Type 2 CCS will become the mandatory format that all new charging stations must support soon. I wouldn't be too happy that Nissan are still pushing Chademo when they are the only car using it in Europe. Especially when the Leaf already has a type 2 socket so it wouldn't have killed them to put a couple of DC pins under it and enabled the vehicle to charge from both CCS or Chademo.
The Leaf doesn't have a real world range of less than 100 miles. They've been producing the 30kwh car for 2 years which does over 100 miles. Also regenerative braking doesn't use the brakes to generate electricity. The electric motor effectively turns into an alternator. Yet another EV review video by people who don't really understand what they're reviewing and consequently is full of inaccuracies.
Leaf is by far and away the most appealing electric car. Thanks for testing the range of the vehicles. Similar weather locally in winter and this is of great concern. I will definitely wait for the leaf with the larger 64Kwh battery (with the all important thermal management that is absent on the current model).
Took delivery of my e-Golf yesterday. Got approximately £13,500 off list price of £35,053 including extras. That's £4,500 from the government, £5,500 VW Diesel scrappage against a car worth about £2.K and a further £3,500 dealer discount. That brings it down to £22,000, a much more attractive price. Range on first trip about 130 miles including about 50 at motorway speeds, but it was a lovely warm day - good for the battery, bad for the air con.
value after 3 years £5500? I bought my battery owned zoe ze40 for 18.900 and the cheapest 3 year old one in the whole UK was 18000. You're using battery leased zoe 22kwh prices to calculate depreciation on the battery owned 41kwh one? ridiculous
The "best" electric car is the one that "best" suits your needs. If you drive hundreds of kilometers/miles per day (some people do) then an EV might not be for you. If however, like most people, you drive 30-50 miles (50-80 kilometers) per day, then you have some practical EV choices. Battery/charging technology is advancing and will catch up with most drivers' needs in the near future. I for one will not miss the stink, noise and heat of ICE propulsion systems (that have remained relatively unchanged for the past 100 years).
The Zoe might be the cheapest, however it’s the only one of the three with compulsory battery leasing which in the real world makes it by far the most expensive to run. The Leaf is an absolute bargain for an EV in today’s market.
Jonathan Harrison when buying a zoe you can lease the battery or buy it outright. Also when I ordered my zoe in December i got a £6,500 discount on top of the grant so bringing the price down to £13k which is great for the car
Edward Purkis that’s encouraging Renault have followed Nissan with the purchase option but it’s easy to see why they are being so coy on their website and configurator about that cost of optional battery purchase. Looks like around £7k, bringing a base Zoe to the mid-£20k’s after government incentives. For a sparsely equipped very small car that’s a pretty ridiculous RRP, and although there’s always room to haggle, it’s too a high a point to start negotiations. I like the Zoe a lot, I also think it’s possibly the best looking small car on the market despite its age, but Renault need to get their act together on pricing, or Nissan will just own the compact EV market.
Jonathan Harrison yes the pricing varies greatly dealer by dealer, they are not supportive of customers, Nissan on the other hand are super helpful and supportive, the base zoe is low 20k which is a lot for the car yes only if it comes down with discounts to 15k ish is it worth it. The leaf is a better car if you can afford it but the zoe is great at the right price.
Edward Purkis you also just get so much more for your money with the Leaf, it’s well equipped even in base spec and is a proper Golf sized 5 seater. It doesn’t have the style of the Zoe but it’s a dramatic improvement over the outgoing model.
I paid less than £18 k for a Zoe with metallic black paintwork and battery purchase. The other cars are better to drive but the range and price of the Zoe were the clincher. Take it easy in the summer and 200 miles is possible.
While the Zoe has this ridiculously old radio and navigation system it can be hacked quite easily to have Android Auto. The new 2018 Zoe has this already activated when bought. These system is far superior to everything that car manufacturers beside Tesla provide.
I have a 2017 Leaf I bought new for $18,435 after $10K Power company discount &$7,500 fed tax credit. I average 4.2 miles per kWh commuting to work @ 65mph and I pay .06 cents kWh. That's .014 cents a mile. Starbucks just raised a basic coffee to to $2.15 which is what it cost me to drive 150 miles. That is what EV's are all about. My Leaf does everything I require at fraction of the operating cost an ICE car and no consideration of the price of gas. I'm selling my 40 mpg Yaris. 1 gal gas = 33.7 kWh which cost me less then $2, and @ 4.2 miles per kWh I get over 140 MPG equivalent @ $2.00 a gal. Long trip? Rent a car!
