Nissan Leaf: the most futuristic electric on the market

More than thinking about design or technology, the Leaf is the first step towards the domination of man by machines

When it came time to bring electric cars to mainstream markets, automakers faced a dichotomous decision: design them to look like spaceships, the vehicles of the future that would put the finishing touches to the internal combustion engine; or make them so they didn’t look electric at all and could blend into the urban environment without being labeled by your neighbor as a madman who cares about the polar melting.

There is no right answer as there are good examples from every field. For example, the BMW i3 looks like the dream of urban mobility
William Gibson: a small model to maneuver the crowded streets of the future without (further) polluting the already battered atmosphere. At the other extreme is the Renault Megane E-Tech, where it can’t be seen that it emits no gas except for the Zero label on the windshield.

In addition, a new type of electric car is now emerging: cars that look to the past and bet on pronounced retro lines, as in the case of the Hyundai Ioniq 5.

Where there is consensus is the interior design, which is always futuristic because it is not limited by the laws of automotive engineering, which has been refined over the better part of a century. In the interior design and in the sounds, the auditory experience is one of the most effective (and cheap!) ways to make you feel like a special product, especially when the sound of an engine doesn’t exist in it.

Some manufacturers, such as BMW, have even hired
Hans Zimmerthe Oscar-winning composer for the Dune soundtrack, to simulate the sound of his models, but most are content with robotic buzzes and beeps and more or less obtrusive warnings.

Sound, like interfaces, is something that ages quickly and badly. To our ears of 2022, accustomed to carefully crafted pieces of music where autotune goes unnoticed, 8-bit synthesis sounds just as archaic as Pacman. Because they went hand in hand. And they can get annoying.

Which brings us to today’s vehicle in question: the Nissan Leaf. One of the first affordable electric cars to hit the market – it was introduced in 2010, when the Tesla Model S didn’t even exist – the Leaf quickly carved its niche, despite initially having a low-capacity battery of 24. kWh with less than 200 km of autonomy.

This has been updated with subsequent generations to 62 kWh, giving it a range of over 400 real km, with a 160 kW (217 hp) engine. The design, within the retro-futuristic spectrum, is more forward looking, but without being too risky. Nissan, as a brand, prides itself on looking ahead, and the Leaf’s lines would define what the brand’s next models would look like.

Until the arrival of the Ariya, Nissan’s electric flagship, the Leaf’s interior is comfortable, well designed and has modern elements such as the rear-view mirror of the video camera, an unconventional gear lever, Android Auto or the e-pedal function to brake aggressively. the car by lifting the accelerator pedal with regenerative braking.

All this has led many taxi drivers in Madrid to choose the Leaf as their zero-emissions favorite, which can only say positive things about a vehicle (and really, the test could end with that statement). However, each of their drivers, without exception, has disabled their audible warnings.

Worst of all is Lane Departure Alert, which sounds like a horn in the distance, coupled with aggressive steering correction. The first few times it went off, I remember turning my face in anger trying to figure out who was the driver who was criticizing my (flawless) driving.

When I discovered that my enemy was in fact the car I was driving, I felt betrayed, worse than if my cat preferred a friend to me. A sign of changing times, machines that underestimate the driving skills of their users. Possibly for this reason the Leaf is the most futuristic electric car on the market.

Over my dead body. I can tolerate other drivers getting on my nerves, but never my vehicle. To deactivate it, you have to go to the settings menu via the steering wheel controls, something very hidden, but frustration sped up the process. Fortunately, Nissan has gotten so much feedback on this that their modern cars don’t have that sound.

Source: La Verdad

Ida

I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.