Why an electric company car is perfect for city driving
With low running costs, exemption from congestion and ULEZ charges, and tech that makes urban driving easier and safer, it makes sense for fleet drivers to go electric...
If you’re heading into the heart of the city for work, you wouldn’t be blamed if your first reaction would be to opt for public transport. After all, why not let the train take the strain as you sit back and relax, or use the time to hone that sales pitch?
But what if you’re heading into town at rush hour, facing a sweaty crush of commuters? As a 2018 study found, you could be paying up to 40p a mile[1] for the privilege. Then there’s the question of how to get from the station to your final destination, which means a long walk or hopping onto another form of transport.
Taxis take you door-to-door but can be ruinously expensive. And while buses may be the cheapest option for urban travel, their long unpredictable waits, frequent stops and tortuous routes that force you to constantly swap and change buses make them one of the slowest and most frustrating ways to navigate a city. With the backdrop of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, there are also extra levels of inconvenience and health concerns around social distancing on public transport to take into account.
Maybe, with modern EVs – such as the 100% electric Nissan LEAF or the upcoming Nissan ARIYA SUV – offering fleet and company car drivers a cosseting, direct and cost-effective way to head into the city in style and comfort, it’s time to think again.
To find out more about why an electric car like the Nissan LEAF is perfect for fleet or company car drivers, head to nissan.co.uk/fleet
The cheapest way into town
There are lots of reasons why an electric car makes great financial sense for fleet or company car drivers, even before you put a wheel on the road – the combination of electric vehicle and home charging grants, benefit-in-kind (BIK) tax incentives and reduced vehicle excise duty (VED) road tax and servicing costs potentially saving you around £12,000 over three years[2] compared to a petrol or diesel model.
Those savings are accentuated when it comes to the low daily running costs of driving into town. If you’re starting from home and have fully recharged overnight, then you’ve got 168 miles of range (WLTP) on 40kWh Nissan LEAF models, or 239 miles (WLTP) on LEAF e+ models[3]. With the average daily urban commute typically being less than 20 miles[4] you could do over a week of city driving on one charge.
With home charging costing as little as 4p per mile, even at peak rates, your trip into the heart of town can cost as little as 40p to 80p per day, or £104 to £208 per year[5]. Plus, you won’t face any expensive congestion or urban low-emissions zone (ULEZ) charges, which mount up to £27.50 a day for older petrol or diesel cars. Compare that to a London zone 1-6 travelcard, which can cost you up to £18.10 per day or £2,640 a year, and the cost-savings are clear.
If you’re caught short and need to top up your battery in town, there are plenty of options. First, 7kW fast chargers are becoming a regular fixture in city centre car parks, while a growing network of urban 50kW+ rapid charge points that can get you from 20% to 80% range in as little as 60 minutes for 40kWh LEAF models or 90 minutes for 62kWh LEAF e+ models[6].
That’s perfect if you need to top up while you’re having an in-depth meeting or a leisurely and productive long business lunch. And, even though public rapid chargers are more expensive to use than home charging, a 20-80% top-up only costs £7.20 (or 7.2p per mile)[7] for around 100 miles of range for 40kWh Nissan LEAF models.
Making the city commute a breeze
Today’s Nissan LEAF models also give you access to a wealth of Intelligent Mobility features that have been designed to make city driving easier and safer.
It all starts with NissanConnect[8] – a series of apps that digitally sync your smartphone with your car, for work as well as play. You can prep your LEAF remotely with NissanConnect, programming the most cost-effective times for a full overnight charge the evening before, or pre-warming or pre-cooling your car’s air-conditioning the next morning while it’s still plugged in to provide the optimum driving conditions, without losing any range.
Electric cars, like the Nissan LEAF, also make city driving a pleasure, rather than a pain, especially when it comes to dealing with the bustle of city centres. First, there’s the responsive e-Pedal, which blends the punchy 217PS and 340Nm of instantly available electric torque on Nissan LEAF e+ models with powerful regenerative braking to provide true one-pedal driving. You can even hold your car on a hill without touching the brakes – perfect for stop-start traffic.
