The 2021 Nissan Leaf E+ EV is a fully electric five-seater hatchback and I LOVE IT! The Leaf E+ is more or less the same as the regular Leaf in terms of size and practicality but it has an upgraded battery allowing it to go up to 385km on a charge and unlocks MORE POWER! This means this little Leaf goes much faster and is a much zippier car to get around in.
It made such a nice change from the big SUVs I usually test and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it. It felt light, agile and there were no frumpy mum bus feels at school pick up!
We also enjoyed chilling our girls out in the back listening to the Nissan Leaf Dream Drive playlist on Spotify.
The driver's display screen clearly displays the percentage of battery left and the number of kilometres until you need to charge the battery, just like you would find with distance to empty in a non-EV car.
The boot space is really big for a small car like the Nissan Leaf E+ and very deep so you can pile things up, which is good for most prams being modular and, of course, a good weekly shop.
The Nissan Leaf E+ comes with different charging leads in the boot. They're stored in nets either side to and a box too. If you owned one you would most likely take some of these out and store them in the garage so they wouldn't use up your boot space. The big BOSEÂ box in the boot floor has something to do with the stereo, takes up a lot of space, can make it a bit awkward to load things in and is not moveable.
Just like the previous model I tested, Leaf's the e-Pedal mode makes it even more fun to drive! You drive just using the accelerator, a bit like a dodgem at the fairground. Â When you take your foot off the accelerator it allows will slow down and brake all the way to a stop, putting energy back into the battery, and you'd only really need the brake pedal for very quick stops. It was a lot of fun and I set myself little stopping challenges throughout my week with the car. The Nissan Leaf E+ has a strange disc-like gear selector and there is a diagram to tell you how to manoeuvre it into gear, which kind of proves Nissan knew it would be confusing.
Two child seats fit nicely in the back of the Nissan Leaf E+. They are easy to install with ISOfix in the two outer seats and top tether anchorages on the back of all three rear seats.
The interior of the Leaf E+ is more spacious than you would expect for a car of this size and with rear-facing child seats installed we could squeeze a 180cm passenger in front of it.
Storage throughout the Nissan Leaf is quite minimal, with cup holders only in the front, there's also a very small central console box, door bins and small glove box.
Things are more minimal in the back with a small map pocket and door bins.
There are no aircon vents in the back of the Nissan Leaf E+ and even though it's a small car we noticed the kids missed them and got hot in the back.
The media system in the Nissan Leaf does have Apple CarPlay, which is great. The screen is very glary unless you are in the shade though, which makes it hard to use while driving.
It also makes it hard to clearly see the reversing camera when manoeuvring and sat-nav map while driving.
There are rear heated seat controls on the side of the front passenger seat where the driver can reach to control them. Which is great to stop little rear passengers from being able to reach them and cook themselves while you are driving!
Being an all-electric car it was great to be able to drive my daughter to sleep and use no fuel and I could sit with the aircon running and not pollute the environment or churn through fuel and waste money.
The 2019 Nissan Leaf EV scored a five-star ANCAP safety rating in 2018 and has six airbags as standard. There are seat belt removal reminders in all rear seats with a great visual on the driver display screen.
You are able to control and customise a lot of warnings and beeps through the driver display screen…
…as well as through the media screen to make the Nissan Leaf E+ less noisy for passengers.
Six airbags come as standard; there are dual frontal airbags and side chest-protecting for the front passengers and side head-protecting (curtain) airbags are standard for the front and rear side passengers.
BabyDrive Indepth
BabyDrive Indepth - Storage
How big is the boot of the 2021 Nissan Leaf E+ EV?
The 2021 Nissan Leaf E+ EV is surprisingly large and deep for a small car. Some of the space is taken up with the BOSE box and the box of charging cables and nets at the sides. However, with the new bigger battery and 385km range, you wouldn't need to carry the cables around with you as much because that would be plenty of range for regular daily trips and you would only need them when you were going on holiday for example.
The twin stroller fits in the boot of the Nissan Leaf E+and you could put a couple of shopping bags on top of it.
The boot of the Leaf E+ is so deep it is perfect for storing modular prams (like most are) or those with bassinets. A tandem stroller fits in the boot of the Leaf E+with two shopping bags beside it.
The single stroller fits with one shopping bag beside it.
The compact stroller fits in the boot of the Leaf E+ with six shopping bags beside it.
The boot space and its functionality are really important. I like to have a big boot space and little side wells or areas I can divide things into. So something I don’t want to move around while I’m driving such as Tulsi’s lunch bag or her wet swimming gear can be sectioned off in a little well where it’s not going to spill or get squashed by the rest of the things in the boot.
Hooks for securing shopping bags to are also favourites of mine, I like being able to secure the bag containing more fragile things like eggs so they don’t move around on the journey.
