Nissan redesigns Leaf for the mainstream consumer
But electric vehicle could have tough time selling in U.S.
The Nissan Leaf, which caused a sensation as the first modern, completely electric car from a major maker when it went on sale in 2010, is out to show in its first major redesign that it can reconnect with consumers.
The next generation revealed Tuesday will come with a lower price than other major electric cars and partial self-driving technology that comes standard.
The Japanese automaker also smoothed out some of the more distinctive styling features from the older version, placing the new Leaf squarely amid mainstream design. But the Leaf, which started the electric-car revolution as a 2011 model by showing up at about the same time as Chevrolet’s plug-in hybrid Volt, no longer is alone on the auto industry’s menu of affordable electric vehicles, placing more pressure on the redesigned model.
The 2018 Leaf could appeal to mainstream car buyers with predictable commutes. Its battery range will be about 150 miles, 40 miles more than the previous model. Yet the Leaf still falls short of the Chevy Bolt’s 238 miles and Tesla Model 3’s 220. That could limit the Leaf ’s appeal as Nissan seeks to recapture its reputation as an electric car leader. But Nissan won’t wait long to offer a better battery. The automaker said it would offer a new Leaf model with longer range and more horsepower at a higher price for the 2019 model year.
Time is on Nissan’s side. Battery costs are “declining faster than expected,” holding “enormous implications” for adoption of electric cars, Sanford Bernstein analyst Mark C. Newman said Tuesday in a note to investors. Newman projected that electric cars would be cheaper than conventional vehicles by 2021.
In the short term, however, the Leaf is unlikely to rack up sales. Though the 2018 Leaf ’s starting price of $30,000 beats the Model
3’s $35,000 and the Bolt’s
$37,500, it enters the market amid tepid demand for batterypowered vehicles.
The electric-car segment represented 0.5% of the U.S. market through August, up from 0.4% during the same period of 2016, according to HybridCars.com.
“It’s going to be a struggle in the U.S. because electric cars, unless they’re a Tesla, are a struggle — and even Tesla may face some challenges with the Model 3, we don’t know yet,” Autotrader.com analyst Michelle Krebs said.
Another problem: “It’s still a car,” Krebs said as shoppers ditch passenger cars and pile into crossovers, SUVs and pickups.
But Nissan hopes the Leaf ’s technological upgrades will appeal to consumers seeking semiautonomous driving at an affordable price. The redesigned Leaf will get the company’s advanced cruise-control system that can automatically slow down, speed up and stay centered in a lane.