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Nissan Leaf to get sharp new look and range boost

8K views 36 replies 24 participants last post by  BlueMontreal 
#1 ·
Nissan Leaf to get sharp new look and range boost
Exclusive images show better look for new Nissan Leaf,
while new battery tech boosts range to 186 miles

Auto Express
By Luke Madden
26 Aug, 2014

Nissan is hard at work developing the next-generation Leaf, focusing on improving the range with new battery tech and – as our exclusive images show – a more conventional look. The new car is expected to be on sale late in 2016, with prices starting around £17,000.

Clearly, the introduction of Tesla’s Model S – and its claimed 312-mile range – has changed the electric car market, making the current Leaf’s real-world range of 85 miles seem a bit old-hat.

Nissan bosses are promising new battery technology is on the way, with better energy density for a more usable pure electric vehicle. A figure of about 186 miles is likely to be the target.

There’s a good chance Nissan will offer smaller battery packs with less range, like Tesla does with its 60kWh and 85kWh packs. The new battery technology and motor will be shared with Nissan’s luxury brand, Infiniti, too.

*Full Article at Link
 
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#9 ·
I like it. Nissan has been designing things that don't actually put me to sleep, so I say good for them.

I never really cared for the Leaf, but this next-gen looks great. I really hope that the rumored 200mi Chevrolet Sonic based EV will look just as just as dynamic/stylish - or even better.
Neither will matter because the Model III will obliterate it, the Leaf, and the Volt.
 
#7 ·
That's a quantum leap in styling over the current frogmobile, even if the grille looks like it was cribbed from Ford.

If Nissan hits its range target of 185 miles, then it becomes a serious player in the EV universe.
 
#8 ·
I really like that new design direction. Around a 200 mile range would definitely make the car more practical. Electric cars can't be beaten for operational costs -- and they aren't the long term maintenance nightmare of a gas hybrid, either. For a city dweller, this car would make a lot of sense to own.
 
#11 ·
Definitely not a snooze-mobile anymore, but that just doesn't seem very aero-efficient.
 
#14 · (Edited)
Mmm LOL you are right, Nissan Engineers said will give the Leaf crap better aerodynamics add a big grille air dam on the new generation Leaf, how is this a step FWD?

This new Leaf has a front grille that looks like it will act as a massive air dam, l thought grilles front air dams were banned on Electric cars because of the induced drag they cause, this is a Auto Express rendering with a grille, the production version won't have one and looking at the renderings will make the Leaf total pig ugly with out a grille.

Battery innovation is driving the improved range, going the Tesla route, they are downsizing from Tesla battery to make it cheaper with a much small range.

New added Leaf big AE fake grille an aerodynamic brick wall, not normal found on an EV, a big rad on an EV LOL?

Auto Express air dam grille might make it look good put lipstick on a pig ugly Leaf, but aerodynamically it's total crap to fit a front grille, the grille won't be fitted in the real world version. The older Leaf has a more slippery front end than the new AE version with a grille.

Improved battery technology/ management/smaller batteries lighter weight are driving the range improvements but still crap compared to a Tesla that uses better 85 kWh batteries.
 
#18 ·
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Seems the trend going forward is to make the EV's look more like normal cars, which opens up their acceptance to "normal" people.


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If this thing really does get +150 mile range and fast charge, Voltec best hope is to hit +80 MPG in CS mode, because otherwise its obsolete.
 
#19 ·
Anything would look better than the current thing. I do wish however that manufacturers would get more creative with the packaging and design freedoms afforded by the electric powertrain.
 
#25 ·
I could see there being some additional complication just because you have 2 different systems and potentially more components having to work and interact with each other. Not necessarily taking a side on this specific car though. I'm glad they improved the styling to something reasonable, I'll say that much.
 
#36 ·
Those are certainly eye-opening numbers for the Quant, but I'll withhold my excitement until a 3rd-party gets a hold of the car for a proper drive. We've seen lots of pie-in-the-sky stories like this before, only to have reality turn out to be completely different.
 
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#37 ·
Within a few years, I think buying an electric car to replace our 2009 Focus. We will move to a neighborhood closer to my work and we will be able park cars at home. For now, we have to park on the street and we could not recharge an electric car.

I can walk to my workplace. It's a 25 walk. Il will be less than 10 minutes. The workplace of my wife, which is located about 22 km from the area where we want to live, employee parking will be equipped with charging stations next spring. A Leaf would be more useful than a Volt. We will continue to use the Grand Caravan for long trips, family vacations, to buy stuff for home imrovement and I'll take for the few day where the weather is to bad to walk to the school where I teach. We do around 7,000 km per year with the van, mostly on the highway.

An electric car, LEAF, Focus or other, could make around 16,000 km per year. Here gasoline is very expensive ($1.40 ~ $1.50 /L, about 5 USD/gal) and electricity is affordable ($0.07/kWh). I would have no reason to pay more for a car carrying an onboard generator. The range of electric cars is strongly affected by winter and that was my main concern. With charging stations at work, my wife will have to plug her electric car a few hour on the very cold days and she will be assured of being able to go home in her car.
 
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