The all-new and long-awaited Nissan LEAF PLUS long-range electric vehicle was unveiled tonight at CES in Las Vegas. With it, Nissan catches up in the EV segment.
The Nissan LEAF PLUS will be called e+ in the United States.
If we were to buy an electric vehicle here at MI, we’d go with the Nissan LEAF. It’s in our humble opinion the very best EV you can buy. We compared the LEAF to the Chevrolet Bolt and Volkswagen e-Golf not too long ago and it came out on top because of its exceptional balance, but the one issue with this new-generation LEAF has always been the range.
When Nissan redesigned the LEAF, the only long-range option on the market in the Nissan LEAF’s price bracket was the Chevrolet Bolt, and even so Chevy’s EV wasn’t really around when Nissan first began working on the next generation of its pioneering EV.
The LEAF ultimately came out with 242 kilometers of range thanks to a 40-kWh battery pack which, again, should have been plenty. But now we have the Hyundai Kona EV with over 400 kilometers of range and later this year we will get a new Niro EV and Soul EV with the same level of freedom behind the wheel.
This all means that 242 kilometers of range wasn’t going to be enough in the long run. Enter the all-new Nissan PLUS at CES. Packing a 62-kWh battery, it offers 363 kilometers of range Now the Nissan LEAF is talking.
The 62-kWh LEAF was often delayed, but it is here now. Most other features remain the same on the vehicle. It will come with Nissan’s e-Pedal single pedal drive system which gives you full control over braking and throttle using just the accelerator pedal, and Nissan’s ProPilot Active Safety system.
Nissan had planned to unveil the 62-kWH Nissan LEAF e-PLUS at the Los Angeles Auto Show last November, but delays occurred. It is now here, and Nissan has caught up to its direct competition in the affordable long-range EV segment.
The new 2019 Nissan LEAF e+ has a 62 kWh battery pack and an EPA-estimated range of up to 226 miles. Sales in the U.S. are expected to begin in spring 2019.
