EM - December 2013/January 2014 - (Page 5)
December 2013/January 2014 * www.esb.ie/em
NEWS
5
REVIEW OF THE RENAULT ZOE AND NISSAN'S EURO LEAF
By Dave Walshe, EM Motoring Correspondent
A legend of the motoring industry, none other than Henry Ford
himself, observed that if he had asked the market what they wanted
he'd have bred a faster horse. So motorists are very bad at coming up
with innovations it seems. So why should it be any different with the
market's perspective of cars that are powered by electricity. (I refuse
to call them electric cars because they are cars first and foremost and
when did we ever say "I drive a petrol vehicle or a diesel vehicle"). I
have had the pleasure of driving two new cars recently. Firstly, the
pre-Irish Market launch Renault Zoe and secondly the brand new
Nissan Leaf.
The Zoe first. Just look at it. If any self-respecting mini/beetle/fiat
500 driver isn't salivating by this exceedingly good looking car then
I don't know what will please them. It has the latest styling cues and
be it powered by petrol/diesel/electricity it stands on its own merit as
a fine looking car. I have said for ages now that the surprising thing
about these cars is that they are so car like, we need to get over this
electricity bit. Fully charged, the maximum range on this Zoe is 210km.
I drove it to and from home without a charge and drove it with the
intention of matching my normal driving style. I used the heater too
and the radio and drove at motorway speeds. Nothing to report other
than how normal it is. Of immediate appeal is the way the power is
delivered. Instantly is the best description. It is well equipped and
knowing Renault, it will have a very attractive sticker price. It will be
a real alternative to a fossil fuelled car if your commute is analytically
examined and you use your head and not your heart.
The Leaf has been updated hoping to add more buyers to the 60,000
worldwide who have already bought one. It may look familiar but guess
what, Nissan are claiming it is even more revolutionary than the last
Leaf. That's normal motoring blurb for what, remember, is a normal
motor vehicle - it's just powered by electricity. My time with the Leaf
reinforced the perception of this car as a quality product. It is multimedia
friendly and truly interactive from your PC or smartphone. There's an
app to preheat the car for example on cold mornings, so it's toasty when
you get into it and you are using mains power and not battery power.
I won't report that the ride is car - like because I must have emphasised
it enough by now. In a city environment this is serenely quiet upmarket
motoring. All 199km of it on a full charge - driving appropriately that
is. It has the same instant response as the Zoe. It has more family appeal
as it is that bit bigger than the Zoe which seems geared towards a more
youthful market or a smaller sized family. Both cars have excellent
boots as the batteries are under the car and don't rob interior space.
The Leaf pricing starts from €20,990 rising to €26,390 for the top of
the range SVE model. Zoe pricing is still to be announced but will more
than likely follow the Fluence model whereby the battery is rented.
This has future proofing and peace of mind warranty benefits. The Leaf
has no battery rental charges. The Nissan LEAF is included under the
Nissan finance package from €229 per month. Details are available
from local LEAF dealers.
Cars always evolve and the way we fuel them. We have had petrol,
dabbled in gas, migrated en masse to diesel and now the fuel we will
inevitably migrate to is Electricity. A good indicator of this is who is
making cars that run on electricity. Nearly all the main manufacturers
are making them or plan to. BMW will be here soon and, mark my
words; the electric models will become as desirable as the Band A 520D
was when it was launched.
ESB is playing its part by rolling out a nationwide charging
infrastructure and to date, the total number of charge points installed is
1,400. This includes home, public and fast charge points. 95% of major
towns and cities are covered, as are most motorway and inter urban
routes. EV customers can seamlessly charge their car anywhere on the
island of Ireland using the seam charge point access car.
If your car will get you in and out of work on a full charge then you
may never need to visit a 'filling' station again - apart from when you
are going on a long trip and you need to call into a service station with
a fast charger to allow you continue on your journey.
When choosing your next car consider this. The cost of propelling your
chosen vehicle is up to eight times less if your fuel of choice is electricity.
It's a compelling argument. The demand for Tax Band A cars of the past
will be replaced with the demand for low cost fuelling bills and in this
competition cars powered by electricity will be the ones we all want.
Here's to electricity.
Pictured with his new 100%
Electric Nissan Leaf are Sinead
Treanor, Plant Manager, ESB
Erne Stations and Emlyn Lang,
Erne Stations Plant Operator and
Safety Office, ESB Erne Station.
MAKING THE SWITCH
"I'm saving €100 a week driving my new EV." - ESB staff member, Emlyn Lang
8 Emlyn Lang, who works at
ESB's Cathleen's Fall Station,
Ballyshannon, Co Donegal,
recently bought a new 100%
electric Nissan EURO LEAF. EM
interviews Emlyn to ask him
about his new car and why he
made the switch.
Emlyn, what made you switch to an
electric vehicle?
The main motivation for the switch
was financial. I was spending over
€100 per week on diesel and I thought
its crazy having to pay that much
money to commute to work. Of
course I like the fact that it is good for
the environment too.
Can you describe your typical weekly
commute?
I leave the house in the morning and
drive 80km to work. The car sits for
eight hours in the car park at the
power station until I leave work and
drive the 80km back to my house. I
sometimes make the odd detour into
Sligo town on my way home (no extra
distance, just time) or 20-30km local
mileage at home in the evening. The
free home charger that is provided
with the car by ESB enables me
charge the vehicle overnight for a
fraction of the cost of diesel.
How do you find the driving
experience?
I find the EV a lot calmer. I don't know
if it is because I am still getting used
to the car and am careful with the
battery or if it's the near silent ride
which keeps me soothed.
How much will you save on fuel per
week by driving an EV?
€100 approximately per week,
which should equate to over €5,000
in a year.
What is your favourite feature of
your new EV?
It has very smooth acceleration with
maximum torque immediately.
Where and how do you charge the
EV?
I use the Home Charge point which
came free with the car at home and
the Power Station has a Charge Point
on site. There is also a widespread
public charging infrastructure which
I can avail of. I am hoping to make a
trip to Enniskillen for Christmas so I
will use the charging infrastructure in
Northern Ireland then.
Would you recommend an EV to
other ESB staff?
From my experiences to date, I would
recommend an EV to other staff. So
far so good, but I still have to trial
the car in year round conditions and
hopefully I can make a full report
back then! n
DRIVE YOUR SAVINGS IN 2014
Even more good reasons to switch to an ecar
* 5.5% interest rate ecar loan available from
ESB Credit Union
* 30% discount for ecar insurance from
ESB Staff Insurance Scheme
* €5,000 Government grant towards the
purchase of an ecar
* 1-2 cents per kilometre to fuel an ecar
* 1,400 charge points available nationwide
* €120 motor tax band for ecars
* Free home charge point installed by ESB
* Lower servicing and maintenance costs
* Special ESB staff ecar incentives
available from Nissan and Renault
http://www.esb.ie/em
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of EM - December 2013/January 2014
EM - December 2013/January 2014
Contents
News
Innovation
Generation & Wholesale Markets
BSC & Electric Ireland
ESB Networks Ltd
Health & Habitat
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