Editor’s Blog on why electric cars don’t work for SMEs
ELECTRIC cars have been receiving a very positive press this week.
It started a little while back when the Nissan LEAF became the first electric car to win the European Car of the Year title.
It was a significant moment: the first time a car without a conventional combustion engine had won the award. “Nissan LEAF is the first EV that can match conventional cars in many respects,” said the Car of the Year jury president Hakan Matson.
It was also a significant moment for Sunderland in Tyne & Wear where the LEAF, along with the car’s lithium-ion batteries, are to be produced.
The Nissan LEAF is powered by an electric motor that develops 109PS and 280Nm of torque, enough for a maximum speed of 90mph. Power for the electric motor is generated by a 24kW lithium-ion battery giving the new Nissan LEAF a range of more than 100 miles between charges.
And then this week came the announcement from the government of the first set of vehicles eligible for the new ‘Plug-In Car Grant’, whereby the cost of the car