It looks like the
new Nissan Leaf is on course for its mid-year debut in Malaysia, three transporter loads of the
second-generation all-electric vehicle were sighted earlier today on the
Shapadu Highway leaving Klang by reader Edward Koh, meaning that the market
introduction should be around the corner. Buyers will be able to pick from a
variety of colours, not just the white that has been the usual message colour
for the car. Aside from white, the Leaf will be available in grey, red, black
and blue here.
The new Leaf, which
measures in at 4,480 mm long, 1,790 mm wide and 1,540 mm tall, features
significant gains in performance and range over the first-gen model, the car’s
EM57 electric motor now producing 38% more power and 26% more torque than the
final version of the first-gen Leaf, at 148 hp and 320 Nm
respectively.
The local
specification Leaf should be the standard variant with a 40 kWh lithium-ion
battery, and it isn’t expected that the e+ 62 kWh battery version will go on
sale here due to pricing constraints. No estimated pricing has been indicated
as yet, but without local assembly, the Leaf won’t qualify for incentives under
the current Energy Efficient Vehicle (EEV) scheme, so don’t expect it to be
cheap.
Operating range is
around 400 km (378 km on a NEDC test cycle), which is well up from the 195 km –
and later, 250 km – of the original. Charging-wise, the Leaf comes with two
types of connectors located at its nose, these being Type 2 (AC charging) and
CHAdeMO (DC quick charging) slots. The max AC charge rate is 6.6 kW, while it
is 50 kW with DC quick charge.
With AC charging
through a wallbox, it will take roughly around five to seven hours for a full
charge, since the maximum draw is limited to 6.6 kW from the OBC (the automaker
initially listed eight hours to full from a six kW source). With a 230V/16A 3.7
kW single-phase public charge point or a 230V/13A 3.0 kW single-phase supply
from a conventional domestic power socket, it’ll take roughly around 10-12
hours.
