We finally got to see the third-generation Nissan Leaf a couple of months ago, but that was the extent of it. We only got to see it, while Nissan kept many of the pertinent mechanical details under wraps. Finally, the company is starting to tell us more about the car, and it seems like it will be better in a number of ways. It’s more aerodynamically efficient than the old model, and it seems as though it will be better for longer-distance driving. That latter part is something that Nissan’s Global Product Strategy Vice President specifically highlighted.
It’s Slippery When Dry
Nissan has revealed that the new Leaf doesn’t just have a lower coefficient of drag than the old Leaf, but that it’s apparently the sleekest (in efficiency terms) car the company has ever built. The version of the car that we’ll get in the US, as well as the Japanese version, will have a coefficient of 0.26. The European version, due to different mirrors and wheels available, will dip down to 0.25. Both are a marked improvement over the 0.28 of the outgoing model. It’s even more impressive when compared to the Ariya, which comes in at 0.30.
Nissan credits many aspects of the design for these results. It has shifted over to flush door handles, rather than the old protruding ones. It also has pretty typical aero aids such as active grille shutters and a smooth undertray. The new shape helps, too. The fastback roofline is ideal for aerodynamics, and it’s partly enabled by offering a panoramic glass roof as an option rather than a conventional one. According to a Nissan designer, this helped to maintain rear headroom with the lower rear roof line. On the subject of the roof, it’s quite fancy, as it has electrochromic dimming rather than relying on a physical sunshade.
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Nissan Shared Some Details About Range And Charging
Still among the top questions about any EV is how far it can go and how quickly it can charge. We finally have a window that the Leaf will fall into. That same Vice President that mentioned long-range driving said that range will fall somewhere within 300 to 500 kilometers, which converts to 186 to 311 miles. It’s not clear if these are WLTP numbers or EPA numbers, but this does seem to indicate that the Leaf will have better range than it does currently. The base small-battery model has an estimated range of 149 miles, and the one with the large batter is rated at 212 miles. Not only that, but Nissan also mentioned that it’s aiming to provide up to 250 kilometers of range, or 155 miles, in about 14 minutes at a charging station. The reason for that number is that’s apparently an average time for a gas fuel stop. Again, that may be basted on WLTP parameters, so that could be less under the EPA testing cycle.
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