Doug Revolta - what a great name to review electric cars ! 🙂 The e Golf wasn't designed for electric the VW id 3 is now a better bet. But the LEAF is still head and shoulders above the competition.
The discount available on a Zoe is much larger than suggested and this needs to be factored in on running costs against an ice car. Also you can buy Zoe or leaf under three years old from £4k to £7k. Now compare runnings costs ! They blow ice cars out of the water. Today's news, petrol going up another 15per litre! I'm starting my fourth year in a Renault Fluence, limited range yes! But you really can make an EV work for you. Warning once you own one, there is no going back.
Blaze 125 The second gen was compared to the Hyundai ioniq on a long trip which has lower range but after three quick charges the leaf was three hours behind. The ioniq can quick charge continuously unlike the leaf which reverts to slow charge on the third stop.
Why not use the new more powerfull version of the zoe with 110hp. Why is an ICE car used as benchmark? Why is the ionoq missing? Otherwise quite good review in real circumstances.
Since there's no restriction on price mentioned, Tesla makes the best electric cars currently. With the Model S arguably being the best. (Range, Acceleration, Technology, future potential (software updates))
Sorry do not agree with comments on tall people easily fitting in leaf and golf. I cant fit easily or comfortably in either. the best was the Zoe by a country mile waiting to oct 2019 for revised model see if its still as spacious
The 2018 and newer versions of the Leaf looks so much BETTER. Previous years the front and rear lights looked ridiculous but I'm biased towards my e-Golf.
Just to be sure we're all on the same page ... what I meant is, it's quite commonly available in EU. I see them all the time. Not sure about UK, but I'd wager you have them in all the salons as well. Really baffling why it was omitted from the test. If anything it fits the group way more than Zoe .... Actually, if anything it would kick Leaf's butt, because it has way superior battery management system. So, again ... well researched guys, next time you compare superminis do it without the Golf, eh ...
Hi Gary, Model 3 isn't available in the UK yet, as soon as it is the road test team will be putting it through all our usual testing & new Real Range testing: www.whatcar.com/news/what-car-real-range-which-electric-car-can-go-farthest-in-the-real-world/n18159 😃
Leaf higher power,range,space and lower cost whereas volkswagen has adjustable steering, are you kidding? To me there is no comparison. Personally own a volkswagen, high price and low quality, cheats. Shame on them.
Good video. Doesn't matter how good/bad the Golf is, as I will never buy any VW product again. I would be too embarrassed to be seen in them, as a bit of an environmentalist.
You've not done a true comparison!!!! You've omitted the Hyundia Ioniq EV, also the Kia Sol (even though it does not look very attractive). Also there is a new testing regime WLTP. Which is a better test of predicted range instead if NEDC. Please amend your review
Good balanced review overall, with a few rough edges. E.g., 7:52 -- no mention of e-Golf's adaptive LED headlights? Apparently they are directional -- and a big convenience and safety plus.
No mention of the Leaf Quick Charge/overheating battery foibles, nor that it is just a re-bodied first generation car. All have insufficient range for a typical low mileage owner and the depreciation is horrific, again no mention of that. Frankly, although worthy, there’s a long, long way to go before I would even consider any of them.
You never mention a cars looks, and most car makers don't seem to give a stuff either. I really love the look of my Zoe, I can't help but look back at it as I walk away and it gives me a lovely warm feeling inside just to see it in a morning. I wouldn't be getting that from either of the others. I was particularly disappointed with the new Leaf. I had discounted the mark 1 for other reasons but it was a good looking car, the new one? Anonymous at best and can't be distinguished from other nissans. The golf? Just boring. I think I must in in the minority for finding this feature as important as any other (judging by some of the dross people buy), but it wouldn't hurt manufacturers to make an effort, would it?
How can you ban something in the future not knowing what will replace it. Also a small 10kw battery and electic motor/ petrol engine in a ford focus would be an alternative
Yep! ICE is banned from 2040 but that's ridiculous. It will soon be moved to 2030 is my guess and anyway no one will be wanting to buy a fossil fuel car post 2025. @Chris Hart I have no idea what you are talking about? Battery electric will obviously replace the ICE. A small battery + ICE is called a hybrid and they are about to go extinct. EVs are not cars as we traditionally know them. They are tech on wheels and as such will get better and cheaper way faster than most people think.
