Nissan Set To Roll Out A New ‘Leaf’ Model To Take On Tesla

Beating off criticism that a limited driving range of its Leaf electric vehicle (EV) will dull its mass-market appeal and to take on Tesla’s Model 3, Nissan Motor will soon launch an improved version of the car today (6 September).

The improved version of Leaf will be on sale in Japan from 2 October and elsewhere early next year. Thanks to a bigger, 40 kilowatt hour battery, the new version of the car will reportedly have a range of about 241 kilometres on a single charge, up from the previous version’s 170 kilometres range.

The new version of the car, which is priced at $28,992, has also received a sporty facelift and is equipped with the latest automated systems including single-lane highway driving and self-parking.

However, analysts believe the car is not likely to attract drivers, particularly in the United States, where petrol prices are low. “Until we see a significant improvement in range and/or economics that feed through to a rise in petrol prices, EV buyers will be buying for environmental or altruistic reasons,” said Janet Lewis, head of Asia transportation research at Macquarie Securities.

Although the Leaf is $5,000 cheaper than Elon Musk's Tesla Model 3, it can’t match Model 3’s 350 kilometre range. Model 3 will highlight the Leaf’s shorter range, making it unattractive for buyers in the the mid-sized EV market.