Nissan boosts Leaf battery range to 250km

NISSAN has boosted the battery capacity of its all-electric Leaf hatchback to extend the range on a full charge by 50km to 250km, but Australia’s slow EV uptake means this country is unlikely to reap the benefits anytime soon.

The model year 2016 Leaf update is a stepping stone to the 400km range of Nissan’s next-generation EV, as confirmed by the company’s CEO Carlos Ghosn during an interview on Tokyo Business News late last year.

Nissan says the new 30kWh battery pack weighs 21kg more but has identical exterior dimensions to the existing 24kWh unit, which will continue to be offered alongside the bigger version in overseas markets.

However Nissan Australia general manager of corporate communications Peter Fadeyev told GoAuto the bigger Leaf battery “is not scheduled for Australia at this time”.

Increasing the energy density has been achieved by altering the cell layout and introducing carbon, nitrogen and magnesium to the electrodes. In addition to the new pack’s extra capacity, Nissan is backing its reliability with an eight-year, 100,000km warranty.

Also included in the MY16 Leaf update is a new connectivity system that notifies the driver which charging points are being used and which are available as part of the overhauled satellite navigation software.

The Leaf’s smartphone app based features have also been improved, simplifying and expanding on the existing cabin pre-heating/cooling, car finder and maintenance alert functions.

Exterior updates are limited to a redesigned radio antenna and a new bronze paintwork option.

Nissan Australia sold just 101 Leafs to the end of August, down 14.4 per cent on the same period last year.