Nissan is never one to shy away from gloating about its LEAF electric car – and for a good reason. It is the best-selling electric vehicle in Europe, it carries a 92 per cent customer satisfaction rate and according to Nissan, the LEAF model has driven an accumulated 1.8 billion kilometres in its relatively short lifetime.
Sitting comfortably at the top of the food chain in the pure electric market, in terms of sales that is, Nissan has actually said that it almost sees new electric competitors as free advertisement for its beloved hatchback.
So what of the new LEAF? Well, it isn’t all-new. There have been a few tweaks to keep the model fresh, with a new bronze paint job, roof-mounted aerial and an updated NissanConnect infotainment system.
The big change, however, is the LEAF’s new battery. In order to keep the electric evolutionary ball rolling, Nissan is introducing a new battery in the LEAF that offers a potential range of 155 miles. This is a new 30kWh unit and will sit alongside the current 24kWh unit (which claims a 124 mile range) – however it is only available on Acenta and Tekna grade models. Although the new battery is 21kg heavier, it retains the same dimensions as the 24kWh unit.
The 155 mile figure represents a 25 per cent increase in range. Regardless of whether you achieve that figure, Nissan assures us that an improvement of 25 per cent will be delivered either way. So, if you feather the accelerator or floor it, your range will see a 25 per cent increase no matter what. Nissan also says that in worst case weather conditions – like freezing winter mornings – the new battery will offer a range of at least 85 miles. But Nissan is not worried about this, as research shows that the average daily commute for a hatchback motorist in the UK is around 30 miles. This means the new battery ultimately delivers an extra day of driving.
But with 25 per cent more range, how much longer does it take to charge? Simple, 25 per cent longer – unless you are rejuvenating 80 per cent battery capacity via a rapid charger station in 30 minutes - that time remains unchanged. In a nutshell, if you charge it via a domestic three-pin socket or a household wall box charger, it will take between one hour and two and a half hours longer to fully charge.
Fitted with the new battery, we set off on a rather arduous route of hills, speed bumps and short motorway spurts. In terms of power delivery, the LEAF remains unchanged, which means you are left gleeful when you put your foot down as you get instant torque. The added range of the new battery is of course noticeable, on the dashboard display that is, and naturally you do feel less anxious with regards to running out of range.
As range is based on much more than a figure on paper, with things like weather conditions, road conditions and driving style all being integral variables, it is hard to say whether the 155 mile range is achievable – at least from our short time with the car. It certainly makes you as the driver feel more confident when heading out for longer journeys and with range anxiety being a big concern for some motorists, this is a massive tick in a very important box.
Some may argue that the greater range is not necessary, especially when you consider that the daily commute for a hatchback motorist is around 30 miles, according to Nissan. But these battery advancements are all part of making electric cars more accessible and more like a conventionally-powered car. And in fact, Nissan has said, “we are going to keep extending the range.”