Pete Coventry new sales of ICE will be banned from 2040, all the cars bought in 2039 can stay and be used. Also after 2040 an ICE car with a very small battery and electric motor (hybrid) will still be available to buy.
@Chris Hart Sorry but you are deluded. We are dealing with information technologies here. The idea that someone would be buying an ICE car in 2039 is just hilarious. By 2025 EVs will have 300+ miles ranges, amazing performance and will cost less than 20k. By then the charging infrastructure will be ubiquitous. Total lifetime running costs of an EV will be a fraction of an ICE car (helped of course by the fact that by 2025 about 30% of the world's energy will come from renewables). Public opinion is shifting rapidly now. The only ICE cars you will be able to buy in 2039 will be classics and you'll probably need a special licence and have to pay lots of money to drive them.
Regen does not use brakes to regenerate energy. It uses motor to slow car down. Only Zoe can use 3 phase charging. At home, that is 22kW, which is full charge in 3 hours. On Leaf and Golf two lower pins are left blank, so they can use only single phase 7kW charge. A shame. BTW Zoe uses same connector as Tesla for rapid charge, and VW (and other Germans) had to bodge CCS onto type 2 to have rapid charge.
a i-dynamic will never be work £5k after 3 years. Are you using the price of lease battery 22khw models to price a used battery owned 41khw model? makes no sense
I know right - a 3 year old i-Zoe for £5k, now that would be a billy bargain. Unfortunately they STILL seem to be about £6/7k+ but with a battery lease 😖
@@chrisweston9764 ye i can find zoe for 6k or 13k with a battery lease or other without it, but how does that work? how much time you have to pay the battery?
As this point it is Nissan Leaf which is the best but one should really always ask which is best for me instead of going with the heard! I'm still one of those that thinks electric cars will come in masses, but only after maybe 20-30 years from now?
I think the interest and adoption is building increasingly fast now, and mass adoption within 10 years. Just read about the development programmes of most of the manufacturers. Plus the much cheaper fuel and cleaner air a big attraction.
But the batteries are still miles away from beeing fast to charge (how many thousand promises of new battery technologies has there been but none have made it to production?) -> This is what a think will be the dealbreaker and that will take time to solve.
It's not a dealbreaker for many people because you charge the battery overnight, or while you work or shop. Every day I leave my house with a full range. So far have not needed to use a public charger at all. No trips to gas station either.
Jason Baker what about people that don’t have access to charger at home. Condos townhomes apartments. And if you did research the basic charging cord you get with a Tesla doesn’t even charge your battery once the temp drops below 0 degrees
2LegHumanist correct for UK - only 2% of electricity is generated using coal. However, in the USA it is a bit different with 400 coal power stations making up 30% of electricity. Furthermore this is due to increase not decrease with trump in office as he supports coal. More importantly, with electric cars the pollution is moved away from city centres where it causes people to get respiratory problems/die prematurely.
C J Green 30% from coal means a whopping 70% is not. Even if the whole 70% is natural gas and no renewables (and it isn't), an EV running on that mix is far better for the environment. Also, Trump no power to dictate what mode of electricity individual states promote and there is zero sign of it increasing. The proportion of coal power on the US network has fallen every year for the last decade.
The Leaf's infotainment is horrible. Does no-one else notice the stretched graphics? Did the designers forget that they were designing for a 16:9 screen instead of a 4:3 screen?
All these cars are only practical as a Second Car, to be used for say commuting up to 70-80 miles a day, which would include the majority I would expect, and be absolutely ideal. And for long trips an economical Hybrid such as Golf GTE. The e-Golf is by far the best of this trio, and I am sure will retain far more of its initial cost in the future. With high 'City Pollution Charges' commencing in 2019 of around £10 a DAY on top of Congestion charges, these would all be exempt, and start to make real sense to those who can afford 2 cars. Diesel Cars have had an unfair 'knocking' in my view. My 2014 Mercedes B200cdi does up to 72 mpg, has averaged over 50mpg over 20,000 miles, and at a recent MOT I asked what a comment was, and it was explained "Emissions to Low to Measure" ! What about the Thousands of Lorries, Busses, Ships and Trains that daily belch out filthy fumes, and most Lorries & Busses only cover around 7mpg !
Whats the point its too expensive in my country and the orignal leaf and the 30kwand24kw leaf is becoming kinda affoadable where i live and all the bloody car dealers hate ev's where i live.
Charles Cloutier talk to me in 10 years and we will see how much a Chevy costs in repairs. Don’t get me wrong great lease vehicle but purchase fuck noo