I measure the boot space in freezer shopping bags, prams and dogs. Not because I think all there is to a mum’s life is food shopping, prams and dogs. (Although it can feel like it sometimes!!) But because these are visually mesurable items we can all associate with. For me, the car company boot measurement of litres is not an amount I can easily visualise and 400L in one car may differ in usability to that in another due to the configuration or shape of the space.
The deep boot of the Nissan Leaf E+ is great for transporting your family dog, and you could fit a medium-size dog in the boot with the parcel shelf removed! It's a bit of a shelf for them to jump over though!
You could use the boot floor for an emergency nappy change but you do have to really bend down to it.
How good is storage inside the 2021 Nissan Leaf E+ EV?
Storage inside the cabin of the Nissan Leaf EV is minimal throughout; the central console storage box is especially tiny.
In front of this is are two cup holders that I found fitted my reusable coffee cup and a disposable coffee cup, and a large refillable water bottle fitted in them too. Beside them is another little storage nook, which was good for holding the key.
There is a small rubber-lined phone well in front of the gear knob and there is a USB, AUX and 12V socket above it.
The glove box would hold my wallet and iPad with the manual.
There is no glasses case in the ceiling, but there are lit vanity mirrors in both front visors.
The front door bins are big enough to hold a large refillable water bottle and an iPad or tablet and the doors have handle wells too, great for kids' little trinkets!
In the back storage is even more limited, the door bins will also hold a large refillable water bottle and have little storage wells in the handles.
There are map pockets on the back of both front seats that will hold but not conceal an iPad. There are no cup holders for the rear passengers.
BabyDrive Indepth - Noise
How noisy is the 2021 Nissan Leaf E+ EV? What is the media system like in the Nissan Leaf E+ EV?
The previous model 2019 Nissan Leaf EV Â I tested seemed much more vocal and beepy than the 2021 model, although I don't think anything has been changed. I did find I could customise a lot of the beeps and warning sounds within the driver display screen.
There are more options in the media system too, where there is a page dedicated to volume and beeps…
…which once had all been adjusted made for a BabyDrive friendly drive!
The media system in the 2021 Nissan Leaf E+ EV is easy to navigate and use, it does have Apple CarPlay so I could listen to my current favourite track on Spotify! It is easy to connect my phone, which is great.
We did spend some time listening to the Nissan Leaf E+ Dream Drive playlist on Spotify too, which did seem to keep the kids mellow in the back and Bub always drops off in an electric car so I'm not sure if it was the Dream Drive or the EV!
The reversing camera image is still hard to see in the bright sunlight especially when using the reversing camera.
The indicators are quiet in the Nissan Leaf E+ EV and didn’t disturb my sleeping kids.
Becoming a parent I soon realised there are some noises and sounds I feel are unnecessary and I could happily live without if it meant my baby stayed asleep!!
That often the distraction of my screaming, distressed baby is more dangerous when driving than not having a lane departure warning for example.
If it is the lane departure warning beeping that creates distress with my baby then which is safest?
It’s where I think we need to be able to strike a balance and choose when we can mute the warnings or swap them to a vibration in the steering wheel or flashing light perhaps?
A lot of these noises come with the increase in technology and especially linked to safety features and alerts. For me these all have their place.
Another thing I have realised is I spend my time in a lot more places where small children roam, parks, beaches, play gyms, swimming lessons, daycare centre etc. I have become more aware that when I’m reversing or manouvering in the car parks I have to tripple check for small children running around behind me or being in my blind spot when reversing. For this I LOVE reversing cameras, I just don’t like their beeping sounds!!
I have become so much more aware of safety and potential accidents or hazards since having a child and so I love the peace of mind that I get from the cameras and sensors combined with my own vision from windows and mirrors as I don’t trust cameras alone.
The driver's display screen tells you your ‘distance to empty' on the battery range which with the new battery is thankfully not so frequent as with the previous model I tested.
I found the Nissan Leaf E+ EV really easy to charge plugged in at home and the kids LOVE the novelty of it!
The doors and windows can both be locked from the driver's door button panel. Both the doors and windows are quiet and did not disturb my small sleeping passengers when opening and closing them.
The Nissan Leaf E+ has an e-Pedal mode, which is a little switch in the central console that swaps to driving mainly with just the accelerator rather than using the accelerator and brake pedals, a bit like a fairground dodgem ride. Electric cars recharge the battery when slowing down and the e-Pedal makes the most of this advantage.
BabyDrive Indepth - Car Seats
How many child seats fit in the 2021 Nissan Leaf E+ EV?
The second row has ISOFix points in the two outer seats, which are not within plastic guides, but are nice and easy to connect to.
There are three top tether anchorages on the back of all three rear backrests; they are nice and easy to connect to through the boot. The outer two are within plastic guides and easy to connect to and the central one is clearly labelled in the seatback.
