LAST week on Nissan Insider, we reported on the Hampshire dentist who became the proud owner of the 100,000th Nissan LEAF to take to the road worldwide.
And today we take you back three years, to when Chief Priest Wasei Hirai, of Anyo-in Temple, Tokyo, became one of the first people to take home one of the all-electric cars.
Earlier this month, he sat down with a reporter from Nissan to reflect on EV ownership as part of the celebrations to mark the 100,000th sale.
Hirai, who has driven his LEAF 7,500 miles, says the car fits perfectly with his ancient temple’s philosophy of innovation and its messages about the environment and way of life.
He uses the vehicle for errands and local trips, and enjoys the LEAF’s quiet interior while listening to music as he drives, and its smooth, responsive steering.
Hirai believes we should live in a way in which we create the energy that we use. Living on the temple grounds, he says he will soon use solar power to supply his vehicle’s power.
‘The day will come that whenever people think of a car, it will be an electric car,’ he says.
