Flip a switch located right next to the gear lever, and you’re off! That’s how easy it is to engage e-Pedal, one of the highlight features of the 2018 Nissan Leaf. Thing is, how does it compare to the one-pedal driving mode of the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt? For all intents and purposes, it’s simpler to use.
The Bolt, in stark comparison to the all-new Leaf, has a paddle located on the back of the steering wheel connected to the regenerative braking system. The Leaf in e-Pedal mode, meanwhile, lets the driver use the accelerator for gaining speed, decelerating, and coming to a halt as well.
e-Pedal functionalities don’t end here, for the technology also allows the driver “to bring the car to a complete stop even on hills, stay in position, and resume driving instantly.”Nissan makes a case for e-Pedal by saying it can cover 90 percent of an individual’s driving needs. Reducing the need to shuffle one’s feet from accelerator pedal to brake pedal is not a bad proposition at all, especially during heavy traffic and city commutes.
Simple things can sure be amazing, and for what it’s worth, Nissan intends to hammer that notion into our collective mindset with the 2018 Leaf. The second generation of the world’s best-selling vehicle further benefits from semi-autonomous driving technology, brought together under the ProPilot umbrella. The car will even park itself thanks to the ProPilot Park system.
Scheduled to be shown in full on September 6 at an event in Tokyo, the 2018 Nissan Leaf will go on sale soon after we lay eyes upon it. Advancements in battery cell technology and all-electric powertrains translate to more range and more performance from the Leaf, although don’t expect the Japanese automaker to challenge the performance crown of the Tesla Model S and Model X in P100D with Ludicrous Plus flavor.
While on the subject of Tesla, the all-new Leaf with the bigger capacity battery is rumored to take on the Model 3 with the entry-level 60 kWh pack. If it were your money, what would you choose between the two?
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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