Classic Chevrolet - Grapevine

The Next Nissan Leaf is the Greenest Yet

The demand for electric vehicles (EV) here in Grapevine, TX and throughout the rest of the world is growing rapidly and we can definitely see it at Classic Chevrolet - Grapevine. The Nissan Leaf, introduced in 2010, is considered the best-selling plug-in vehicle in history, and now the newest version of the Leaf is setting new standards in the EV industry.

The Nissan Leaf stands for Leading Environmentally-Friendly Affordable Family car and more than 200,000 Leafs have been sold worldwide. That is twice the volume of any other electric plug-in currently on the market.

Fans of the Nissan Leaf have been waiting in anticipation for the next-generation of the five-door hatchback, especially with the new Chevy Bolt and Tesla Model S in the works. Sources expect Nissan to introduce the new Leaf to the market by 2018, possibly sooner.

Rumors have been circulating in the industry about what features consumers can expect. Here are some of the possibilities.

Currently, the 2016 Leaf offers the option of a 30 kWh battery pack with a range of 107 miles and a smaller 24 kWh battery with a range of 84 miles. Nissan has discussed its intention to eventually produce an electric model that surpasses 200 miles of range and will most likely need to do so in order to compete with the new electric vehicles being introduced to the market. 

Since last November, the company has been implying the next generation Leaf will use a 60kWh battery. Nissan’s IDS concept car showed the same type of battery pack and although it isn’t a Leaf, industry reports speculate that the Leaf will use the same. That would mean an estimated 210-220-mile range, which is more than twice the drive range of the current model.

Nissan engineers are reportedly testing a 60kWh battery pack that is the same size as the current 30 kWh pack. During the EVS29 Electric Vehicle Symposium held in Quebec in June, Nissan's global director of EV and HEV engineering, Kazuo Yajima, spoke to AutoblogGreen. "It's coming," he said, in reference to a 60-kWh Leaf. "I'm sorry I cannot say when.”

Industry reports have said the increased range may come from carbon fiber construction materials similar to those used to build the BMW i3 and BMW i8. Another reported improvement includes wireless inductive charging,

Nissan is known for striving for better, faster and more economical vehicles, so make sure to stay tuned for more information about the long-awaited new generation Leaf.

Sources: Nissan, Green Car News and AutoblogGreen