2018 Nissan LEAF

Speak to anyone involved in the business of producing electric cars and they will explain that one of the biggest hurdles to overcome is getting customers into the product. "We've found that people's opinion of EVs changed rapidly after they've experienced one for a few days," explained one high-ranking Nissan exec during a chance meeting at this year's Geneva Motor Show.

If that's the case, Nissan has clearly been working hard to get "bums on seats", as recent figures have shown that a new Nissan Leaf is sold every 12 minutes in Europe. The firm received over 20,000 orders in a single month earlier this year, making it the fastest selling electric vehicle in Europe, neatly taking the baton from the previous generation model, which is officially the world's best selling zero-emissions electric vehicle with some 300,000 customers handing over their cash since 2010.

So why mess with a winning formula? Well, competition in the market is now heating up, with the likes of Tesla, Jaguar and even Porsche muscling in on the EV turf, while "affordable" models are also now offered by the likes of Hyundai and Kia. This has forced Nissan to improve a number of key areas in the latest model, including performance, battery range and interior technology, while keeping the cost to consumer down.

In fact, the Japanese marque has managed to tick off all of the above while reducing the list price of the most basic trim grades by around £1,500 when the treasury's on-going EV inventive is thrown into the mix.

An all-new e-powertrain is arguably the biggest talking point here, as the 40kWh battery pack and 110kW electric motor team up to deliver 150hp and 320Nm of instantaneous torque, as well as increased range. But range has always been a murky area when it comes to electric vehicles, as the outgoing lab-based NEDC test has traditionally overestimated how far one can travel on a single charge.

To combat this, Nissan says that its latest Leaf is the first EV to undergo WLTP (Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Testing Procedure), which tests using real-world scenarios, runs longer test cycles, introduces higher speeds and takes into account the impact additional equipment may have on range.

That figure is pegged at 168 miles on the combined cycle (a mix of city and motorway driving), or up to 258 miles in city conditions, on a single charge. It's an impressive number for a vehicle that is priced to rival a raft of family SUVs, but owners should still expect that number to vary depending on numerous factors.

During our time with the new Leaf, we could see the adverse effect air conditioning, infotainment usage and speedy driving was having on the remaining range displayed on-screen and decided that 140-150 miles on a single charge would be about right for someone driving "normally".

More details: http://www.wired.co.uk/article/nissan-leaf-2018-review