Then there’s the Nissan LEAF’s suite of ProPILOT aids and other driver assistance technologies, which all lend a helping hand when navigating urban traffic – whether it’s Intelligent Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Recognition or Blind Spot Intervention that highlight passing cars on multi-lane streets and applies slight braking force to help return the vehicle to its original lane[9].
Finally, once you’ve reached your destination, a combination of Rear Cross Traffic Alert warnings for your blind spots, an overhead Intelligent Around View Monitor, and optional automated ProPILOT Park[9] help to remove the stress of urban car parks and reduce the likelihood of bumps and scrapes.
So, from journey start to journey’s end, the long list of reasons why an electric car is perfect for city driving could make it the first choice for your urban commute.
[1] For substantiation, visit: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-45174496
[2] Total savings on Nissan LEAF 40kWh N-Connecta vs typical UK best-selling hatchback with 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine (automatic transmission) = £515 road tax + £9,623 BIK + £2,067 fuel - £529 charger installation + £240 servicing = £11,916
[3] Nissan LEAF laminated lithium-ion 40kWh battery with 168 miles range and e+ 62kWh battery with 239 miles range. WLTP figures shown are for comparability purposes. Actual real-world driving results may vary depending on factors such as the starting charge of the battery, accessories fitted after registration, weather conditions, driving style and vehicle load.
[4] Based on average annual mileage of petrol/diesel drivers of 7,400 miles per year (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/nts09-vehicle-mileage-and-occupancy#car-mileage). Equates to 142 miles per week/20 miles per day.
[5] Cost to charge 40kWh Nissan LEAF battery to up to 168-mile range based on average daytime electric rates of 16.5p per kWh (Drive Zero, August 2020) = £6.60 (3.9p per mile). Cost to charge 62kWh Nissan LEAF e+ battery to up to 239-mile range based on average daytime electric rates of 16.5p per kWh (Drive Zero, August 2020) = £10.23 (4.2p per mile)
[6] Figures quoted are for 40kWh (LEAF) and 62kWh (LEAF e+) batteries. Time dependent on charging conditions, including charger type and condition, battery temperature as well as ambient temperature at point of use. Indicated rapid charging time requires use of a CHAdeMO rapid charger. The Nissan LEAF is designed to support the majority of journeys in daily life and is equipped with charging safeguards to protect the battery during repeated rapid charging sessions in a short period of time. The time taken for successive rapid charging can take longer if the battery temperature activates the battery safeguarding technology.
[7] Based on Nissan LEAF 40kWH model with rapid charging cost of 30p per kWh (ecotricity.co.uk) and fast recharging cost of 12p per kWh (polar-network.com). 20-80% charge of 100.8 miles (60% of 40kWh) = 24kWh x £0.30 = £7.20.
[8] NissanConnect should only be used when the vehicle is parked safely. Use of the system should always be in accordance with the rules of the Highway Code. Drivers should only use the system when it is safe to do so. Users should be aware of the potential for hands-free technology to distract attention from the road, which could impact on having full control of the vehicle. For compatible devices, please visit https://www.nissan.co.uk/ownership/nissan-infotainment-system/nissanconnect-services.html. To use NissanConnect services you need a smartphone with compatible iOS or Android operating system and a SIM card with data option from a mobile service provider. Services subject to mobile network coverage. NissanConnect services available from an additional charge on subscription after the third year. For further information, please visit https://www.nissan.co.uk or contact your local Nissan Dealer.
[9] ProPILOT is standard on Tekna and e+ Tekna, optional on N-Connecta and e+ N-Connecta. ProPILOT Park optional on Tekna & e+ Tekna grades. ProPILOT is an Advanced Driver Assist technology but cannot prevent collisions. ProPILOT is intended for ‘Eyes on/Hands On’ for highways only (road separated by barriers). It is the driver’s responsibility to stay alert, drive safely and be able to take control of the vehicle at any time. Intelligent Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Recognition and Blind Spot Warning standard on Acenta grade and above. Rear Cross Traffic Alert standard on Acenta grade and above. Intelligent Around View Monitor standard on N-Connecta grade and above. You should not rely solely on driver convenience features. Some features may not work in all conditions and circumstances. Speed and other limitations apply. For terms and conditions relating to Nissan technologies please visit https://www.nissan.co.uk/techterms.
