A Stronger, Longer-lasting Stalwart

WHILE the unstoppable momentum of new zero-emissions vehicles builds exponentially, there are few EVs that can claim to have dipped their toe in the water earlier than the Nissan Leaf.

- Daniel Gardner

NISSAN LEAF e+

You can still buy the same second-generation model that arrived in 2017 powered by a 40kWh battery for a sniff under $50,000, but now there’s this: the Nissan Leaf e+ priced at $60,490 before on-road costs. For that 21 percent increase in price, the e+ ups battery capacity by 55 percent – to 62kWh – and that means more of everything. Power is up from 110kW to 160kW, torque has increased from 320Nm to 340Nm, while the range is also now significantly longer, with up to 385km of driving range possible on a single charge, versus 270km from the 40kWh Leaf.

For context, the Leaf e+ will go further than a $48,970 Hyundai Ioniq, but won’t match the 449km range of a $62,000 Hyundai Kona electric.

But so much for range, what about performance? The original version would hit the benchmark 100km/h from standstill in 7.9 seconds; the e+ needs a whole second less, putting this small hatchback in a different performance class.

In more efficiency-focused modes, the Leaf e+ hides a large part of the full performance behind a step in the pedal that feels a little like a heavy kick-down. Push through it and the Leaf has a new level of energy and eagerness that was missing from previous versions.