Turning over a new Leaf

Nissan has unveiled the latest model of its Nissan Leaf – reportedly the world’s most advanced mass-market electric vehicle (EV) and icon of the company’s ‘Intelligent Mobility’ vision. All electric, the new model is the company’s first car in Europe to embrace the early steps of advanced driver assistance, featuring cutting-edge innovations including fully autonomous parking and technology allowing the driver to start, accelerate, decelerate and stop simply by adjusting their input upon the accelerator pedal (although the conventional brake pedal must still be used in ‘aggressive’ braking situations).

According to Nissan, the new model can go further, with a range of 378 km (235miles) on a single charge. The new Nissan Leaf will be on sale in Europe from January 2018; it is being launched on the Japanese market on 2 October 2017.

Commenting on the new model release, Taavi Madiberk, CEO of Skeleton Technologies, says: ‘With the electric car market intensifying and competition in the sector reaching its peak, Nissan’s announcement of the long-range Leaf is another step forward in reducing costs and making electric cars commercially viable. In the UK this surge has seen a significant momentum with a recent report from The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) reporting a 50% year-on-year increase in sales of EV and alternatively fuelled vehicles.’

‘However, in order for this momentum to continue, the UK must now look to invest in building reliable charging infrastructure to match the surge of power demands. Government, regulators, industry bodies and businesses must work together to support energy storage technologies that complement the grid, such as ultracapacitor and battery technology, to allow us to smooth the peak power needs and manage the growing demands on country’s energy infrastructure. With regulation forcing a response from manufacturers and a reduction in energy emissions, we must act quickly to create a foundation that will nurture renewable technology and support wider EV adoption to ensure that Britain can continue to innovate now and into the future.’

Looking to encourage the uptake of electric vehicles (EVs) in the UK, ChargePoint Services and Motor Fuel Group (MFG) have unveiled a partnership deal for the roll-out of forecourt EV charging across their UK network. The proposed roll-out is reported to be the first of its kind in the UK’s EV charging market. MFG – the second largest independent forecourt operator in the UK, with 413 stations – will host the 50-kW plus rapid chargers at its sites nationwide which operate under the BP, Shell, Texaco, Jet and Murco fuel brands. The chargers will become part of ChargePoint Services existing GeniePoint network.

Photo: Nissan