngel's EV News at http://evdl.org/evln/ Please discuss EV drag racing at NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)
