Done up like a Christmas tree

Meet the car that’s brighter than Rudolph’s nose but powered by sustainable and green energy, writes Sean O'Grady

Driving ohm for Christmas (Photography by Nissan)

You know those houses with the over-the-top Christmas light displays? Well, meet the ideal car to park on the drive (provided there aren’t too many illuminated reindeer, plastic snowmen and chubster Santas taking up the space).

Yes, the Nissan Leaf “Tree” edition is the gaudiest thing to emerge from the manufacturer since the 1977 Datsun Laurel Coupe assaulted good taste and reliability with unparalleled savagery.

Fitted with thousands of LEDs, shimmery baubles and a reindeer, naturally, the Nissan is brighter than Rudolph’s nose. However, unlike over-decorated houses and high streets at this time of year, the energy required to power the car is completely sustainable and green.

The Leaf is a pure battery-powered car, that is not a hybrid with a petrol or diesel engine also on-board. It can be plugged into the mains and, provided the electricity that comes down the line is itself green, has minimal impact on the environment – doing its bit to make Britain carbon neutral. The Leaf also uses regenerative energy to top up its batteries, making use of energy wasted during braking, for example, acting as a sort of sophisticated dynamo.

Leaf drivers would generate enough energy to power 10,783 houses with 1,000 LED lights for five hours (Nissan)

The Nissan Leaf’s e-Pedal allows the driver to start, accelerate, decelerate and stop using only the accelerator pedal. The e-Pedal helps the car to harvest energy via regenerative braking. It works by recycling the energy from the movement of the car during braking or deceleration, which then goes straight back to the batteries, where it is used to recharge them. Using the e-Pedal gives the driver more range well over 200 miles.

The company claims that energy regenerated through driving the Nissan Leaf for 11,000 miles represents 20 per cent of the overall domestic electricity consumption of an average household for one year.

Indeed, this Leaf has been created to entertain, and get some publicity, but also to make a serious point about the national best-selling and British-built electric vehicle.

Nissan says that Leaf drivers, collectively, would generate enough energy to power:

• 266 Christmas trees with 700 incandescent lights for a full hour of joy;
• 297 ovens for one hour to cook your Christmas dinner;
• 744 televisions for five hours to watch your favourite Christmas films;
• 10,783 houses with 1,000 LED lights for five hours.

Helen Perry, head of electric vehicles for Nissan Europe, comments: “Santa shouldn’t be the only one with a festive mode of transport. We wanted to make the Nissan Leaf more fun at this time of year whilst driving home a very important message.

“We hope this custom-made vehicle inspires people about the benefits of regenerative energy. After nearly 10 years since Leaf was first introduced in Europe, Nissan continues to be fully focused on providing consumers a more sustainable lifestyle through electric mobility.”

The Leaf minus the fairy lights (Nissan)

Understandably, given that it transgresses large sections of the Highway Code and standard car insurance policies, the Nissan tree is not available to rent or purchase. Still, the weather outside is frightful, so let it glow, let it glow, let it glow...