Nissan took a gamble with a conservative design for its second-generation Leaf, which debuted in Las Vegas.
For much of the motoring public, electric vehicles remain something of an exotic technology that carmakers are doubling down on EVs as the automotive landscape continues to change. Nissan and its ally, Renault, are moving to remain the leader in battery-electric vehicles.
José Muñoz, chief performance officer, Nissan Motor Co. Ltd., and chairman, Nissan North America Inc., said Nissan’s objective is to remain the global leader in electric vehicle sales as he unveiled the second-generation of the Nissan Leaf at an event in Las Vegas.
The Las Vegas debut immediately followed the Leaf’s global launch in Tokyo, Japan. The next-generation Leaf goes on sale at Nissan dealers in all 50 states in early 2018, Munoz said.
“When we launched Leaf in 2010, it instantly became the most affordable, mass market EV in the world. We are not walking away from that proposition,” said Muñoz.
(Leaked pics show more conservative looking 2018 Nissan Leaf. To see more, Click Here.)
The new Nissan Leaf is expected to hit U.S. dealerships early next year.
“The value equation for the new Leaf is even stronger than ever before – beginning with a starting MSRP under $30,000. That’s a lower price than the Leaf in market today and it includes more power, range and technology, all wrapped in a beautiful new exterior and interior design,” he added.
The 2018 Leaf has a 150-mile driving range and has also undergone a complete redesign that gives a sleeker appearance and also makes it large and more spacious on the inside.
The new Leaf is laden with advanced technologies including driver assistance features. It is the first step in the re-launch of Nissan’s EV platform and will be followed in model year 2019 with a high-power version with increased motor power and battery capacity, Nissan officials said.
(Click Here for more about Nissan’s ProPilot autonomous technology.)
Nissan sales in the United States since 2010 have totaled more than 112,000 and more than 283,000 worldwide.
The new Leaf is also extends Nissan Intelligent Mobility, a global initiative that focuses on how Nissan vehicles are driven, powered and integrated into society.
Its new ProPilot Assist, Nissan’s advanced single lane driver assistance technology, helps ease driver workload by reducing the amount of driver acceleration, steering and braking input required under certain driving conditions. While a “hands-on” system, it previews Nissan’s ongoing development of future leading edge autonomous drive technologies.
(Nissan offers tease of all-new ’18 Leaf EV. Click Here to check it out.)
“We believe the new Leaf will be another game changer for Nissan in the U.S., just as the redesigned Rogue has been in the last year and a half, hitting the ‘sweet spot’ in the growing EV segment,” said Muñoz. “It takes everything we’ve learned from our loyal first-generation Leaf owners to the next level.”