Nissan Leaf Electric Powered Car £24000 !- Let Autopaints know your thoughts

The ultimate 'plug-and-play' car: The Nissan Leaf is not a glorified milk float - it's a real family car that is powered from the domestic mains.

GOOD

• This is not a glorified milk float: it's a real family car you can use with the added satisfaction that you're helping to make cities cleaner and quieter. Powered from the domestic mains for 2½p-a-mile motoring, it's the ultimate 'plug-and-play' car.
• And it's British - sort of. From 2013, the Leaf will be built at the Japanese giant's Sunderland factory. I took it for a spin around Lisbon ahead of its arrival in Britain.
• Performance is surprisingly quick away from lights thanks to 107bhp and 206lb/ft of thrust. From 0 to 60mph takes 11.8 seconds. Top speed is 90mph.
• Handling and road-holding is good considering the 300kg weight of the batteries. 
• Peace and calm in the cabin, and there's no pollution from the exhaust. In fact, there isn't an exhaust. So no CO2, nor any of the oxides of nitrogen and particulates emitted by diesels.
• By anticipating hold-ups and using the energy-recapturing brakes on the downhill sections of the test, a range of 86 miles improved over a short distance to 88 miles.
• It easily coped on a faster 40-mile out-of-town route and recharged over lunch.
• An overnight full charge from a household power socket costs £1 to £1.50. 
• Fuel cost per mile is almost a third of the 7.4p for an already frugal Seat Leon 1.6 diesel, says website whatgreencar.com.
• CoverIng 12,000 miles a year would cost £120 to £170, compared to £1,550 for a small petrol car averaging 40mpg.
• No London Congestion Charge.
• Nissan and its battery manufacturing partner NEC say the Leaf will be as reliable as any other Nissan product.

BAD

• It's pricey. Even after the £5,000 government grant to encourage greener motoring, it costs £24,000.
• How green is green? Electricity to recharge the car is likely to be generated by a 'dirty' carbon-emitting power station.
• Styling, influenced by the need to minimise drag, is weird.
• Steering is too light, and the steering column doesn't adjust for reach, so the driving position might not suit everyone.
• Ride is lumpy at times on low-rolling resistance tyres.
• You can't take off on a whim to visit friends who live more than 100 miles away; the odds are you'll run out of juice, or anxiety stress will get you first.