Nissan Leaf 2018: here is the affordable rival to the Tesla Model 3

The new Nissan Leaf comes with a range of 378 kilometres and 147 CV of power.

The day has finally arrived! After several months of waiting and a string of images and teaser videos along the way, Nissan has finally unveiled its new electric compact, the 2018 Leaf. According to the Japanese firm, the new generation of the Leaf will be suitable for everyone, regardless of the social class the consumer belongs to. That is quite an ambitious claim, considering the growing competition in this segment. Nevertheless, the new Leaf comes with arguments to convince us that Nissan’s statement is no mere boast. The new version of the electric compact is more powerful, more technological, and offers a much rounder design, and its range has been improved considerably. Will the new Leaf be the true Tesla for every budget?

A completely renewed design: more attractive, modern and colourful

In our opinion, and although everyone has their own tastes and may think otherwise, the design of the current Nissan Leaf left a lot to be desired, something that no longer applies to the new generation. If a car doesn’t catch people’s eye, it’s hard for it to perform well commercially, and for this reason and many others we think the new Leaf could achieve higher sales when it hits the market in early 2018. It is a car with a more modern image that features a two-tone and even three-tone bodywork.

A 40 kWh battery and 378 kilometres of range

As expected, the new Nissan Leaf offers a considerable increase in battery capacity. From the 30 kWh offered by the current model, it moves up to 40 kWh, resulting in a range under the NEDC cycle of 378 kilometres (128 kilometres more than the previous model). In practice, that range would be limited to about 300 real-world kilometres.

How does the new Leaf’s range compare with its rivals? The Japanese electric car has improved, but it is still well short of the 60 kWh offered by models such as the Tesla Model 3 or the Opel Ampera-E. Fortunately, Nissan has confirmed that it will launch an extended-range version in the future, which could come with around 60 kWh of capacity.

40 CV more power

The 2018 Nissan Leaf is considerably more powerful than its predecessor. Its electric motor now delivers 110 kW (147 CV) compared with the 80 kW (107 CV) of the current version.

More technology: ProPilot, ProPilot Park and e-Pedal

The Japanese model is also a much more technologically advanced car than its predecessor, thanks to the following systems:

• ProPilot: offers several autonomous driving aids, including an autonomous lane-keeping system.
• ProPilot Park: automated parking assistant
• e-Pedal mode: energy regeneration system that allows driving with one pedal thanks to the deceleration generated when the accelerator is released. For more information, click here.

We do not yet know the official price of the new Leaf in Europe, although everything suggests it will not be very different from the current version, judging by the price set for the model in markets such as the United States: 29,900 dollars (25,100 €).

Technical specifications of the cars in this article

HatchbackNissan Leaf8 versions · from 37,080 €

SedanTesla Model 34 versions · from 36,990 €