Nissan Leaf The VerSus Three Peaks Challenge

Nissan Leaf carts climber Steve Cropley and collections around the country as they take on the Three Peaks Challenge.

It was not our idea leveling. We're there, chipping away at the wall familiar salt mines Autocar, when a bloke called Dominic guise, one of the employees of 8000-odd Nissan in the UK, came up with the idea of ​​a team of Nissan-Autocar conduct celebrated three peaks challenge and use the Nissan Leaf to travel 470 miles it entailed.

Plans guise suddenly fell on fertile soil. Hacks are known to settle activities such as typing and sitting in the car but, as luck would have it, editor Matt Burt is partial to the odd walk up hills to the sport. So it requires a minimal boost to start hand-pick a team to climb the highest peaks in Scotland, England and Wales - Ben Nevis in the Grampian Mountains, Scafell Pike in the Lake District and Snowdon in north-west Wales. Our team will be driven between them as soon as possible in Leaf our long-term test car.

Hard nut hill-walking were found three peaks challenge tends to establish that entrants must complete either 24 or 36 hours but, at first, we calculated the time between the two is likely, given the scarcity linger quick charger for the car battery north of Edinburgh and Glasgow and the consequent need to drive our Leaf with restraint to extend the range.

Why choose an electric car at all, a lot of friends and family wonder. Why not take a good, long-legged diesel as others who've done the three peaks?

We had three good reasons. First, it would be a good story. As far as we know, nobody did. Second, electric cars undeniably come, and quickly. Charging points might still rare in remote Scotland, but 10 years ago there was nothing at all. Third, we love a challenge and we love cars. Quiz anyone who knows Leaf and two things immediately arise: that car was unfailingly smooth, quiet, comfortable and cozy and, compared to others, it is an impressive spacious and efficient in moving both people and gear.

However, the preparation is clearly needed - not only packing shoes, map, water, wet-weather gear and a powder which is very important, but also do some serious route planning. I've done some Leaf traveling from home to over England and determined that, for all the official claims that the new, longer-range we 30kWh Leaf able to do 156 miles in Europe New Driving Cycle - a provider of government of falsehood if ever there was one - reach safe at 60mph cruise ship about 110 miles.

Even then, in bad condition (headwinds, gradient length) you should be prepared for the suffering of the will-it-conk in the last few miles. In planning the least, a nice, round 100 miles reasonable for each leg, keeping 10 in reserve.

While I planned, assembled a team of: Burt, photographer Luc Lacey and Nissan Lucy Goss will be the runner of the hill, you'll Leaf Servant driver and head of the electric charging, and Nissan Annie Jones will drive Nissan Navara we decided it was necessary to support. I've heard of Leaf grapevine that if you run completely out of juice, Nissan towing you in regeneration mode will revive the battery with surprising speed. I bought a tow rope fat.

Deciding where to drive it easily. Half an hour on the net trawling the experience of others make it clear that the Google Maps service that's right: from Fort William (Ben Nevis), we will encourage the A82 to the northern outskirts of Glasgow, then use the M82 and the A82M to take us south-east to Carlisle, before take the A595 meander west to beautiful, singlelane approach road to Wasdale Head (from where you walk to Scafell Pike). That will complete the 259-mile leg, requires (as far as we know) two and a half hour stop for charging, as long as the Leaf is 'full' in Fort William.

Scafell Pike conquer, we will continue until the A595 south to M6 associated with M56 and A55 to take us to the west, until we dive further south on the A470 to Betws-y-Coed and Snowdon. The 214-mile leg. I think we'll do it with only one stop in good condition.

The route was simple, but it plans to stop charging is not so clear. We needed a quick charger, so I spent Sunday afternoon with Ecotricity and Chargemaster applications - and excellent Zap-Map as a back-up - and with my paper maps spread out on the dining room table, measuring distances and assessing the charging station. I chose four stops optimal set of alternatives in case the wrong plan. As I should have known it would be

We flew to Inverness on Monday morning on a windy / cloudy / sunny day, and then drove 65 miles to Fort William to unite with leaves fully charged and start. The plan is for the runner to meet professional guide, Rich Pyne (richmountainexperiences @ outlook.com) in the car park Camanachd at 16:00, returning at around 21:00. Then two cars, équipe fiveperson we'll head south, driving and battery charging all night to avoid traffic, arrived at Scafell Pike at around 4pm.

The climbers then will do the things they again for five hours and get back in the car by 9:00. Then we will drive / charge for six hours to Snowdon (arrive 3-4 pm), where the climbers will be in action again for five hours. If everything works, we'll be sipping champagne in Snowdonia at 8-9. Then we'll go back to London in Navara. Time is very tight, however. Burt and I can not be withdrawn for work on Wednesday morning ...

In the parking lot Camanachd, Pyne seemed impressed with the level of preparation of our walkers and optimistic about their chances of returning to 21:00. But in the mountains, there is something wrong. First, it was more difficult than expected. Secondly, it is the darkest night moon. Third, our party experienced climbers distressed that requires hours of relief, with the result that intrepid mountaineers Autocar-Nissan we emerged from the car park was pitch black at 11, in a state of exhaustion.

