Nissan's New Leaf EV Could Come With An Expensive Upgrade

Japanese carmaker Nissan has had great success in the U.S. with its affordable EV, the Nissan Leaf. On sale in the U.S. since 2010, this car was the best-selling EV in the U.S. until 2020, when the Tesla Model 3 surpassed it. While Nissan has continuously updated the Leaf for over a decade, the car is still in its second generation, receiving only minor updates for 2023. Understanding the desperate need for an update, Nissan, at a recent North American dealers meet, has confirmed that they are working on the next-gen Nissan Leaf with significant upgrades in the pipeline.

According to AutoNews, improvements to the next-gen Nissan Leaf will be a part of Nissan's ambitious expansion plans for the rest of the decade. Aside from showcasing three new EVs that should hit dealerships in the next few years, the company also confirmed that the next-gen Nissan Leaf will see a 25% increase in its range.

Given we already know that the Leaf has an EPA range of 212 miles, we are probably looking at a 265-mile range on the updated variant. It goes without saying that this range bump will almost certainly be enabled using a larger battery pack. There is also word about the likelihood of the next-gen Nissan Leaf borrowing a lot of its styling cues from the Ariya crossover. While most people will certainly appreciate the upgrades, this may also result in a significant price hike for the Leaf, which battles with the Chevrolet Bolt EV in the entry-level EV space.

Despite being the first mass-market brand to jump onto the Electric Vehicle bandwagon, Nissan has been left behind by newer players in the segment. A major focus of Nissan's EV roadmap for the rest of the decade is to strengthen its position in the EV space as well as its next-generation internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, the AutoNews report adds.

Nissan has also indicated to dealers that it plans to launch as many as 27 electrified vehicles in the U.S. market before the end of 2030. Battery-electric cars will form a majority of the lineup, with Nissan planning to launch as many as 19 pure EVs between 2025 and 2030. The rest of the lineup will include Hybrid-electric models as well.

In addition to its EV and hybrid lineup, the company also indicated that it is not wholly in favor of letting go of its ICE cars business. In fact, two of the future vehicles showcased at the dealer meet were ICE cars, reportedly the next-generation Nissan Kicks and the Nissan Murano.

Most of Nissan's EV plans for the rest of the decade hinge on the company's ambitions to develop its solid-state batteries, which should hit pilot production in 2024. These slimmer batteries could greatly improve charging speeds, with claims being already made about a possible 100-mile range after a short 15-minute top-up.