At the CES auto salon… no wait, I mean to say CES 2019, Nissan has announced the new addition to its LEAF electric vehicle family, the 2019 Nissan LEAF e+. Why e+, you ask? Well, because, the new LEAF now packs a lot more power and range. The 2019 Nissan LEAF e+ should excite EV lovers with its new found energy density in the model’s 62 kWh battery pack which results in a significant boosts in range with an EPA-estimated 226 miles (364 kilometers), compared to the current LEAF’s 150 miles (241 kilometers) EPA estimates.
And then there is the more powerful 160 kW motor – 45 percent over the current LEAF – and 340 Nm (250 lb-ft) of torque that promised quicker acceleration at high speeds. Speaking of speeds, the top speed also sees a slight bump, by around 10 percent. Also new is a new 70 kW Quick Charging system which enables charging time similar to hooking up to a 100 kW charger as current LEAF owners do with a 50 kW charger, notwithstanding the fact that the new LEAF now has a significantly larger battery capacity.
Even more impressive is, the physical size of the battery system remains almost identical as the current Nissan LEAF. But really, this future car now is more than just numbers; it is also about driving experience and safety. As such, it comes with a suite of driving and safety features, including ProPILOT Assist, which is an in-lane semi-autonomous driving technology that can automatically adjust the distance to the vehicle head based on a speed preset by you, the driver.
ProPILOT Assist can also keep a watch on the lane and automatically apply brakes if the vehicle in front stops. And then there is the e-Pedal that lets you accelerate, decelerate and even stopping using only the accelerator pedal. Other safety features include Intelligent Lane Intervention, Lane Departure Warning, Intelligent Emergency Braking, Blind Spot Warming, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Intelligent Around View Monitor with moving object detection.
The 2019 Nissan LEAF e+ will be sold under the LEAF PLUS Series in U.S. and Canada, with each trim level designated as S PLUS, SV PLUS and SL Plus, while the rest of the world, as Nissan LEAF e+. The new LEAF will go on sale in Japan this month, and it will be available in Spring 2019 and in mid-2019 for U.S. and European markets, respectively. Pricing starts at 3,243,240 Yen (about US$29,900) in Japan, but pricing elsewhere is yet to be announced.
All images courtesy of Nissan USA.