How long is it since you stay awake all night? For me, it's been many years, and I've been worried about having to drive through the night while others sleep in shifts in the other car. Fortunately, we are charging regime will require stopping every 90-120 minutes, which I calculated would help, and it was. Despite the fear, I still felt fine when the sky began to lighten many hours later. But first there is work to be done. original, our optimistic plan was to squeeze 124 miles from Leaf and make a charging point Ecotricity in M74, south of Glasgow. It proved a fool's errand, because I had to know it would.

ruse to avoid traffic all night was canceled by truck in Scotland only arterial road south of Fort William, which are all traveling at 45mph on a single track. You can not overtake because you can not see well enough. Then around Glen Coe, we began to see deer everywhere - a large, standing proud right beside the road.

Fear collision speed is limited, too, even though the animals are rarely moves when we passed. Worst of all my poor awareness, on this moonless night, from the ups and downs of the road, so I plan to get up to speed on downgrades and admit it rises died there and then. It must have cost us 10% of the range.

A futile stop at 88 miles at Balloch charging point inert hardly helped, but as we flailed around, Zap-Map comes to the rescue in the 110-mile, look for us filler slow in outside Glasgow as various lamps Leaf warning starts flashing their reluctance to continue. car slowly swallow up about 50% of the cost of the free, and we were off again, towards a rapid charger Ecotricity-Roadchef close to J4 of the M74, where he took one of the charges £ 6-a-toss has only reached 98% in 32 minutes (as invoices sent to my mobile phone to make clear). At the time 04:30.

We forged on, now on the highway, cruising up to 65mph behind the truck faster. More than that, especially without help, and the charge stored falls rapidly. The mountaineers asleep like Annie and I went, but it was patently obvious we will not reach Scafell without electricity tickle another and, moreover, the climbers will need to eat for their next exploit. So we stopped to pump another Ecotricity, this time in Gretna with 200 miles on the odometer, with easy 65-mile to run.

It was now 7:30 and our schedule was shot to smithereens. Now, our team should have a scale Scafell Pike and into half. However, we forged and made Pike, or at least welcoming hotel in essence, by 9:30 pm, and I set about filling the car (via cable through the window) while making others sleepy itself ready for more mountaineering.

Embarrassingly, I found a room and took a close eye about three hours when they reach out over the hills and valleys. By 13:00, they will be defeated Lingmell, smaller peak in the shadow of the scree slopes of Scafell Pike daunting, but with time and the magnetic lure of lunch in a warm pub work against them, we decided climbers striking out for the big prize.

Nevetheless, there is great excitement in the camp despite the rain, fatigue and the realization that our plans are in ruins. Definitely endorphins. the excitement continues to lunch, even when we are aware of the plan is lost.

To fulfill the promise of moving in London the next day, there was simply no time for the army to Snowdonia. Arrogant, perhaps, we have given ourselves no time to make mistakes. We have started at the wrong time of the day, driven plateau is too slow and consequently run out of the most precious of all commodities: hours. Even if we jump in Navara now, at 2:00, we still will not be back asap to midnight. Decide that: we parked Leaf in Snowdon - for collection later - and set off south in our doughty Nissan double-cab pick-up.

I was sorry to leave the Leaf. It's been loyal, and great to drive, and completely true to the parameters. That's me, custodian, who has been chaotic. It has the right to not be happy with me, but as I parked where it could be easily collected, it was like a docile and obedient as ever.

We reached London at midnight and immediately tucked in a variety of our bed. Judging by the cold logic, we exploit are abject failures. But do so with Leaf turned out to be a perfectly decent if you prepare more wisely - as we intend to prove in the future.

"Only seven a few corners to go," Rich Pyne chirrups mountain leaders when he stopped to allow us to catch it and then catch our breath. I followed his gaze, trying in vain to determine the top he is referring when he tried to motivate us and so on up the mountain Ben Nevis through the well-trodden road.

We've been trudging for three hours and I hope we reach some sort of final push to the top. Pyne angle refers to mark the completion of part of the steep, zig-zag path.

S up has taken its toll on short legs and rusty joints. It's also surprisingly heavy mental, reading the field and focused on where you put your feet.

Then suddenly, every sweaty step is very valuable: we reached the end of the summit to 1,345 meters and gradients relax. It's windy and cold, but the roof of the British Isles is, surprisingly, bathed in late evening sunshine. I want to linger, but we're behind schedule, so after some photos near the abandoned weather station, we began retracing our steps.

I was not fun when I'm tired. Pyne has seen it all before and offer gentle encouragement as I sputter and stumble all the way back to the end of the 10.5-mile trip us. In the darkness, I collapsed backwards Leaf for some shut eye while Steve ferry us to Cumbria through myriad charging point.

Electric hum helps me to drop off, but I woke up often glanced Leaf battery indicator. Various concerns have infiltrated the bed.

At the base of Scafell Pike, leaving disappointment tinged with relief secret, because I suspect I would seriously struggle. As is often the way with these challenges, though, as reduced muscle pain I began to miss the second attempt. Much like the Leaf, I could have done with a longer range of shops my energy ...

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