The 2018 Nissan Leaf EV is slated to be released only a month or so from now, so it’s a bit surprising that exact specs have remained a mystery until now. They have seemingly now been leaked though … and they seem to be approximately what we’ve been expecting, which is certainly not a bad thing.
The battery pack capacity has been upgraded to 40 kilowatt-hours (kWh), from 30 kWh, which should make for a pretty nice increase in range. Correspondingly, the power of the electric motor has been boosted nicely and will now provide 100 kW — or 147 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque. This compares to the current LEAF’s 107 horsepower and 187 pound-feet of torque.
With regard to pricing, going on the leaked data published by Autobytel, the base price for the lowest trim (S trim) 2018 Nissan LEAF will be $29,999. The LEAF SV will correspondingly begin at $32,490, and the LEAF SL at $36,200.
If accurate, then these prices mean the Nissan LEAF will undercut the Chevy Bolt and the Tesla Model 3 by a fair margin … enough to make the model an appealing option to many, no doubt.
Push EVs provides more: “Notice that the 2018 Nissan Leaf is bigger and heavier than the outgoing 2017 version. However, Nissan managed to make it more efficient by improving the aerodynamics and the powertrain. … Now the biggest piece of the puzzle still missing is when will the bigger LG Chem battery option come to the higher trims and how much capacity will it have. I’m starting to doubt it’ll be 60 kWh, more likely to be around 50 kWh, just enough to get 200 miles (322 km) EPA range. Remember that Nissan doesn’t want to make the Leaf more expensive than it already is.
“The ‘good news’ is that since this 2018 Nissan Leaf is more a facelift than a new generation, I expect production to reach high levels right from the start without major difficulties.”
The full reveal for the newly refreshed 2018 Nissan LEAF EV is slated for September 5.
Related:
“It’s Amazing When Nothing Holds You Back” — The New Nissan LEAF
Nissan ProPILOT Assist Technology Reduces Stop-&-Go Highway Driving, Ready For US Launch
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