New 2018 Nissan Leaf Launched, All You Need to Know

Nissan has just unveiled the next generation Leaf EV, the world's best-selling electric vehicle. While many still credit Tesla for being the pioneer of the electric cars, it’s actually the Leaf hatchback from the Japanese manufacturer that rules the rooster when it comes to EVs. Ever since its launch in 2010, Nissan has managed to sell around 280,000 Leafs, making it the world's best-selling electric vehicle. So in a way, we can say it is the Nissan Leaf that marketed the electric drive to the masses. Here’s everything to know about the newly launched 2018 Nissan Leaf EV.

Range

Like fuel efficiency, electric range plays a big role in the success of an electric car. The new 2018 Nissan Leaf will come with a 40-kWh battery pack enough for 240 km of driving range on a single charge. The current gen Leaf comes with a 30 kWh pack with 170 km of range. While it’s still close to what Tesla offers, Nissan has revealed that for the 2019 model year, Nissan will release an "e-Plus" version with 60 kWh capacity, expected to provide more than 360 km of driving range.

Power

Even after having more electric range, the new 2018 Nissan Leaf is offered with a more powerful motor than the outgoing model. The current output stands at 147 horsepower and 320 Nm of torque. That's an increase of 40 horsepower and 66 Nm as compared to the current model.

Technology

The new Leaf is feature packed with all the latest tech like the ProPilot Assist and e-Pedal technology. The ProPilot Assist is a hands-on, single-lane semi-autonomous driving system that combines stop-and-go dynamic cruise control with lane-keeping technology that does most of the acceleration, braking and steering work for you. The E-Pedal tech increases the regenerative braking, and will even hold the car on a steep incline. Nissan will introduce ProPilot Park, an autonomous parking system, on the Leaf at a later date.

Pricing

Now the question is how much do you shell out for the new model. The 2018 Leaf is actually $690 cheaper than the outgoing model and is priced at $30,875 for the base model. That's before the federal tax rebate of $7,500, plus any local incentives. But the rebates will soon be gone as Nissan has already sold over 112,000 EVs in the U.S., and according to rule, post 200,000 cars per automaker, rebates begin to decrease every six months until they're fully gone.

Sales

The 2018 Nissan Leaf will go on sale in Japan on Oct. 2, 2017, followed by the U.S. in early 2018.

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