When the new Nissan LEAF first appeared in 2010, it propelled electric vehicles (EVs) into the limelight before becoming the best-selling model in the world.
Its owners realized that it was a particularly complete vehicle. Although they first chose it for its ecological qualities, it is undeniable that many of them were surprised by its performance, including its quick acceleration and extreme maneuverability, which make it a very pleasant car to drive. .
Its latest incarnation, whose European launch is scheduled for the month of January, should once again disrupt the automotive landscape. While the first LEAF has fundamentally changed our design of cars, this new version will change the way we drive them.
Why? Because we will not need to move our right foot from the accelerator to the brake and vice versa. Thanks to the e-Pedal, our foot will remain in the same place to perform both operations.
How does the e-Pedal work?
Francesco Giacalone, Nissan Europe's Director of Electric Vehicle Marketing, knows this radically new technology at your fingertips and explains how it works.
"It's really very simple," he says. "With a normal car, to slow down, you have to move your foot from the accelerator to the brake, then press the accelerator again to start again.With the e-Pedal, you press the pedal to accelerate and release it To stop it, you can even come to a complete stop by pulling off your foot. "
The new Nissan LEAF obviously still has a brake pedal, although it is only used when the driver wants to slow down more brutally, or perform an emergency braking. The e-Pedal is activated with a dedicated dashboard key and chances are you'll keep this mode for most of your driving time.
What are the advantages of e-Pedal?
"The advantage of e-Pedal is that it increases the efficiency of the LEAF regenerative technology," he adds. "With a fully electric transmission, both braking and regeneration are activated in a completely fluid way."
Regenerative technology consists of "recycling" the energy created during braking or deceleration by using it to power the battery. The regenerative brake has been in the air for a long time. In the previous version of the Nissan LEAF, driving in B-mode improved the regenerative capabilities of the vehicle.
"The e-Pedal is an evolution of Mode B," he continues. "When you lift your foot off the accelerator, the car, already in braking mode, automatically maximizes the regeneration.This is then fully exploited this regenerative capacity, what the constant back and forth between the accelerator and the brake did not allow so far."
Get used to the e-Pedal
How to become familiar with the e-Pedal? We are so used to using two pedals (for automatic boxes) or three (for manual) that our feet may get entangled looking for a pedal we do not need anymore.
"The feedback we receive suggests that it takes about fifteen minutes to get to this system," he says. "After this time, we adopt this way of driving.For me, it's like moving from an old smartphone with keyboard to the touch screen.Once you have tasted, we do not want to go back."
How will the e-Pedal change our daily behavior?
The e-Pedal is particularly useful in case of traffic jams, he says. "To go to work, we roll 100 meters, we stop, we roll 20 meters, we stop, and so on, we go without stopping the accelerator to the brake."
"In Nissan's tests of using e-Pedal with a thousand drivers for their daily commutes, it was found that the back and forth between the accelerator and the brake is reduced. 90%. "
The benefits will be enormous for people who use their vehicles for business purposes, such as taxi drivers, delivery drivers, etc. "This kind of driving is much sweeter, fluid and natural," he says. "And so much less stressful for those who, because of their work, spend hours driving in the city."
What else can be expected from the e-Pedal?
Proponents of the gasoline engine often criticize the driver's lack of involvement in driving electric vehicles. According to him, the e-Pedal proves the opposite.
"On winding, uncrowded roads, using the e-Pedal, which makes the car sportier, is almost like driving a motorcycle. the foot of the accelerator to brake - the braking using a smart system that acts on the brakes and the wheels - then accelerates out of turn without moving his foot.This is a pleasant and safe driving that gives sensations . "
The low position of the battery pack on the chassis improves the car's handling and its new streamlined design, reducing drag and lift, reinforces its grip for a sportier experience, if you feel like it. In addition to being always present, the fun driving features that so surprised buyers of the first Nissan have reached a completely different level.
"Nissan aims to innovate continuously, but also to make these innovations accessible to the greatest number," he concludes. "That's why the e-Pedal, instead of being an expensive option, is available at the entry level on the new Nissan LEAF so everyone can experience these sensations."