Nissan has released the first image of its next-generation LEAF electric family car. While it only shows a headlight of the car, the striking design for it hints at a very different, more aggressive appearance for the next LEAF.
The new Nissan LEAF is expected to make its long-awaited public debut at the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show which takes place near the end of this October, although we’ll probably get more revealing pictures and details in the month before. The electric car is then anticipated to go on sale just before the end of this year.
New self-driving and electricity sharing features possible
Nissan’s CEO Carlos Ghosn has suggested that the new LEAF could feature Nissan’s ProPilot, an autonomous driving system which is considerably more advanced than the semi-autonomous aids available in some current Nissans like the Qashqai.
With ProPilot onboard, the new LEAF could have the ability to drive itself on single-lane roads and learn more about roads which it goes through.
Other systems set to feature on the LEAF include Seamless Autonomous Mobility (SAM), which has been developed with the help of NASA and is designed to help the LEAF make sound decisions on more unpredictable roads.
Also, being worked on are programmes called Vehicle-To-Home (V2H) and Vehicle-To-Grid (V2G) which basically work out ways the Nissan LEAF’s power source (the battery-run electric motor) can be used when the car’s is not being driven.
With the V2H programme, the LEAF could theoretically provide electricity to a house if there’s a power cut or feed extra power during peak hours of electricity usage. With a V2G system in place, the LEAF’s power source could possibly sell surplus electricity back to the power company providing it.
Just how many of these intriguing ideas will make it to the production model of the new LEAF remains to be seen. We’ll know more when the fully-electric hatchback arrives later this year.
