The 60 kWh Nissan
Leaf is edging closer towards reality. Cars Direct claims that preliminary pricing sheets
from within Nissan show that the long-range Leaf, allegedly dubbed E-Plus, will
cost approximately US$ 5500 more than equivalent 40 kWh variants.
If true, that means
the entry-level 60 kWh Leaf may cost a little over US$ 36,000 in S trim, a jump up
from the US$ 30,885 commanded by the 40 kWh Leaf S. The 60 kWh Leaf family may
then top out at around US$ 42,500 for the SL trim.
Importantly, all of
these figures exclude the US$ 7500 federal tax credit in the U.S., reducing prices
of the 60 kWh Leaf S to a touch over US$ 28,000. That won’t just make the
hatchback a well-priced alternative to ICE-powered vehicles but also heavily
undercut prices for the entry-level Tesla Model 3 which won’t enjoy the full US$ 7500 tax credit.
Nissan, like its
rivals, will have the tax credit slashed to US$ 3750 once it delivered 200,000 EVs
in the U.S. As of last month, local Leaf sales just exceeded 123,000. Beyond
competing with the Model 3, the long-range Leaf will tackle the Chevrolet Bolt. Range for
the 60 kWh Leaf will allegedly sit at around 362 km, a significant
improvement over the 243 km range quoted for the 40 kWh model.
Beyond pricing,
order guides obtained by Cars Direct reveal that production of the 60 kWh model
will start in January 2019.
