Nissan debuts a longer-lasting Leaf at consumer expo
LAS VEGAS: The long-range version of Nissan Leaf that the company has been promising since 2017 has finally arrived with an “e+” added to its name and 76 miles added to its range.
Nissan has just debuted the next-generation Nissan Leaf at CES 2019, and this one got a serious performance upgrade and a fancy new name: The Leaf e+.
The new model’s range jumps from roughly 150 miles per single charge to 226 miles ( 361.6 km), which is made possible by the“increased energy density of the model’ s 62 kWh battery pack and the higher output of its power train ”-- an improvement that inspired the name upgrade. This is a huge increase from t he 2 018 mo del’s 4 0kWh battery.
The motor also increased from 110 kW capable of producing 150 hp to a 150 kW motor generating 200 hp, a welcome addition for those who like a speedier, more reactive ride.
The Leaf e+ will be sold under the Leaf Plus Series in three available trims: S Plus, SV Plus, and SL Plus further saturating the “EV ecosystem” Nissan is working to develop. Internationally, the company has sold nearly 400,000 Leafs, making it one of the best- selling electric vehicles in the world; adding more power trains will only appeal to an even wider audience with the longer range perhaps making the model take off in the US.
Sources say that the model will be available for about US$ 38,000 (about RM160,000) in Japan this month. The US release will follow in the spring with a price being announced closer to t he on- sale date. The European launch will take place in mid-2019.
Meanwhile, since the cancellation of an incentive programme in Ontario, sales of the Nissan Leaf electric hatchback have tanked.
In Ontario, Canada, following a change in the administration, the Electric and Hydrogen Vehicle and Charging Incentive Programmes area few of the rebate programmes that got the axe last July.
According to Nissan Canada, its old 695 electric vehicles in Ontario last August. By November, those sales had almost vanished - dropping to just 10. That month in Quebec, however, the number was 283.
Previously, Ontario residents could receive up to C $14,000 ( RM44,400) in rebates for opting for an electric vehicle such as the Leaf, which seemed incentive enough. But without the rebate, electric vehicles don’t seem to be as appealing.
Elsewhere in Canada, green rebates still exist, limited to British Columbia and Quebec, which means both provinces are enjoying an influx of electric vehicles.
That in turn lowers the amount of time that people in those provinces have to wait for their new cars, now that motorists in Ontario aren’ t interested.