Home News Columnists Ian Robson
Buyers will Leaf it alone
Mar 27 2011 by Ian Robson, Sunday Sun
IT WOULD be nice to go green if it didn’t mean going deep into the red and getting a car that can’t be used on long journeys.
That’s why I can’t get excited about the launch of the Nissan Leaf on the region’s roads last week.
The electric car is now on sale at a whopping £30,990.
The vehicle may be billed as the world’s first affordable mass-produced electric car, but it’s still out of the reach of many working class families.
Don’t get me wrong. I hope the Leaf, which will eventually be made in Washington, will be a success, but it will take time. The price has to come down and it has a long way to go before we learn to love it.
At the minute there are just too many questions. Do you know where the nearest charging point is? Bet you don’t because they are few and far between. Are you comfortable with a car that is not going to be much cop on long journeys with a limit of 100-ish miles?
And is the prospect of waiting eight hours to fill ‘er up much good in these busy days? The Leaf comes across as a worthy choice of vehicle, but an impractical one.
The inclination will be to leaf it well alone for a few years until the teething problems are sorted out.
Then, perhaps, the price will come down and it will be a real choice in the marketplace – not just a toy for those of us lucky enough to have green principles and money in the bank.
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