New Nissan Leaf boosts range 06 | 09 | 2017
NISSAN HAS UNVEILED its MkII all-electric Leaf. The newcomer, which is expected to go on-sale at Scottish dealerships in January, has a range of 235 miles, plus advanced autonomous systems. A further model, with a 310-mile rage, will follow. (Related: Scotland to stop sales of non-hybrid petrol and diesel cars by 2032)
The new Leaf — the world’s bestselling electric vehicle with more than 283,000 customers — features three main new intelligent driving technologies.
The first is ProPILOT advanced driver assistance system. Used during single-lane driving on the highway, it makes the drive easier, less stressful and more relaxing.
The second, ProPILOT Park, is intended to change the way people think about parking. When activated, this technology will take control of all steering, acceleration, braking and gear selection to automatically guide the car into a parking spot. Nissan says it makes parking stress free and more precise for all drivers. (Related: Smart Vision EQ ForTwo concept)
The third, e-Pedal, is, according to Nissan, a revolutionary technology that transforms the way we drive. It allows drivers to start, accelerate, decelerate and stop simply by adjusting their input upon the accelerator pedal.
When the accelerator is fully released, regenerative and friction brakes are applied automatically, gradually bringing the car to a complete stop. The car holds its position, even on steep uphill slopes, until the accelerator is pressed again. The reactiveness of e-Pedal enables drivers to maximise their driving pleasure when the road opens up.
The conventional brake pedal must still be used in aggressive braking situations. (Related: Mini reveals all-electric car design)
Power for the standard Leaf — which is 4480mm long, 1790mm wide and 1535mm tall — comes from a a new 40kWh lithium-ion battery, up from the 30kWh of the outgoing model. Taking up the same physical space as the unit in the original Leaf, the new battery pack is more energy-dense.
The result is an improved range to a claimed 235 miles, which is more than 50% further than the current car. Recharging time remains the same, at around 40 minutes for an 80% fast charge, and the battery takes around eight hours for a full top-up from a normal 7kW charger. (Related: BMW reveals hot new i3s)
The front-mounted motor in the 2018 Leaf produces 110kW, or 148bhp, which is an increase from the outgoing car’s 80kW or 108bhp. The result is a 15% improvement in the car’s 0-62mph time, which is now 9.8secs.
A further, higher-capacity battery will join the Leaf range in around 12-18 months after the initial cars hit the Scottish showrooms. This new powerplant will extend the range of more than 310 miles.
The new Leaf has a more sporty look. Boasting a newly redesigned flat floor, sharper nose and more aggressively tapered rear, it has a new low drag coefficient of 0.27. That results in a quieter cabin, which Nissan says is as refined as a Mercedes E-Class of BMW 5 Series.
Practicality has also been improved, with bootspace up from 370 litres to 435 litres.
Inside, the cabin has been redesigned to improve ergonomics and features a new seven-inch touchscreen which will feature Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Related: Renault and Nissan scrappage scheme
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Jim McGill