Nissan Leaf Review

Price: £28,440- £31,940

Electrifying.com score

7/10

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The Leaf might be the grandad of the electric car world but it is still a fun-to-drive, no compromise family hatchback that just happens to be powered by electricity. Rivals have overtaken it in most respects but it's great value.

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  • Battery size: 39kWh
  • Miles per kWh: 3.85
  • E-Rating™: A+

    Click here to find out more about our electric car Efficiency Rating.​

  • Max charge rate: 50 kW
  • Range: 168
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  • Battery size: 39kWh
  • Miles per kWh: 3.85
  • E-Rating™: A+

    Click here to find out more about our electric car Efficiency Rating.​

  • Max charge rate: 50 kW
  • Range: 168
  • Nissan Leaf e plus
  • Nissan Leaf e plus
  • Nissan Leaf e plus
  • Nissan Leaf e plus
  • Nissan Leaf e plus
  • Electrifying.com E-Rating A+

Tom Says

“The Leaf is a good bet if you find the thought of an electric car a bit daunting. It’s getting on a bit now but is user-friendly, easy to drive and has plenty of space compared to electric city cars which are at the same price level. The special editions offer the best value for money.”

Ginny Says

“Nissan was first to launch a mainstream electric car and all their knowledge has gone into the Leaf. It’s an easy car to live with and makes owning an EV feel like a mainstream choice. But there are now newer rivals which make it seem as though autumn has arrived for the Leaf.”

Nissan was the first to launch a proper, serious electric car when the Leaf came out in 2011. It’s gone on to be the best-selling electric vehicle in the world, with good reason. It is a sensible family car which is about the same size as a VW Golf or Ford Focus and so doesn’t involve any compromises. And yet it is much, much cheaper to run than a conventional car as it is 100% electric, with no petrol or diesel engine at all.

Nissan Leaf e plus

Since those first cars were launched, the Leaf has been gradually evolving with bigger battery capacities and more performance. The version with the bigger battery has now been discontinued, leaving the 39kWh version as the only choice. It has a range of 168 miles which should still be plenty for most drivers. 

Whichever Leaf you choose it is easy and surprisingly fun to drive. The controls are all simple to use and pretty familiar to anyone who has driven an automatic car before, and the acceleration away from a standstill is enough to take most first-time Leaf drivers by surprise. 

Despite the simplicity there’s still plenty of technology. The most interesting is probably the e-Pedal, which means you can drive the Leaf without touching the brakes, except in emergencies. It works in the same way as a fairground dodgem ride – press the accelerator and the car gathers speed as you’d expect, but lift off and the car will slow down and stop. It takes some getting used to but makes driving in traffic much more relaxing and is more efficient. When the car is slowing down the motor is switched automatically to become a generator and it feeds power back into the battery so it’s never wasted. And don’t worry, the e-Pedal also operates the brake lights so following drivers will know you’re slowing down.


The Leaf also has an app which lets you do all sorts of clever things such as checking the battery charge level and sending destinations to the navigation. Our favourite feature is the ability to preheat the car though. If you wake up on a frosty morning, you can start the Leaf’s heater to have the car warmed before you get in. Besides being comfortable and saving on de-icer, it also preserves the car’s range as you are using mains rather than battery power to run the heater.

Although cars like the VW ID.3 are better to drive and seem far more modern, the Leaf's recent price adjustments have made it seem more far more tempting.

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