Does Nissans new electric car, the Leaf, represent the future of motoring?
It’s not there yet but it’s an intriguing start, reports STEVE COLQUHOUN. The future of motoring is whisper-quiet, like a leaf falling from a tree. So serene is it behind the wheel of the Nissan Leaf electric vehicle that you suddenly become hyper-aware of all those sounds that have always been hidden behind a wall of engine noise in a car powered by the ubiquitous internal combustion engine. The wind whistling past the wing mirrors, tyre noise, even the breathing of the person sitting beside you in the passenger seat all suddenly become surprisingly present. The other sound you won’t hear is your conscience nagging you, because you’re driving a car that produces no emissions – not a single gram of CO2 is released into the atmosphere.
