To get to Kaiwaka I had the privilege of driving one of our fleet cars – a Nissan Leaf. These cars are beautiful to drive; they glide, they don’t roar, they handle well. Although slightly less powered than their Tesla cousins the drive was the same. We headed out of Auckland early to beat the traffic and provide ample time. With the traffic being slow I could take it easy. Electric cars are very capable at higher speeds but the Nissan Leaf gives better mileage at the lower speeds.
The experience was challenging. I had to adjust my driving style and mindset from that of a petrol car. I had to be more aware of the road and other fellow drivers – letting them pass wherever I could. I kept to 80km per hour to ensure the battery would last the whole distance. Hills and trucks became my friends! On the up-hill I was pleased to be behind a truck as this slowed me down and conserved energy! On the down hill I was able to regenerate and put energy back into the battery.
Overall a very relaxed drive and I made it to the Kaiwaka opening on time and with 8km to spare! Needless to say I was 2nd in line to charge at the Charge.Net’s Fast Charger allowing the battery to be charged to 80% in 30 minutes – enough to get me most of the way home.
Nissan LEAF Instrument Cluster