A NEW electric vehicle seems to be arriving every week on the market as carmakers rush to meet demand.
And no wonder as the high price of fuel for internal combustion-powered cars challenges family budgets.
Something’s got to give and an increasing number of motorists is turning to EVs as a way of saving money.
I think the jury is still out on how much an EV is going to cost you, firstly to buy and then to run annually but only time will tell on that one.
Meanwhile, this month Nissan has been taking orders for its first all-electric crossover, the Ariya.
EVs are still pricey and this may put some motorists off. Plus there is the cost of installing a domestic charging point at home, which I think is essential if you own an electric car.
Pricing for the Ariya starts at £43,845 and for that you get a car, says Nissan, with a driving range of 329 miles.
I’ve said it before but it’s worth saying again: an EV’s 300-plus miles driving range sounds good but it depends on how you drive.
I think a lot of motorists would have to radically alter their driving style, which is principally to do with speed if they are to drive EVs.
The Ariya is available in just two grades, Advance and Evolve, but in three different battery and powertrain combinations: 2WD 63kWh, 2WD 87kWh, and e-4ORCE AWD 87kWh.
The aim of this, says Nissan, coupled with a range of up to 329 miles, means that, “Ariya can confidently meet a variety of customer needs”.
The Ariya 87kWh can recover up to 217 miles with a 30-minute quick charge using a CCS charging system.
Nissan designers and engineers took on customer feedback from the Japanese carmakers’ pioneering LEAF EV, to “maximize storage space and overall functionality” in the Ariya.
The car’s two 12.3in screens provide important vehicle information — such as battery charge, range and navigation.
Ariya is equipped with intelligent personal assistance technology, which features a hybrid voice recognition system with advanced natural-language comprehension to deliver touchless in-vehicle assistance.
Intelligent Route Planner calculates the best route based on various real-time factors such as traffic, road conditions, real-time charging station availability and remaining battery.
The NissanConnect Services App has the capability to lock/unlock doors remotely.
Coupled with Amazon Alexa, the systems work together to create a “tailored user experience”. Wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto are also available.
The Nissan Ariya has been equipped with the latest safety and driver-assist technologies, including ProPILOT with Navi link.
Equipped with wide-ranging safety features, Ariya features Nissan Safety Shield 360; the vehicle is available with Intelligent Around View Monitor, Intelligent Forward Collision Warning, Emergency Lane Keeping, Intelligent Emergency Braking and Rear Automatic Emergency Braking technology.
The extensive list of technical and safety features come as standard on all grades. The Advance grade includes ProPILOT with Navi-Link, Intelligent Driver Alertness and Lane Keep Assist, Traffic Jam Pilot, Blind Spot Intervention, Intelligent Cruise Control, Full Auto Park, Apple Car Play and 360-degree around view monitor. There are also plenty of options to enhance the Advance, including the Bose Tech Pack or the Sky Pack.
The higher spec Evolve grade adds innovative features such as Pro-Pilot Park, windscreen heads-up display, a ten-Bose-speaker system, eElectric panoramic sunroof, power moving center console, and black upholstery with synthetic leather seats and Ultrasuede inserts.
Pricing for the 63kWh battery version with 160kW of power and an onboard 7.4kW AC Charger starts at £43,845 for the Advance and £47,840 for the Evolve.
For the larger 87kW battery with up to 329 miles of range, 178Kw of power and a more powerful onboard 22kW AC charger, the Advance is priced at £49,595 with Evolve at £53,590.
For the customer looking for all-wheel drive and better performance, then the e-4ORCE version has a 47kW increase in power to 225kW and doubles the amount of torque to 600Nm. It is priced from £52,295 for the Advance grade or £56,290 for the Evolve.
