The long-range Nissan Leaf was recently snapped at a
charging station and now the automaker has revealed new details about the
upcoming model. Nissan’s director of EV Marketing and
Sales Strategy confirmed the car will be called the Leaf E-Plus and it will
arrive in time for the 2019 model year. More importantly, Brian Maragno said
the model will come equipped with an upgraded electric motor that produces 200
hp.
While the standard Leaf only has 147 hp, Maragno said “When you have a bigger battery, with more capacity, it
just opens up the door to be able to have more output.” The extra power should
help to offset the weight of the larger battery pack and could deliver a more
exciting driving experience.
Speaking of the battery, it is expected to have
capacity of 60 kWh which should the car to have a range in excess of 321 km. The company is keeping detailed specifications under wraps, but the
car’s range will be a significant improvement over the standard model which can
travel approximately 243 km on a single charge.
Maragno declined to say when the car will be
unveiled but, considering it’s a 2019 model, it should debut relatively soon. Since
Nissan is skipping the Paris Motor Show, the Leaf E-Plus could debut at the Los
Angeles Auto Show in November. That’s not official at this point, but it would
make sense to introduce the model in the largest market for electric vehicles
in the United States.
