The Language of LEAF

Fresh and innovative creations demand unique new languages all of their own and the Nissan LEAF is no exception. To make sure you know all the latest buzzwords, take a look at our guide to LEAF lingo, and you’ll be well-versed in the language of electric vehicles in no time.

Reachable area: This refers to the distance you will be able to travel with the remaining power in your Nissan LEAF battery. Your reachable area will be displayed on a 7” touch screen monitor, which also shows the locations of nearby charging points.

Petrol station: It may seem a little odd to find this here, but for LEAF owners it will be all too easy to forget what a petrol station is. Quite simply, it won’t be part of your vocabulary. However, we’ve included it in our list so that you know what your non-LEAF driving friends are talking about when they have a good old moan about the price of petrol, queuing at the pumps and painfully slow cashiers.

Eco-drive rating: The LEAF’s dashboard includes an eco-indicator, which rewards careful driving by lighting up a virtual dashboard tree. The more careful your driving is, the more your tree grows. Driving economically will maximise your available mileage but also increase your eco-drive rating. You can check your rating as you go along, see your ranking from the day before and check out all the other Nissan LEAF drivers’ ratings too.

Lithium-ion battery: This is what powers your LEAF. Nissan’s new lithium-ion battery is our most advanced yet. It has double the energy density of a conventional battery.

Regenerative Braking: Your LEAF is able to recharge itself through braking, and a regenerative braking gauge shows you the battery recharging in real-time. A similar technology, known as KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems), was used by Formula 1 teams, including Ferrari, Renault, BMW and McLaren, during the 2009 season.

Sunderland plant: Not a new breed of garden shrub, but the place where both the Nissan LEAF (2013) and the lithium-ion batteries (2012) will be manufactured, which is terrific news for the UK.

Charge port: Farewell to the petrol cap and welcome to the charge port. Located at the front of the LEAF, the charge port is where you connect your electric vehicle to a charger.

Range anxiety: With the average UK daily distance travelled being just 25 miles*, and a fully-charged LEAF capable of travelling around 100 miles (LA4Mode Urban Test, actual distance may vary), you’ll have plenty of battery energy to take you where you need to go. Plus, with charging points becoming abundant across the UK, there’s little need to be concerned about running out of power – however far your journey.

*Source: The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders