Following its world premiere in June, Nissan has released further details about the third-generation Leaf. Orders are expected to be possible before the end of this year at prices just below €37,000. There is also specific information about the version with the large battery.
Following the start of orders before the end of the year, the first models are expected to be delivered to customers in Q1 of next year, as Nissan Germany Managing Director Vincent Ricoux told journalists at the driving event in Copenhagen.
Japan supplies only the local market and the U.S. through its Toshigi plant; the Leaf for Europe will continue to be built in Sunderland, UK, with locally produced batteries.
More than 600 km range
While there was talk of a range of 604 kilometers for the large battery at the world premiere, the final WLTP homologation has now reached 622 kilometers. With the large 75 kWh battery, the Leaf will be available in Germany at prices below €42,000, as Ricoux has now confirmed.
With the large battery, the electric motor on the front axle delivers 160 kW; with the small battery of 52 kW, it is 130 kW. An all-wheel-drive version like the Ariya is technically possible, but not yet confirmed.
This means that the Leaf can reach a maximum speed of 160 kph with both battery sizes. The more powerful version sprints from 0 to 100 kph in 7.6 seconds, while the factory specification for the smaller battery is 8.3 seconds. WLTP consumption is expected to be 13.8 kWh/100 km in both cases.
Fast-charging can be up to (only) 105 kW for the smaller battery and up to 150 kW for the large one. This means that a DC charge from 20% to 80% will take less than 30 minutes in both cases.
The Leaf with the 52 kWh battery will probably be available for €5,000 less, starting at prices around €37,000. At the event in Copenhagen, Nissan spoke of a range of ‘over 440 kilometers’, but the final WLTP value for this variant is not yet available.
Relatively uncommon: Nissan not only quotes the WLTP values for the Leaf, but also the real-world range at motorway speeds from test drives. “At a constant motorway speed of 130 kph, the Nissan Leaf with a 75 kWh battery can travel up to 330 kilometers on a single charge, and at 110 kph, the range is even up to 430 kilometers,” says the manufacturer.
Shared technology
While the first two generations of the Leaf were designed as compact cars and remained lone wolves, the third generation has become a compact crossover. It is based on Renault-Nissan’s AmpR Medium platform (formerly known as CMF-EV).
However, Nissan emphasizes that the Leaf’s technology has been further developed compared to the manufacturer’s first model on this platform, the Ariya, particularly concerning the battery and motor.
Thanks to the improved energy density of the NMC cells, Nissan has been able to install a 75 kWh battery in the Leaf, while the Renault Megane E-Tech Electric, which is also based on the AmpR Medium and shares the same 2.69 meter wheelbase, is offered with a maximum energy content of 60 kWh.
Nissan will not publish the exact price lists for the new Leaf until shortly before orders open. The actual equipment specifications and optional extras are therefore not yet known. It is also not yet clear whether the €5,000 price difference is solely due to the larger battery or whether the Leaf with the 75 kWh battery will only be available with a higher equipment level as standard.
