The all-new Nissan Leaf pure electric vehicle will make its debut next year. The compact EV is undergoing a comprehensive redesign to keep up with the new rivals of this era.
Nissan earlier announced the discontinuation of the Leaf EV due to poor sales, but then it decided to bring it back with an entirely new design & an electrified powertrain.
Related: Nissan Global EV Sales Cross 1 Million Milestone
After announcing sweeping plans for an electric future, which will see the Japanese automaker stop making ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicles in Europe by September 2024, Nissan says it would invest up to £3 billion ($3.8 bn) to build three new EVs at its Sunderland, UK factory. While two of these three models will be all-new, one of them is going to be the revamped Nissan Leaf, which will also be the first of the three EVs to move into production.
According to information the Lead won’t be a hatchback in its next-generation guise but will be positioned as a crossover SUV to better compete against the modern EV offerings in the market. Nissan has already previewed the next-generation Leaf in the shape of the Chill-Out concept. The concept is based on the CMF-EV platform which the Nissan Ariya EV also underpins. It will also come equipped with Nissan’s e-4ORCE electric 4WD control system.
The batteries will come from Nissan’s new cell plant, which is currently under construction. Nissan says the new batteries (Gen5) will offer 30% more energy density than the current Leaf’s 62 kWh pack which will help boost the range to up to 385 km.
When debuted in 2010, Nissan Leaf became the world’s first mass-produced battery electric vehicle and remained one of the most affordable EVs available in the market. But Nissan as well as other Japanese automakers were never too serious to pursue in the electric vehicle domain. The dull driving demeanor and modest range hampered the enthusiasm for the Nissan Leaf and kept it from reaping the benefits of surging consumer interest in EVs. While high-end electric vehicles are now seeing as much as up to 500 miles (800 km) of range, the 2022 Leaf offers just 226 estimated miles (363 km) in its larger battery and only 149 miles (239 km) in the base version.
Research from Dataforce shows sales of Leaf fell 31% to 11,568 through October in Europe. Meanwhile, Chinese rivals like BYD and SAIC’s MG are gaining ground. For example, SAIC sold 52,520 MG4 EVs in Europe during the same time.
Nissan Chill-Out concept
A computer animation professional with over 23 years of industry experience having served in leading organizations, TV channels & production facilities in Pakistan. An avid car enthusiast and petrolhead with an affection to deliver quality content to help shape opinions. Formerly written for PakWheels as well as major publications including Dawn. Founder of CarSpiritPK.com
