Nissan’s 2019 LEAF Will Have 200+ Mile Range [News]

2018 Nissan LEAF
[Photo: TFLcar]

Nissan will improve the range of their 2019 LEAF with a better battery option promising more range.

Our source inside Nissan confirmed that the 2019 LEAF will have a battery option that delivers 200+ miles of range. The second-generation Nissan LEAF is impressive on a number of levels. It has a familiar hatchback design, more power, better driving dynamics, and integration of a significant number of updated safety and tech features.

However, the major disappointment was the 2018 LEAF’s range on a single charge. While the new LEAF’s range is an improvement on its predecessor, 150 miles seemed like weak-sauce compared to the Tesla Model 3 220-mile range and the Chevy Bolt’s 238-mile range capability. Nissan wouldn’t disclose the exact range of this 200+ mile model. However, that claim puts the 2019 LEAF in the in the same ballpark as the Model 3 and Bolt.

The higher capacity battery pack will fit in the same package as the current configuration of the redesigned LEAF. Just be ready to pay a little more than the top-of-the-line SL model. Our guess that MSRP will be fairly close to the $35,000 Model 3 and $37,495 Chevy Bolt.

The other piece of news is that you cannot upgrade the battery pack in your 2018 LEAF. If your lifestyle wants a BEV with a range of over 220 miles, you have to wait for the 2019 model. Apparently, the process of swapping batteries in a electric-powered vehicle is a lot more complicated than swapping the batteries in a flashlight.

Pricing and future announcements

Watch for Nissan to announce availability and pricing sometime in 2018.

Nissan has been playing close to the chest when it comes to future product announcements. In our wrap-up of electric vehicles at the 2017 Detroit Auto Show, the next-generation LEAF wasn’t on our radar. Watch the video below to see what Roman and Anton included in their list of EV cars to watch for back in January at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. You can also check out this post to see the current discussion surrounding EVs near the end of this year.

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