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At a special event on Tuesday Nissan showcased their new all-electric car the Nissan Leaf. The successor to one of the first production Electric vehicles has some really impressive features that set it apart from the crowd. It will also be affordable, come with good range, fast charging speeds, and a new aerodynamic design. Is it possible that the Nissan leaf is the future of electric cars?
The Leaf is an Electric Car designed to appeal to traditional vehicle owners
Some companies try to make their Electric Vehicles stand out. Nissan have taken the opposite approach with the Leaf. The design has been updated to make the car more aerodynamic but it also makes it look more like… Well a regular car. Nissan have downplayed the fact that the Leaf is an Electric Vehicle and are clearly trying to broaden appeal to people who buy traditional fuel injection vehicles.
Nissan are also looking to take everything they learned from the first generation Leaf to take things to the “next level”. This includes a huge increase in performance. The battery can provide up to 150 miles in range. This is a significant improvement on the previous Leaf iteration but still puts it well behind rivals like the Tesla model 3 which can get around 220 miles. Although it is significantly cheaper than the competition, but we’ll get to that.
The battery can be fully charged in around 16 hours using a 3KW charger and in 8 hours using a high output 6KW charger. There is also a super charging mode that allows the vehicle to be charged up to 80% in 40 minutes. This is comparable to the competition and should allow most users to keep their car topped up.
The Nissan Leaf will be smart
Unsurprisingly for an electric car the Nissan Leaf will be brimming with smart technology. The ProPILOT assist takes the center stage. The ProPILOT assist is designed to help drivers on single lane highways. It subtly adjusts the car’s steering and speed in order to take some of the mental load off the driver. The device is capable of maintaining distance between cars and making small adjusts to speed and steering. Of course your hand always has to be on the steering wheel, so there is always some driver input. This feature will be especially useful in the long highways of the United States.
The Nissan Leaf also showcases the ability to to turn the accelerator pad into an e-Pedal. This single pedal can start, accelerate, brake, and stop the vehicle by increasing or decreasing pressure on the accelerator. The reactive brake system is even capable bringing the vehicle to a complete stop on a steep slope.
Other features include a high tech interior with a 7-inch full-color TFT touchscreen display. This display shows you what is going on inside and around your car and can be used to control certain features. The car also supports AppleCarPlay.
So is it possible that the Nissan Leaf is the future of electric cars?
As Nissan themselves admit the vehicle isn’t groundbreaking but it is a vast improvement on the previous Leaf. It is also the most affordable electric vehicle of this quality. A Tesla model 3 will go for around $42,000 once extras are taken into account. By comparison the Nissan Leaf will sell for $29,990 which is even cheaper than the current Leaf model.
The Leaf is also roomy, slickly designed and Nissan are clearly hoping that they can appeal to markets that use traditional fuel injected vehicles. If they’re successful then the 2018 Nissan Leaf is the future of electric cars.
