Photo: Nissan
Introduced in 2010, the Leaf went on to become the best-selling electric vehicle in the world. From an initial capacity of 24 kWh, Nissan worked its way up to 40 kWh for the second generation. But next year, the Leaf E-Plus will take things even further.
Rumors about the 60-kWh battery emerged years before EVS29 in 2016, the event where Nissan presented the Nissan High Energy Density Roadmap. At that time, the global director of EV and HEV engineering said that he could not confirm when the larger battery would go into production and for which model in the automaker’s lineup.
A press release from September 2018 made things clear, confirming that “a longer-range version will be available in the future.” Rewind back to July 2018, and that’s when director of electric vehicle marketing and sales strategy Brian Maragno made it clear that E-Plus would be the name of this variant.
Head of global sales and marketing Daniele Schillaci, on the other hand, added that the Leaf E-Plus has a range in the ballpark of 225 miles (362 kilometers). If he’s referring to the EPA-rated range, that would be seriously impressive considering the 40-kWh battery manages up to 150 miles per charge.
On the other hand, don’t forget the Leaf has been downgraded from 235 miles (378 kilometers) to 177 miles (285 kilometers) in Europe following the changeover from NEDC to WLTP. The biggest competitors of the Leaf E-Plus would be the Tesla Model 3 with the Standard Battery (220 miles or 354 kilometers) and Hyundai Kona Electric (258 miles or 415 kilometers).
The Kona Electric stands out above the Tesla with both styling but especially pricing, starting at $29,995 in the United States of America. The MSRP is $36,450 excluding the destination fee and federal tax credit, which is outstanding when you factor in how much equipment Hyundai offers as standard.
Turning our attention back to the Leaf E-Plus, Nissan has a “new vehicle introduction” in the pipeline for the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show in January. The Leaf NISMO RC, IMx Kuro concept, and “See the Invisible” technology platform will also be on display.
A press release from September 2018 made things clear, confirming that “a longer-range version will be available in the future.” Rewind back to July 2018, and that’s when director of electric vehicle marketing and sales strategy Brian Maragno made it clear that E-Plus would be the name of this variant.
Head of global sales and marketing Daniele Schillaci, on the other hand, added that the Leaf E-Plus has a range in the ballpark of 225 miles (362 kilometers). If he’s referring to the EPA-rated range, that would be seriously impressive considering the 40-kWh battery manages up to 150 miles per charge.
On the other hand, don’t forget the Leaf has been downgraded from 235 miles (378 kilometers) to 177 miles (285 kilometers) in Europe following the changeover from NEDC to WLTP. The biggest competitors of the Leaf E-Plus would be the Tesla Model 3 with the Standard Battery (220 miles or 354 kilometers) and Hyundai Kona Electric (258 miles or 415 kilometers).
The Kona Electric stands out above the Tesla with both styling but especially pricing, starting at $29,995 in the United States of America. The MSRP is $36,450 excluding the destination fee and federal tax credit, which is outstanding when you factor in how much equipment Hyundai offers as standard.
Turning our attention back to the Leaf E-Plus, Nissan has a “new vehicle introduction” in the pipeline for the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show in January. The Leaf NISMO RC, IMx Kuro concept, and “See the Invisible” technology platform will also be on display.
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