AN Alnwick man is blazing a trail for electric motoring in the North East after taking delivery of his new Nissan LEAF.
Colin Skene bought his new 100 per cent electric car just days after local Nissan retailer Blackshaws was appointed one of the carmaker’s specialist electric vehicle dealers.
And the 44-year-old engineering project manager has been turning heads and changing opinions since driving off the dealer’s forecourt on the Lionheart Enterprise Park in Alnwick.
He’s also saving himself a small fortune in fuel bills as the incredible model – the world’s bestselling electric car – costs around two pence per mile to run and can cover an amazing 300mpg if compared to a petrol engine car.
Now, after weeks of emissions and hassle-free driving, the father-of-two is revelling in his decision to embrace the motoring future.
A delighted Colin beamed: ‘I’m thrilled with my decision to choose the LEAF. I absolutely love the car and so do my family. In fact my five-year-old, Harrison, thinks it’s a spaceship!’
But it’s not just friends and family who have been switched-on to the benefits of mains powered motoring by Colin’s experiences. Workmates and even total strangers are also taking a big interest in how the car performs.
Colin explained: ‘I’ve never had a car that’s generated so much interest. People are always looking at the car as it drives past because it’s so quiet and they often come up for a closer look when they notice me plugging it in somewhere.
‘My friends and colleagues are always asking me questions or wanting to go for a drive and even people I’ve never met before are keen to understand what it’s like to live with and how practical it is in reality.’
Environmental and economic benefits
With a daily journey to offices in Blyth or Hebburn, Colin clocks-up between 250 and 300 miles per week – a distance that would have cost him around £80 to cover in his previous petrol powered car.
Now though, the LEAF, which has a range of up to 109 miles, is comfortably able to make it to the Hebburn office 41 miles away and back on a single charge. But by plugging it in at work or when he gets home Colin ensures there’s always enough power to tackle the journey ahead.
Best of all, Colin has calculated that by choosing the LEAF over a conventionally powered new car, he will save £4,000 over three years and will start to see a difference in his bank balance by the end of year one.
‘You just can’t argue with figures like that,’ added Colin.
MJ Campbell, Electric Vehicle Relationship Manager at Blackshaws Nissan, said: ‘Many people have misconceptions about the Nissan LEAF and the practicality of running an electric car.
‘It’s not just something that’s suited to the roads in London or bigger cities. People everywhere can take advantage of the environmental and economic benefits electric motoring can offer. Even in rural parts of the country like ours.
‘It’s also much easier and more convenient to charge an electric vehicle than people think and there’s a large and growing network of rapid chargers all over the country.
The Nissan LEAF is available now priced from £25,900 (including a £5,000 government grant).
- This story was prepared by the Nissan Dealer PR Service. Call the Nissan Dealer PR team on 0845 0550504 if you have a story you’d like your local papers and radio stations to know about!