World premiere: NISSAN LEAF - The nerdy goes for it

He is a nerd and a successful one at that. With almost 300.000 units sold since 2010, the first generation of the Nissan Leaf has shown the world that electromobility works. On September 6, 2017, Nissan presented the second generation of the compact electric car to the world public in Tokyo - and it got so good that at the world premiere, Nissan President Saikawa spoke of a possible doubling of the number of units. Which is actually unusual, because manufacturers are reluctant to talk about planned or desired production goals. But not only Saikawa-san is certain, the time has finally come. And with the new Leaf, NISSAN has done many things correctly and better.

The nerd from Japan

World premiere: Nissan Leaf – “Second Generation”

facts first

The new Leaf will be available to order from German Nissan dealers from October. However, delivery will not begin until the end of January 2018. The battery has been increased by Nissan to 40 kWh - the Leaf will travel almost 380 kilometers in the NEDC cycle. Compared to the original model, back in 2010, this corresponds to more than doubling the range. And it's just the beginning. The purchase price of the Nissan Leaf will be € 31.950 - before the deduction of e-car funding in Germany.

Nissan puts the others in the bag

The new Leaf comes at a very good time. Thanks to an excessively hysterical diesel debate, the time for change may finally have come. And with its core facts, the Nissan Leaf currently offers significantly more than all other competitors. With its battery capacity of 40 kWh, it can fit the E-Golf, the Hyundai ioniq, the Kia Soul EV and also the BMW i3. The Opel Ampera-E offers more with its 60 kWh, but is simply not available at the moment. And the Japanese will not make this mistake. The Leaf has doubled its range, but retained the base price - so NISSAN is passing on the development advances in battery technology and costs directly to the buyer. This means that there is now finally an affordable answer to the question of range suitable for everyday use, outside of the “darn-expensive league” of TESLA.

150 PS for the silent traffic light sprint

NISSAN has not changed much on the technical layout of the Leaf. It remains a compact, consistently developed and designed as an e-car. Even the wheelbase has not changed. Only his expression is now more serious. He is no longer playful. Almost sporty you may call him in the design. The E-Motor, now strengthened on 150 PS, takes care that he adheres to this impression. The copper coils wind on pedal pressure virtually from the stand 350 Nm torque and should thus ensure a worry-free driving experience. The sprint from zero to 100 km / h is Nissan with 7.9 seconds. With which one reaches the maximum speed of the city highways in Tokyo within two winks.

Gameplay operation on 3-2-1: The e-pedal

NISSAN is responding to another customer request with a button called “e-Pedal”. If you activate this, the Leaf should basically be able to be driven using the accelerator pedal alone. When you let go of the pedal, the Leaf then recuperates more and can be decelerated to a standstill. The Leaf also holds its own on inclines, similar to a hill start aid. The brake pedal therefore only becomes an “emergency solution”.

ProPilot and it drives easy

Before you indulge in the tempo, you should be another novelty of the NISSAN LEAF 2018 use: The ProPILOT. An assistance system with which NISSAN wants to take the first steps towards “autonomous driving”. The ProPILOT system consists of a stereo camera and ultrasonic sensors that scan the traffic in front of the vehicle and, together, can provide enormous support in annoying everyday traffic jams. ProPILOT is a combination of an adaptive cruise control and a lane keeping assistant. Together they enable more relaxed driving up to 160 km/h, but above all they provide support for stop & go traffic. Equipped in this way, the new LEAF will follow the vehicle in front in traffic jams, stay in lane and control the speed. An initial test drive in Japan demonstrated the functions of the ProPILOT (more about this in the upcoming VIDEO on AUTOHUB).

The Nissan Leaf will expand the function of the ProPILOT with ProPILOT Park and will therefore be able to park automatically. It can maneuver in selected gaps in both the longitudinal and transverse directions. All the driver has to do is choose the gap, activate ProPILOT Park and keep the button pressed - the Leaf then takes over the acceleration, steering and braking itself.

60 kWh for the win

There is no confirmation, there is no exact time - but, let's go 500km out the window and claim that there will soon be an “e+” variant of the new Leaf, which will then store 60 kWh of energy and thus cover the 500 kilometers -Marker cracks. Okay - it will be at the end of 2018 - let's add the speculation on top! And how much should it cost? We would bet an expensive piece of Kobe meat and a cup of sake, this Leaf won't cost €40.000 more and that makes it finally clear: doubling the number of units of the Leaf is not Saikawa-San's unreal dreams, but just the beginning a revolution.

 

 

Gallery: Nissan Leaf 2018

 

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