Nissan, the Japanese automaker, announced that its new Leaf electric vehicle model will first enter the North American market this fall. It will then be introduced to the Japanese market later this year and is scheduled to进军 the European market next year. Reportedly, this new model will feature an extended driving range and faster charging speed.
Since its debut in 2010 as the world’s first mass – produced electric vehicle, the Nissan Leaf has established a presence in the market. With nearly 700,000 units sold to date, Nissan has become a pioneer in the electric vehicle field. However, Nissan has faced challenges in maintaining its early momentum. It wasn’t until 2022 that it launched its second all – electric model, the Ariya SUV. Confronted with the rise of competitors like the US – based Tesla and Chinese automaker BYD, Nissan hopes to revitalize its position in the increasingly competitive EV market with the third – generation Leaf.
Keiji Endo, Nissan’s chief product expert, stated at a press conference, “We anticipate that this new Nissan Leaf model will set a benchmark for future electric vehicles.” He further emphasized that the new Leaf is expected to be an ideal alternative for owners of traditional fuel – powered and hybrid vehicles. “This move fully demonstrates Nissan’s firm commitment to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.”
To address consumers’ concerns about the driving range and charging needs of pure electric vehicles, Nissan said the new Leaf will be equipped with a 75 – kilowatt – hour battery pack, an increase of at least 25% compared to the current model. Moreover, Nissan pointed out that this faster – charging and higher – performance battery will provide the new Leaf with a driving range of 303 miles (about 487.6 kilometers) according to US standards, nearly a 43% increase from the 212 – mile range of the current model.
Notably, the new Nissan Leaf for the US market will adopt the North American Charging Standard (NACS) interface, meaning owners can charge at Tesla Supercharger stations. When the battery temperature is 25 degrees Celsius, the new Leaf can replenish 130 miles of driving range in just 15 minutes, twice that of the current model.
Keiji Endo pointed out that given President Trump’s decision to review the electric vehicle incentive policies introduced by former President Biden, the demand in the US automotive market is expected to be suppressed. Therefore, Europe will become the main target market for the new Nissan Leaf. Additionally, Nissan currently has no plans to launch this model in the Chinese market.
The new Nissan Leaf will be assembled at the Tochigi plant in Japan and the Sunderland plant in northeast England. It is reported that the model will be directly shipped from the Tochigi plant to the US market. Furthermore, Nissan said it will announce the specific pricing information about a month before the official sales in each region. Currently, the starting price of the current Nissan Leaf model is $28,140.
After the above – mentioned report was released, Nissan’s share price rose by 1.9%.
The Nissan Leaf has always been popular in Europe, with 286,200 units sold there since its launch, making Europe its largest sales market. In the North American market, 221,300 units have been sold, and in the Japanese market, the sales volume is 186,200 units.
