Nissan has been teasing customers with hints of a longer-range Leaf for months now.
Will they? Won’t they? And, how far?
Well, now its official! The next generation Leaf will have a 300 kilometer range, which is approximately 188 miles.
The extended range is all about battery chemistry, says Nissan executive vice president of zero emissions and Infiniti business, Andy Palmer.
“The battery chemistry is all about range and energy density. That’s where you see the technology moving very, very fast,” he said in an interview last month at the Beijing auto show. “This really is the game-changing technology.”
Palmer declined to offer a precise range, but added “the battery must deliver up to 300 kilometers, or 186 miles, for EVs to present an everyday alternative to the hydrogen fuel cell cars that rivals are developing.”
But, that doesn’t mean Nissan is done playing peak-a-boo with its customers.
In recent interview at the LA auto show, Nissan’s vice president of product and advanced planning and strategy Pierre Loing hinted the company might offer a multi-pack option that would extend the Leaf’s range to 400 kilometers, or 248 miles.
The big question: when will the next generation Leaf’s hit the streets?
Loing said, “I think if you thought about a normal model cycle from 2013, that would be realistic.” That would put the next Leaf’s arrival “just after Nissan’s Power 88 business plan, which ends March 31, 2017,” he added.
