Nissan Ariya vs Mk1 Leaf: How far have EVs come in a decade?

I still can’t quite understand what Nissan was thinking over the past decade.

I know the Qashqai and Juke were wildly successful and there was a second-generation Leaf but, to me, it seemed like Nissan was at the forefront of electric car making, and then just lost interest.

The Mk1 Leaf you see pictured has been lent to me by ex-car journo Ross Pinnock. He would be the first to admit that this car isn’t his pride and joy, but it has held up remarkably well. Everything inside is intact, it all works and there are no nasty noises.

Sure, range is down from a (doubtful) official 124 miles when new to around 65 miles now. But when you’re just using it for around town, have off-street charging and are only paying around 5p per mile for electricity, you’re laughing.

There’s a definite lineage between these electric Nissans: the Ariya just looks and feels like it has improved on the Leaf recipe.

First off, the Leaf's oddball drive selector, although kind of cool in a way that’s reminiscent of those translucent-backed early iMacs, has thankfully been replaced with a more conventional gear slider.

The Leaf feels weirdly tall to drive, and the Ariya, despite being taller, is much more reassured. The Leaf is so bottom-heavy that it sort of sways around in the wind, like one of those Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm-Flailing Tube Men that are employed by American used car dealers.

The foot-operated parking brake in the Leaf is also a blast from the past that I don’t miss in the Ariya. I don’t think I’d used one of those since I had a W140-generation Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

I was pretty surprised by how good the Leaf was to drive overall, though. It still feels pretty nippy and, like with the Ariya, the driving modes really do make a big difference.

Funnily enough, one place where Nissan has gone backwards in this regard is the selection of said modes.