Nissan raises the bar for electric vehicles with Leaf
Nissan has introduced the new Nissan Leaf. The zero-emission electric vehicle has been completely reinvented, combining greater range with a dynamic new design and advanced technologies, which represent Nissan’s technological leadership, the carmaker said.
“The new Nissan Leaf drives Nissan Intelligent Mobility, which is the core brand strategy for Nissan’s future,” said Hiroto Saikawa, president and CEO of Nissan. “The new Nissan Leaf, with its improved autonomy range, combined with the evolution of autonomous drive technology, such as ProPILOT Park, and the simple operation of the e-Pedal, strengthens Nissan’s EV leadership, as well as the expansion of EVs globally. It also has core strengths that will be embodied by future Nissan models.”
The Nissan Leaf offers a range of 400 km, allowing drivers to enjoy a longer journey. The e-powertrain gives the Leaf 110 kW of power output and 320 Nm of torque, improving acceleration and driver enjoyment.
The Leaf adapts ProPILOT autonomous drive technology, used during single-lane driving on the highway.
It also offers ProPILOT Park. When activated, the car’s ProPILOT Park technology takes control of steering, acceleration, braking, shift changing and the parking brake to automatically guide it into a parking spot. It enables a driver to park, including parallel park, safely with a simple operation.
The Leaf’s e-Pedal technology lets drivers start, accelerate, decelerate and stop by increasing or decreasing the pressure applied to the accelerator. When the accelerator is fully released, regenerative and friction brakes are applied automatically, bringing the car to a complete stop. The car holds its position, even on steep uphill slopes, until the accelerator is pressed again.
The new Nissan Leaf’s redesigned cabin is focused on the driver, featuring a front panel in the form of a “gliding wing.”
The seven-inch, full-color (TFT) display has been redesigned to highlight key features, such as the Safety Shield technology power gauge and audio and navigation system information. Apple CarPlay has also been added.
Nissan said it will offer a higher power, longer range version at a higher price in 2018 (timing may vary by market). The new Nissan Leaf will go on sale Oct. 2 in Japan. The model is slated for deliveries in January 2018 in the US, Canada and Europe.