9:42 pm, August 2, 2009
SO what do you think of Nissan’s new electric car, the LEAF? Not so sure? Undecided?
For what it’s worth, I think the manufacturer is to be applauded, it’s a brave move and one that I’m sure will pay dividends.
Whether that’s to the extent of the plaudits won by the Toyota Prius and Honda Insight remains to be seen, but electric is certainly the direction – rightly or wrongly – the industry’s heading.
The Nissan announcement reminded me of the chat I had with Renault UK MD Roland Bouchara recently.
The Renault-Nissan alliance will no doubt mean a French version of the LEAF is due very soon, and the French firm’s boss did say we can expect to see the ‘direction Renault is taking’ at Frankfurt.
It’ll be interesting to see how they add some French flair to the LEAF’s design.
But one thing’s for sure. I’ll be praying to the great motoring god in the sky (Steve McQueen) that for the love of all things that drink petrol, they don’t give their version a ridiculous name like Nissan did.
I mean come on, how bleeding obvious do they need to be with that planet-hugging-we-really-are-honest-guv name… ‘LEAF’.
Surely it’s not going to be called that when it hits the streets?
What on earth would be next? Perhaps we’ll soon be introducing the ‘F0rrEst’ to cusotmers, or maybe sending them out for test drives in a ‘brEathE’, or how about a brochure for the ‘0zonE’.
Actually, come to think of it these are actually rather good. I better get off and find out how to register them myself before they end up on the back of the 2014 Micra…
James
