By Terry Parker, as told to David Waterworth
Judy and I are retired and have been working towards a Net Zero life before we ever heard the term. We have 25 solar panels and a solar hot water system, plus a battery mower and a battery blower, etc.
As a result we have not paid a power bill in 12 years. It seemed to be a natural move to buy an EV as our next step so we went looking for a vehicle to suit our around town needs.
We purchased the Nissan Wagon in April 2019, owning a EV is good for the health of your wallet because the owning costs are lower than the cost of keeping our second vehicle – a 2005 4×4 MB Sprinter Diesel Campervan – on the road and maintained.
We needed a vehicle with an upright seating position and space for grandchildren and garden needs such as planks and bags of soil, mulch etc., and capable of carrying some weight.
Also, we needed to be able to charge at home from our solar system. We have had the grandkids wanting to sit in the two rear seats but we soon realised this would not work and needed to split them up with adults to keep the peace.
The Nissan eNV200 was for sale from a Brisbane importer and we chose it because there was no other brand available. The vehicle was a 2015 model, with 6000kms on the odometer.
It was in good shape but the battery has a reduced range of 12 kms. It still suits our needs for now. We hope to improve the battery in the future with upgrading the cells or adding an auxiliary battery as they do in Holland.
Overall we love the Nissan as it is easy for us to drive and costs us next to zero.
The importer purchased the eNV-200 from Japan and imported to Brisbane on speculation he could sell it, and we purchased it for $30,000. Importing used EVs seems to have dried up despite it being a great way to lift the volume of second hand EVs for people to buy as a first step into EV’s.
Insurance and roadside support were more a problem because the vehicle was unlisted on Nissan Australia’s website, plus we had to deal with a small recall ourselves by purchasing the part from New Zealand and having it fitted by our mechanic.
On one occasion, we took my climate skeptic cousins on an Ancestry tour of past houses and then to the Toowong Cemetery without telling them our Nissan Wagon was electric. And we got some good feedback about how comfortable it was, and how it was so quiet, and how it took 6 adults up a very steep hill with no issues at all.
It was only then that we explained it was all electric, with no internal combustion engine but rather an electric motor. They were stunned, which was followed by much laughter and many questions and a couple of apologies for not realising how capable an electric vehicle could be.
Our son has borrowed the van to collect large art boards for his artistic work and loved the drive as well, and the box shape rear area is proving its versatility. The grandkids love the smooth quiet ride.
We normally charge at home using our 240v socket and just plug it in when the sun is bright but when travelling we sometimes use a fast charger or charge at a motel or camping park. We have driven it from Brisbane to the Sunshine Coast a few times and one trip to Ballina in NSW.
My brother Greg is a climate action believer but never considered that an EV would suit his needs, but just one drive and he and Helen were out looking at what cars were available to test drive.
He soon traded in the old Ford and now drives a Red Tesla made in China, just to feel the future. We are 74 years of age and my brother Greg is 78.
Some of our friends were very sceptical with questions like: “What will you do if your battery goes flat?”
It’s simple; we have never run out of fossil fuel because we plan ahead so this is the same deal, just study your battery consumption and plan ahead and with more and more charge stations now available it is very easy.
We often get inquisitive people in car parks with a hundred questions and a common comment is “EVs catch on fire”, so we try to explain that petrol cars also have had problems and tell the story of my parents coming home with their brand new Morris Oxford only to find the petrol tank was leaking and the boot was filling with petrol. Thankfully Mum and Dad did not smoke.
It’s always good to be charging in a shopping centre and have passing shoppers ask: “What you are doing?” So we can explain a little about our Nissan and the future.
Finally, soon after purchasing the wagon I sent a photo to my cousin in Edinburgh Scotland, only to get a quick response to say she recently purchased a new Nissan Wagon over there but a different colour so how excited we were to hear this but the joke was on me when she told of her almost 3000 pound Government and Nissan support package.
Just think of the difference compared to my choice of only used car available and no support from Nissan in Australia or Japan and no Government support package?
Thank goodness things are changing in Australia with some states now offering incentives for the uptake of electric vehicles.
