Nissan Leaf cuts monthly fuel bills by 65 per cent
According to Nissan, families could cut their monthly fuel bills by up to 65 per cent by making the switch to electric power.
Equivalent to a family meal, a trip to the cinema or new clothes; the extra cash may well tip the balance when it comes to picking the next family car; according to a recent study by Nissan.
The findings, part of an expert study commissioned by Nissan to look at electric vehicle ownership and the role of the family car, surveyed motorists with children across the UK.
It found that families rated low running costs and safety as the top priorities when selecting a family car, far ahead of considerations such as comfort or performance.
Nissan also engaged renowned anthropologists, Stripe Partners, to assess the everyday realities of electric vehicle ownership in the context of the demands and dynamics of subject families from the UK, the largest market in Europe for the Nissan Leaf in 2014.
Last year, the Leaf clocked up 4,051 UK sales, doubling the volume sold in 2013 and becoming the largest market in Europe for the pure-electric Leaf.
One of the participants, Martin Brady from Dorridge, claimed to have saved more than £2,000 since adopting the Nissan Leaf as the family's primary mode of transport. He said: "I'd be surprised if it costs me much more than a fiver a week. I mainly charge at work."
In the first detailed study of its kind into family motoring, findings revealed that all-electric vehicles such as Nissan's Leaf are no longer viewed as the "second car" having quickly become the primary family vehicle.
Shanaya Shah, from Borehamwood in Hertfordshire, said: "Initially, we had bought the Nissan Leaf as a second car, but due to its low operating costs and impressive range the Leaf has really proven itself and has become the main family car."
Jean-Pierre Diernaz, director of electric vehicles for Nissan in Europe, added: "As fuel prices continue to fluctuate right across Europe, there's one thing customers can be certain of electric cars are incredibly economical.
"We've seen more and more drivers become disillusioned by the price of motoring in recent years, and this trend will continue unless more families make the switch to electric vehicles."
To date, Nissan Leaf owners have covered more than one billion all-electric kilometres.