Nissan ARIYA: star of the show at Fully Charged Outside

When it comes to electric driving, events don’t come much bigger than Fully Charged Outside. The brainchild of Red Dwarf actor and EV enthusiast Robert Llewellyn, this EV-focused showcase has grown significantly in scope and scale in recent years.

Fully Charged Outside recently celebrated its post-lockdown return with a bumper three-day line-up of exhibitors and expert-led Q&A panels, showcasing every aspect of electric driving and clean energy. 

As you’d expect, Nissan had a prominent stand highlighting every aspect of its 360-degree approach to electric driving – including a chance for the UK public to see a prototype of the all-new all-electric Nissan ARIYA for the very first time.

One side of Nissan’s stand showed the fun factor of all-electric performance, with a Formula E race car and simulators powered by a Nissan LEAF using Vehicle-to-Building charging. On the other side, a cut-through Nissan LEAF demonstrated the underpinning tech that has helped it play a crucial role in bringing electric driving to the mainstream. 

Displays outlined the numerous rationale for making the electric switch. £3 for 100 miles, compared to £10 for petrol.^[1] Servicing that’s up to 40% cheaper versus a Nissan petrol or diesel car. A UK network of 43,400+ charging points (with 10,800 rapid chargers) that make charging easy.

Attendees also had the chance to test-drive a Nissan LEAF or the all-electric Nissan e-NV200 van. But the real attention-grabber on Nissan’s stand was undoubtedly the all-new Nissan ARIYA. Its sleek coupé crossover profile and thin LED headlights drew the crowd, but the biggest talking point was the ARIYA’s impressively spacious, stylish and high-tech interior.

Read first impressions of the Nissan ARIYA from Fully Charged Outside

Expert-led walkarounds highlighted how the Nissan ARIYA’s clean-sheet all-electric design let Nissan maximise interior space for a lounge-like feel. Equally impressive was the advanced in-car tech, with large, customisable twin 12.3” HD displays, Nissan voice control, Amazon Alexa^®, Android Auto^™ and Wireless Apple CarPlay^® connectivity, and advanced ProPILOT and ProPILOT Park driving aids.^[2][3][4]

Then came the performance figures. Up to 310 miles of range (WLTP combined)^[5] on Nissan 87kWh models, and a sportscar-like 394PS, 600Nm of electrifying torque and 0-60mph acceleration in as little as 4.8s, thanks to the confidence-inspiring control of all-wheel-drive on the range-topping Nissan ARIYA e-4ORCE Performance model.

We spoke to Nissan UK Marketing Director Nic Thomas, who said: “After the difficult year we’ve had, it’s fantastic to be out, meeting customers and the public. With our heritage as the originators of mainstream electric vehicles through the Nissan LEAF, we don’t need to convince anyone at this show that the world is ready for EVs.”

“We’ve always found that early electric adopters are incredibly knowledgeable and informed, but that means they ask us difficult questions. That’s why events like this are important, because we can bring out our best experts to answer those questions. But, while early adopters are already confident with elements of electric driving, such as range and charging, as electric driving moves mainstream we need to talk to a new set of people to explain how easy and low-cost electric car ownership can be.

“This was also a fantastic opportunity to give the all-new, all-electric Nissan ARIYA its UK public debut – a car that is really going to take EVs to the next level. We started with the Nissan LEAF 10 years ago, and that’s done a huge job for us, now we’re ready to move the game forward with the Nissan ARIYA.

“I call the Nissan ARIYA a no-compromise electric car. It’s our first electric model designed from the ground up, on a whole new dedicated EV platform. So, you’ve got this beautiful sleek coupe crossover profile. Because we’ve done away with the engine, you’ve got a wheel in each corner, which improves the ride and handling, and inside creates this beautiful flat floor. Really beautiful space – so much more space than a typical car of this size – and luxurious design.

“Then, you touch the accelerator, and it goes like a rocket. It’s got 600Nm of torque, which is only 37Nm less than a Nissan GT-R. It’s an incredible machine. But it’s silent; it’s economical. It’s simply the best car that Nissan can build today – and that’s the benefit of designing an EV from the ground up. It gives the engineers this opportunity to build the perfect car, and it’s going to move the game forward.”

Fully Charged Outside wasn’t solely about electric cars, though. The event looked beyond the car, to consider the broader impact of the energy we use in all aspects of our lives. This is the perfect match for Nissan’s 360-degree vision, where the car is merely the centre of the story – from how it’s made, to how its powered. 

Nissan has already started work on pioneering cost-effective Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) charging through Nissan Energy Services partners EON and EDF. Now, it’s rethinking the future of carbon neutral electric car manufacturing, with EV36Zero – a flagship facility, centred on the world-beating Nissan Sunderland plant, that sets a blueprint for the future of the automotive industry with its 9GWh battery Gigafactory, powered by a 100% renewable energy through a 132MW wind and solar microgrid.

At Fully Charged Outside, Nissan was a key sponsor for the Giga Theatre – in which there were a series of talks covering a wide breadth of topics around electric driving and clean energy, with Nissan representatives taking part in key sessions around company cars, unlocking the potential of the electric car in homes, and extreme performance electric vehicles (with a Nissan LEAF NISMO RC race car on-show).

Nissan UK Marketing Director Nic Thomas continued: “The integration of an electric car into your lifestyle and into an energy system is absolutely key. We’re moving to electric vehicles to reduce air pollution and carbon emissions whilst driving. But, unless we integrate our cars properly with the power grid, we won’t achieve that. 

“If we can plug most cars in overnight and work with the energy companies to give them flexibility, without any impact on the user, then we can actually enhance the adoption of renewable energy – reducing the level of resources we use and achieving our goals of carbon neutrality, while also making life better for every driver through reducing the cost of electric car ownership and reducing the cost of home energy.”

^[1] Information correct at May 2021, Cenex Insight. https://www.cenex.co.uk/app/uploads/2021/05/Intro-to-BEV-2.pdf

^[2] Images are for guidance purposes – prototype vehicle. UK specification may vary. The features shown may be standard and/or optional (at an extra charge) on selected models.

^[3] Amazon, Alexa^® and all related marks are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. Certain Alexa functionality is dependent on smart home technology. Connecting a mobile phone to use Nissan Connect should only be done if the car is parked safely. Use of the system should always be in accordance with the rules of the Highway Code. Drivers should only use the system when it is safe to do so. Users should be aware of the potential for hands-free technology to distract attention from the road, which could impact on having full control of the vehicle. Feature responsiveness and use can be impacted when car is receiving a bad signal. For optimal use, please make sure your car is under good network coverage.

^[4] ProPILOT is an Advanced Driver Assist technology but cannot prevent collisions. ProPILOT is intended for “Eyes on/Hands On” for highways only (road separated by barriers). It is the driver’s responsibility to stay alert, drive safely and be in control of the vehicle at all times. You should not rely solely on driver convenience features. Some features may not work in all conditions and circumstances. Speed and other limitations apply. For more information, please refer to the owner’s manual or visit www.nissan.co.uk/techterms.For terms and conditions relating to Nissan technologies, please contact your Nissan dealer or www.nissan.co.uk

^[5] Nissan ARIYA 87 kWh. WLTP cycle pending official homologation in 2021. WLTP figures shown are for comparability purposes. Actual real-world driving results may vary depending on factors including the starting charge of the battery, accessories fitted after registration, weather conditions, driving styles and vehicle load.