Newly unleashed range-topping version of brand's popular EV gets larger 62kWh battery
Nissan has hit back at the 279 mile all-electric Hyundai Kona Electric with a new long-range version of the second-generation Leaf, revealed at the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
• Best electric cars on sale 2019
Called the Leaf e+ the fresh flagship Leaf is equipped with a new battery pack 62kWh in capacity, 22kWh larger than the 40kWh unit equipped in the standard version of the car launched last year.
The pack itself is ever so slightly larger physically than the 40kWh car. For the most part, the extra battery capacity is thanks due to denser cells. Recorded under WLTP rules Nissan claims a maximum range of 239 miles on a single charge – up from 168 miles. The slight increase in the dimensions of the battery means the Leaf e+ rides 5mm taller than the regular car.
The new Leaf e+ doesn’t feature just a larger battery – the car’s electric motor has been uprated too. Peak power is now 160kW, the equivalent of 215bhp. Torque climbs to 340Nm. Nissan hasn’t released complete performance specifications, but claims that top speed has increased roughly 10 per cent, to around 98mph.
With a larger battery on board, Nissan has improved the rate at which the Leaf e+ can be charged compared to a base Leaf. The new 70kW quick charging system is compatible with 100kW chargers, and the firm says that buyers can expect a similar 40-minute recharge to 80 per cent, as is the case when the regular car is plugged into a 50kW charger.
Elsewhere, the Leaf e+ receives a new, larger, eight-inch colour touchscreen display as standard in the cabin, with updated navigation. On the outside, revisions are limited to e+ badging and a new front fascia with blue highlights.
Prices will be announced closer to when it goes on sale in Europe this summer.
Follow all the latest news from the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show here.
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