Photo: Nissan
Once a pioneer in the field, Nissan took its foot off the EV pedal after launching the very successful (by electric vehicle standards) LEAF. Now, though, the Japanese manufacturer is getting ready to reveal its replacement, and it looks to be a big improvement.
Well, that's mostly because the current LEAF is only able to provide enough juice for 155 miles (250 km) before its batteries are completely depleted. And that's according to the more forgiving NEDC testing cycle, because over in the USA - where Tesla gets its ratings - was awarded a 107-mile maximum range.
According to Kazuo Yajima, alliance global director of EV – HEV technology development at Nissan, the new car will get a 215 to 250-mile maximum range. That sounds reasonable, only it is calculated using the Japanese JC08 test cycle, which, believe it or not, is even more lenient than the European one.
To get an idea, the current Nissan LEAF gets a 174-mile range, as opposed to the 250 km (155-mile) one from NEDC and 107 miles from EPA. Simple math tells us that if these differences remain the same, the new LEAF would only get a 155-mile EPA rating, which is far behind Chevrolet Bolt's 238 miles and the over 200 miles that the Tesla Model 3 will offer.
The only upside for the upcoming LEAF is that it appears to have grown in size, making it a lot more useful than the smallish current hatchback offering. However, even slightly larger than the Chevy Bolt (and probably more comfortable as a result), the eventual range discrepancy is likely to make it less competitive as more and more EV owners are starting to look for long-distance traveling ability in their EVs.
At the moment, though, nothing is set in stone for the new LEAF. Talking to Nikkei Automotive and quoted by hybridcars.com, Mr. Yajima also mentioned a 550 km (340-mile) mysterious EV that will be launched in 2020. Not much is known about this second electric car apart from the fact that it should be the same size as the current LEAF, meaning it should slot under the upcoming new generation in Nissan's lineup.
Despite running in stealth mode, the LEAF has been caught testing several times now, and we're expecting the car to be launched later this year, with deliveries starting before the end of 2017. Just how much of its lost glory can it get back remains to be seen.
According to Kazuo Yajima, alliance global director of EV – HEV technology development at Nissan, the new car will get a 215 to 250-mile maximum range. That sounds reasonable, only it is calculated using the Japanese JC08 test cycle, which, believe it or not, is even more lenient than the European one.
To get an idea, the current Nissan LEAF gets a 174-mile range, as opposed to the 250 km (155-mile) one from NEDC and 107 miles from EPA. Simple math tells us that if these differences remain the same, the new LEAF would only get a 155-mile EPA rating, which is far behind Chevrolet Bolt's 238 miles and the over 200 miles that the Tesla Model 3 will offer.
The only upside for the upcoming LEAF is that it appears to have grown in size, making it a lot more useful than the smallish current hatchback offering. However, even slightly larger than the Chevy Bolt (and probably more comfortable as a result), the eventual range discrepancy is likely to make it less competitive as more and more EV owners are starting to look for long-distance traveling ability in their EVs.
At the moment, though, nothing is set in stone for the new LEAF. Talking to Nikkei Automotive and quoted by hybridcars.com, Mr. Yajima also mentioned a 550 km (340-mile) mysterious EV that will be launched in 2020. Not much is known about this second electric car apart from the fact that it should be the same size as the current LEAF, meaning it should slot under the upcoming new generation in Nissan's lineup.
Despite running in stealth mode, the LEAF has been caught testing several times now, and we're expecting the car to be launched later this year, with deliveries starting before the end of 2017. Just how much of its lost glory can it get back remains to be seen.
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