Nissan Leaf Electric Car Unveiled; Gets Autonomous Tech And 400 Km Range

The Nissan Leaf has played a major role in establishing the Japanese carmaker as one of the pioneers in the electric cars space. With over 2.8 lakh Nissan Leaf electric cars sold so far globally, the car has been giving its rivals - Chevrolet Volt, and BMW i3 among others a tough time. Nissan now wants to take the Leaf to the next level with the second generation model, which was unveiled today in Tokyo, Japan. The new generation Nissan Leaf is based on a completely new design language, gets autonomous technology and a much higher driving range compared to its predecessor. Unveiled globally today in Japan, we take a look at what has changed in the 2018 Nissan Leaf from its older self.

New Nissan Leaf global unveil in Japan

Now in its second generation, the 2018 Nissan Leaf boasts of an improved aerodynamic design that has improved the driving dynamics of the car, in turn allowing the popular electric vehicle to cover more distance on a single charge. The new design has made the car more aerodynamic, which in return improves the stability of the car. The airplane wings too help with a more symmetric air flow for a smoother and more efficient drive quality. The overall design is more aggressive than the model it will replace and is inspired by the new-gen Nissan Micra.

New Nissan Leaf is based on the new Micra's platform

Also Read: 5th Generation Nissan Micra Review

The next one on the list is a unique feature that is also a segment first. Nissan had announced a while back that the new leaf will feature their autonomous driving technology, making it the first autonomous electric production car. The Leaf will be first Nissan vehicle to feature the ProPILOT Park system, which will help the driver to park in tight spots by taking over the steering wheel. The new Leaf will use Sonar tech and cameras to drive itself in various parking spots, be it angled, parallel, straight or so on. Apart from being able to park itself, the ProPILOT system will also have semi-autonomous driving abilities. Nissan says that the new-gen Leaf will be its most advanced autonomous model to go up on sale.

New generation Nissan Leaf's ProPilot Parking System

Another feature that is noteworthy is the innovative smart one-pedal driving technology. The new e-Pedal system will accelerate and decelerate, stop or hold with intelligence. One-pedal technology allows the combination of speeding up, slowing down and braking, all with stepping on the one-pedal function. It will be handy in congested traffic, says Nissan.

New generation Nissan Leaf Cabin

Apart from improved design, the new Nissan Leaf gets improved battery life as well. The car's 40 kWh battery can take the Nissan Leaf up to 400 km on a single charge, with a power output of 148 bhp and a torque of 320 Nm. Charging time is from 8 hours to 16 hours depending on the power capacity and the Leaf also get quick charging feature which can give 80 per cent battery time in 40 minutes. Tesla Model 3, with two battery options of 50 kWh and 75 kWh, has a claimed range of around 350kms-500kms on a single charge.

The new generation Nissan Leaf gets a 40 kWh battery with a range of 400 km

Now we've been wanting the Nissan Leaf to come to India ever since the Indian government has decided to switch to electric vehicles by 2030. However, with no basic charging infrastructure in place, it seems Nissan will take its time to introduce the new-gen Leaf in India. Moreover the Nissan officials we spoke to in Japan have confirmed that the company has has no plans to introduce the new-gen Nissan Leaf in India yet and right now they are in talks with the Indian Government.