Photo: Nissan
Every time the name of the Nissan LEAF comes up in a presentation, we're reminded that the Japanese hatchback is the best-selling electric vehicle of all times, having found over 250,000 owners over the six years it's been in production.
In reality, that number just goes to show how poorly EVs have sold recently, with the LEAF included. Nissan's zero emissions model has had declining figures lately, with people becoming unhappy about its 155-mile (255 km) maximum range. Have their needs suddenly changed? Probably not, but their expectations have.
The new Nissan LEAF is due for a release later this year, but details on the second-gen EV have been well kept so far. During his presentation at CES, Renault-Nissan (and now Mitsubishi too) CEO, Carlos Ghosn confirmed the new LEAF is coming "in the near future."
He also revealed a few more info on the car, namely that it will be equipped with the ProPILOT technology which enables the car to drive quasi-autonomously on single-lane highways. The real question, though, is what battery capacity the new car will have, and how far will it enable the EV to travel?
That question was marginally addressed by Takao Asami, a Nissan senior vice president of research and advanced engineering during a Q&A session. He confirmed that at least one LEAF version would have a maximum range "at or above 200 miles," which appears to be the new minimum benchmark for EVs. He also said that Nissan is considering offering different range settings depending on the market - presumably, Europe's more densely populated areas needing shorter travels than North America's greater expanses, for example.
A little more worrying is the company's stance on charging. Asami said Nissan plans to enable its cars to accept fast-charging rates of up to 150 kW, despite the fact there are talks in Europe of stations capable of delivering more than twice that (350 kW). He believes such rates are not practical for personal EVs, which might suggest the new LEAF will obtain that 200-mile-plus range from a rather small battery pack.
Finally, back on the subject of electrification, Mr. Ghosn also announced the introduction of a series-hybrid version of the Note called e-Power. This will use electric propulsion, but instead of having a large battery pack that's charged from a power outlet, the Note e-Power will use a small onboard gasoline engine to provide the juice in motion.
Even though it doesn't sound like the Japanese company plans to revolutionize anything, it does at least remain dedicated to offering vehicles using alternative powertrains. Whether the new LEAF will manage to match the success of the current generation, though, remains to be seen. It certainly faces a lot more serious competition from the likes of GM's Bolt/Ampera-e or Tesla's Model 3.
The new Nissan LEAF is due for a release later this year, but details on the second-gen EV have been well kept so far. During his presentation at CES, Renault-Nissan (and now Mitsubishi too) CEO, Carlos Ghosn confirmed the new LEAF is coming "in the near future."
He also revealed a few more info on the car, namely that it will be equipped with the ProPILOT technology which enables the car to drive quasi-autonomously on single-lane highways. The real question, though, is what battery capacity the new car will have, and how far will it enable the EV to travel?
That question was marginally addressed by Takao Asami, a Nissan senior vice president of research and advanced engineering during a Q&A session. He confirmed that at least one LEAF version would have a maximum range "at or above 200 miles," which appears to be the new minimum benchmark for EVs. He also said that Nissan is considering offering different range settings depending on the market - presumably, Europe's more densely populated areas needing shorter travels than North America's greater expanses, for example.
A little more worrying is the company's stance on charging. Asami said Nissan plans to enable its cars to accept fast-charging rates of up to 150 kW, despite the fact there are talks in Europe of stations capable of delivering more than twice that (350 kW). He believes such rates are not practical for personal EVs, which might suggest the new LEAF will obtain that 200-mile-plus range from a rather small battery pack.
Finally, back on the subject of electrification, Mr. Ghosn also announced the introduction of a series-hybrid version of the Note called e-Power. This will use electric propulsion, but instead of having a large battery pack that's charged from a power outlet, the Note e-Power will use a small onboard gasoline engine to provide the juice in motion.
Even though it doesn't sound like the Japanese company plans to revolutionize anything, it does at least remain dedicated to offering vehicles using alternative powertrains. Whether the new LEAF will manage to match the success of the current generation, though, remains to be seen. It certainly faces a lot more serious competition from the likes of GM's Bolt/Ampera-e or Tesla's Model 3.
Google News