Car drivers are a conservative lot. They are still obsessed with using a 19th century invention, the internal combustion engine, to power their automobiles.

And although no-one could deny that today’s swift and silent motors are a world apart from the units of Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler’s day in the 1800s, the technology is essentially the same: take a flammable liquid, set fire to it and away you go. Imagine the health and safety uproar if that technology was being developed for the first time today?

One day in the not too distant future drivers will be amazed that it took so long for alternative power such as Nissan’s electric LEAF to catch on.

But LEAF will succeed. All drivers will plug their cars in rather than fill them up with explosive liquids and motoring costs will, I hope, plummet. So, how does the LEAF measure up? Well, Nissan has more experience with this type of car than most manufacturers.

While some manufacturers are still working on their first electric cars Nissan has rolled out a second-generation LEAF, with less weight and more range. It also has a design more closely tailored to real-world demands, while still retaining a quirkiness which LEAF owners adore.

I’m not so sure I like the style. I’d rather have a ‘proper’ looking car, but it does turn heads and it does stand out as being different which is what being a LEAF owner is all about.

But there were some obvious things wrong with the old car. The pale interior came in for a lot of criticism, and although the Japanese love beige upholstery European versions of the LEAF have switched to black, which includes black leather on the top-spec model.

The single old trim option has expanded to the trio of Visia, Acenta and Tekna, making the LEAF more affordable at one end and better equipped at the other. Combined with the choice of whether to buy the entire car outright or to save £5,000 and lease the batteries, the headline price now starts from under £16,000 after the £5,000 Government grant. Suddenly the Leaf seems sensible.

The boot is bigger; at 370 litres it’s almost as big as a Volkswagen Golf and SEAT Leon, although it’s not so conveniently shaped. The curved corners and relatively intrusive wheel arches make an irregularly shaped load space. Still, a 40-litre boost over the old model thanks to some relocated technology means space for one extra suitcase.

This time Nissan has given the European LEAF its own suspension tune. The overly soft, sometimes wobbly ride of the old car was a cause for complaint. The new setup is damped with greater conviction. It works, too, controlling the body movement better than before while retaining the good ride quality that defined the first LEAF.

It absorbs bumps and potholes with confidence, composure and impressively quietly.

The drivetrain is as quiet and vibration-free as you might expect, and the lack of vibration vastly reduces driver fatigue and irritation behind the wheel. Driving the new LEAF is relaxing, with thoughtfully shaped seats that support your spine well. The padding offers a good balance of soft comfort and measured support and the variable-ratio steering is pleasant at all speeds, but it does give something away in terms of initial turn-in response and there’s no reach adjustment for the wheel.

The batteries now offer a potential 120 miles or more in ideal conditions from a full charge. A real-world 100 miles should be normal in the summer months. Part of this comes from a weight reduction of 32kg, chopped mainly out of two key drivetrain components.

That drivetrain has been modified with new torque mapping and an extra driving mode, labelled B. It increases the ‘engine braking’ effect to closer replicate being in a low gear in an internal combustion engined car, increasing the amount of energy the car recuperates in the process. It’s brilliant for hilly routes, where the energy recuperated can be almost as much as the energy you use.

The top-spec Tekna model driven here feels like a luxurious car, with heated seats even in the back, leather upholstery, climate control, an extensive in-car systems readout and sat-nav. The only flaws are the shiny plastic surrounds for the switches on the door panel.

And yet the price is very reasonable when compared to other top-spec cars. You’re getting a very advanced motor, with the capacity to recoup 80 per cent of its full charge in 30 minutes and to cost you less than £2 for every 100 miles you drive.

Impressive. If you have the lifestyle to suit a car with a limited range, and a commitment to be eco-friendly, LEAF is worth a look.

Nissan LEAF Tekna PRICE: £32,119 on the road. This is the flagship version. LEAF starts at £25,990 ENGINE: An 80kW AC electric motor with automatic transmission PERFORMANCE: Top speed 87mph, 0 to 60mph in 11.5 seconds COSTS: About £2 to give it a full re-charge EMISSIONS: Zero WARRANTY: Five years, 60,000 miles for electric drive components and three years, 60,000 for the rest of the vehicle