I could fit two child seats comfortably in the back of the 2021 Nissan Leaf E+, we found with a rear-facing child seat installed a 180cm passenger could sit in the front but I would suggest you test it with you and your child seat.
When posting Bub into their child seat from outside the car and leaning in to do up their harness the doorways did feel a little low. Once inside the ceiling is a bit higher and so posting Bub into their seat once inside the Leaf E+ is easier.
Australia being a country of weather extremes; blazing sun and torrential rain, mean you may find it easier to put Bub into their seat from inside the car sometimes. If it’s hot you can get the air-con going, cool the car down and not stand out in the sun while you fasten them in or shelter from the rain and not get soaked yourself whilst you’re doing it. So it is important to test whether Bub can be easily installed from either direction!
There is plenty of room to feed Bub in the back if you only have one child seat installed.
BabyDrive Indepth - Drive & Comfort
How comfortable is the 2021 Nissan Leaf E+ EV? And how good is the 2021 Nissan Leaf E+ EV to drive?
In the front of the Nissan Leaf EV, the seats are quite comfortable and are manually adjusted with levers at the sides. The front seat headrests are not adjustable, forward and backward, and I found I could not wear a ponytail while driving.
I had spent hours styling my hair this morning to get this ponytail just right too… said no new mum ever!!!
They have a fair bit of detail in the seat upholstery, with contrast side panels and contrast blue stitching, as well as the central seat panels being perforated for the heated seats controlled on the dashboard.
The rear seats are also heated with a button located on the side of the front passenger seat, which are in a great position because the driver can easily reach them and it keeps them away from rear passengers fiddling fingers and wandering toes!!
For a mum travelling in the back with Bub, the seats are comfortable at the sides. In the central seat there is not a lot of foot room as there is a large hump in the central floor, which seems strange for an electric car that doesn't have drive shafts and exhaust pipes under there.
For the first year of my Bub’s life when we would go out as a family, if I wasn’t driving, I would travel in the back with Bub so it’s important to check the back seat comfort as you may be spending a lot of time in them! They were never something I gave any thought to before but I definitely notice a good or bad back seat now!
Very surprisingly the steering wheel is not fully adjustable in the Leaf E+! It will go up and down but not in and out.
The cruise controls are on the right-hand side of the steering wheel and are easy to use.
There are four air-conditioning vents across the front dashboard; two narrow central ones and one at either end.
There are no rear air vents and we found the kids felt too hot. The controls for the air-conditioning are situated below the media screen and are nice and easy to use while driving.
The rear interior lights are located centrally in the ceiling, and can be reached from the driver's seat while driving!
I have found my daughters do not like travelling in the dark in the car so if it gets dark whilst travelling then I reach back and turn the interior light on for her. So it’s really important for me that I can reach the rear ceiling light.
Also if I am traveling home and it is getting near to bed time and I DEFINITELY DON’T want her to fall asleep in the car as even a five-minute nap in the car means bed time is all over!!!! I lean back and pop the light on so it’s not dark and try to keep her awake!! Along with screaming/singing at the top of my voice!!!
It is also useful when there are lights situated above the doors where the handles are usually positioned. These are good for when putting baby into their child seats when visibility is poor, so you do not have to reach across them to a light situated in the ceiling centrally etc.
There are handles above the rear doors which are great to hang a child's toy on.
For such a small EV the Nissan Leaf E+ does not have a particularly small turning circle and visibility is tricky out of the rear side windows with child seats installed when reversing.
One thing I have noticed since being a mum is I hate it when I reach a destination or get home from being out and Bub has either done really well in the car or she is screaming her head off and I have done really well to keep it together for the entire journey (usually the latter!!) and it takes 10 minutes to park the car! It can be really stressful. Usually I dread parking new cars as they take longer in our tight apartment block carpark, the Nissan Leaf E+ EV took a few more manoeuvers than expected but wasn't too tricky to park.
Aesthetically the interior of the Nissan Leaf has some nice futuristic EV styling like the UFO shaped gear knob…
…but it's teamed with some old skool buttons and switches that I would have expected to have been a bit more considered like the heated seat switches.
The 2021 Nissan Leaf E+ is all about the fantastic improved drive and range. With the new zippy, faster drive it's a lot of fun and will have you shaking off the frumpy Mum stigma when you are zipping around with your kids in the back! It gives you a new sense of freedom!
Six airbags come as standard; there are dual frontal airbags and side chest-protecting for the front passengers and side head-protecting (curtain) airbags are standard for the front and rear side passengers.
Some of these safety features are also features that drive me crazy as a mum! Like the lane departure and forward collision alert or the parking sensor beeping sound. I want all the safety technology AND to be able to mute the sound when Tulsi’s asleep!
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About Tace Clifford
Tace Clifford founded BabyDrive in 2017 after discovering a huge information gap in mainstream car reviews that left new parents and expanding families in the dark when it came to one of the biggest purchasing decisions of their lives.
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