Popular EV has a complete makeover
Second generation of world’s best-selling electric car gets new look and more power
Launched in 2011, the Nissan Leaf is credited as being the first mainstream fully electric car, and the most successful, having sold more than 300,000 worldwide. Rolling changes incrementally increased its range and charging capacity, but for 2018, the Leaf gets a complete makeover that in many respects keeps it ahead of the burgeoning crowd of affordable EVs.
Of course, the first two questions will pertain to range and price. With its new 40 kilowatt hour battery (up from last year’s 30 kWh unit), the 2018 Leaf ’s claimed range jumps 70 kilometres to 242. Pricing starts at $35,998 for the base S model. This mid-level SV, which is the volume model, is priced at $39,598, and there’s the more ritzy SL at $41,998.
While the 2018 model shares the outgoing car’s platform, Nissan has backed off on the weirdo ovoid styling, giving this new Leaf a crisp, modern hatchback profile with the expected corporate cues, including the V-motion grill, boomerang headlights and floating roofline.
The interior is considerably more mainstream too, although the quality of plastics is not great, and the steering wheel doesn’t telescope, which makes for an awkward, arms-out driving position. The Leaf does benefit from Nissan’s generally logical ergonomics, and the seats are comfortable. This mid-level SV has heated seats both front and rear, plus a heated steering wheel, the thinking being it takes less energy to warm a human directly than to heat the whole cabin, thereby saving precious electrons for the motor.
The SV also gets a seven-inch touch screen with navigation, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, piano-black interior trim, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, 17-inch aluminum wheels, LED headlights and a pretty slick semi-autonomous system dubbed ProPilot that blends adaptive cruise and steering assist, giving you a few seconds of hands free driving if conditions permit. Whoopee.
As for the driving experience, this 2018 Leaf eclipses the old car. It’s no longer a soggy handler with vague steering; it now shows pretty crisp turn-in and body control. Credit the strengthened structure and 10 per cent stiffer anti-roll bars. It is markedly quicker, too, thanks to a 40-horsepower increase to 147 hp, and a bump in torque to 236 pound-feet from 187. The Leaf doesn’t feel as fleet as the VW eGolf (201-km range), nor does it handle as well, but it certainly will never be caught flat-footed with all that instant torque.
Nudge the ePedal toggle switch on the console, and the throttle pedal controls both acceleration and deceleration, while harvesting kinetic energy through regenerative braking. Think of it as being like a volume control: The Leaf will come to a complete stop when lifting off, as the friction brakes step in to finish the deed. It’s a pretty slick system that takes a bit of practice, but once you get the hang of it you can pretty much do all your daily driving without touching the brake pedal. And yes, the brake lights do come on when decelerating.
My time with the Leaf coincided with a heat wave in Ontario, and even with the A/C keeping the cabin cool, the Leaf looked to be on track for delivering its claimed range on a full charge.
A hurdle for some prospective EV buyers is the expense of installing a Level 2 charger at home. The new Leaf can bypasses this, as it comes with a charging cable that will plug into a standard 240-volt appliance outlet. Full charge from empty takes seven and a half hours. On a public Level 3 charger, you can replenish about 140 km in 30 minutes.
The Leaf is also practical. The hatch space behind the 60/40 split rear seat is deep.
So will this new-generation 2018 Leaf draw more into the EV fold? Well, too bad about the timing in Ontario, as it arrives just as Premier Ford cans the rebates for EVs, plug-in hybrids and home chargers. Still, with its claimed 242-km range, improved driving dynamics and competitive pricing, it’s certainly a much more compelling proposition for those who are considering dipping their toes into the waters of full electrification.