Nissan has unveiled the Leaf e+, a new version of the Japanese brand’s electric hatchback with a larger battery, more power and increased range.
Powering the Leaf e+ is a 62kWh battery, over 33% larger than the one in the standard Leaf. Range is claimed to have increased 40%, to 458km on the Japanese WLTC cycle – for reference, the standard Leaf achieves 322km on the same test method. On the more realistic EPA cycle used in the USA, the e+ can travel 364km on a full charge.
Despite the bigger battery, the e+ can charge at similar speeds to the standard Leaf, thanks to a new 100kW fast charging system.
The larger battery has also brought a performance upgrade. The electric motor now sends 160kW of power and 340Nm of torque to its front wheels, around the same as a petrol-powered Volkswagen Golf GTI. 0-100km/h times haven’t been claimed by Nissan, however something in the region of 6.7-7.5 seconds is likely.
Inside, the infotainment touchscreen has grown in size to 8.0 inches, while a new ‘Door-to-Door Navigation’ feature syncs your Leaf with a compatible phone for seamless driving-to-walking directions.
The Nissan Leaf e+ is on sale in Japan now, with US and European deliveries set to begin in spring and mid-2019 repectively.
