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Final Up to date on: twenty eighth March 2025, 02:24 pm
Nissan slipped out teaser pictures of the next-generation Nissan LEAF this week. Shifting into crossover territory, it’s a bit completely different from what has come earlier than, and I’d guess will probably be Nissan’s hottest LEAF ever. However except for the look, one thing highly effective struck me, amping up the information far more than the rest.
Sadly, Nissan didn’t present a lot element on the coming 2026 LEAF. Nonetheless, somebody at Nissan slipped BBC’s High Gear the essential information that we will anticipate 600 km (373 miles) of vary with the brand new LEAF. That’s about 100 miles greater than the present LEAF provides! Nonetheless, past that, the actually spectacular bit is how far electrical automobile expertise has come previously decade-plus.
The primary Nissan LEAF was the 2011 mannequin, and it had 73 miles (117 km) of vary — at a value of $33,600 if Google’s AI analysis is true. (That does sound like what I recall.)
The present Nissan LEAF (not the approaching next-gen crossover) is available in two trims. The primary trim has a rated vary of 149 miles (240 km) and begins at $28,140, whereas the upper trim has a rated vary of 212 miles (341 km) and begins at $36,190. Admittedly, this technology of the LEAF is just not significantly aggressive within the EV market.
Pricing for the LEAF has remained fairly secure through the years — staying in the identical basic worth vary. So, one would anticipate it’s going to stay in that enviornment with the up to date technology once more. But when we’re going to 373 miles of vary, take a look at how a lot of an enchancment that’s over 15 years prior! I’m wondering if Nissan will spotlight the change as a part of a 15-year anniversary of the mannequin.
After all, that’s the form of enchancment in vary for price that we’ve seen throughout the business previously 15 years. The good factor concerning the LEAF is that it was one of many first fashionable EVs and was the highest promoting EV for years, so having the ability to examine its progress through the years is likely one of the cleanest methods to indicate how the tech and business have advanced.
As I discussed a few days in the past, the Nissan ARIYA, Nissan’s second absolutely electrical mannequin, has a rated vary of 216 to 289 miles and begins round $40,000, with the bottom worth of the very best journey beginning round $54,000. That’s not nearly as good of a range-for-cost ratio because the next-gen LEAF is predicted to get, however the ARIYA is in the next class, a considerably bigger and fancier automobile. Additionally, for all we all know, the 2026 model of the ARIYA can have improved vary. Although, a key with the LEAF is that its smaller measurement and higher effectivity will assist it get extra out of the batteries.
For anybody who has pushed electrical automobiles for some time, we all know all too properly the 2 questions non-EV homeowners have about electrical automobiles — how far can they drive, and the way lengthy do they take to cost. Most individuals assume they want way more vary than they do, and most of the people don’t understand that dwelling EV charging is far more handy than filling up a fuel automotive. The opposite factor they don’t know is simply how a lot EV tech has improved previously 10–15 years. Answering “373 miles” to that first query should still not click on in many individuals’s minds — they might assume they want 500 or 600 miles of vary (which, after all, they don’t until they’re in a really area of interest phase of the market). However except for attempting to elucidate how a lot you’ll be able to drive with 373 miles within the battery (nearly twice the vary of my 2019 Tesla Mannequin 3), it is perhaps helpful to simply make this level to them.
Right here’s what I’d say to somebody asking the standard basic questions on electrical automotive vary and charging time: “It is determined by what electrical automotive you get, however the first Nissan LEAF had 73 miles of vary and the brand new one has 373 miles of vary! Now you can go tremendous far in an electrical automotive earlier than needing to recharge. In actual fact, the common US driver may recharge simply as soon as per week with this automotive! After all, it’s so easy simply plugging the automotive in whenever you get dwelling that it makes extra sense to simply preserve it topped up day-after-day simply in case you must make a sudden pressing drive to the opposite facet of Florida.” Maybe that would supply extra context and understanding than simply offering some numbers they’re probably not ready to assimilate.
What do you assume? How serendipitous is it that the next-gen LEAF is meant to have 300 miles extra vary than the first-gen one, and the way huge of a deal is it? How would you employ this information to assist extra individuals stay a nicer, extra handy EV life?
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