The 2018 Nissan Leaf has officially been revealed, showing a complete redesign that will need to compete with growing crop of electric vehicles.
Nissan says the new Leaf’s 40 kWh battery will provide 150 miles of range under EPA testing, a significant improvement over the 107-mile range achieved by the previous model’s 30 kWh battery. However, compared to the Bolt and Model 3’s respective EPA ratings of 238 and 220 miles, the Nissan could leave consumers looking elsewhere. That said, a longer-range Leaf is planned for next year.
The new battery design adds energy-storage capacity without increasing the size. The battery pack occupies the exact same dimensions as that of the previous-generation Leaf. The individual cell structure of the laminated lithium-ion battery cells has been improved, representing a 67 percent increase in energy density versus the original 2010 LEAF model.