2018 Nissan LEAF makes North American debut

As the global leader in electric vehicle sales, Nissan continues its pursuit toward a clean-energy future with the reveal of the all-new Nissan LEAF. José Muñoz, Chief Performance Officer, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. and Chairman, Nissan North America, Inc., unveiled the 2018 Nissan LEAF at a media event at Las Vegas’ Thomas & Mack Arena in early September.

“When we launched LEAF in 2010, it instantly became the most affordable, mass market EV in the world. We are not walking away from that proposition,” said Muñoz. “The value equation for the new LEAF is even stronger than ever before – beginning with a starting MSRP1 of $35,998. That includes more power, range and technology, all wrapped in a beautiful new exterior and interior design.”

The new 2018 LEAF features a 241-kilometre driving range, aerodynamic exterior, roomy high tech interior and advanced technologies including ProPILOT™ Assist and e-Pedal. It is the first step in the re-launch of Nissan’s EV platform and will be followed in model year 2019 with a high-power version with increased motor power and battery capacity with a price premium. In Canada, the Nissan LEAF offers a weather package fitted as standard which includes: heated front and rear seats; heated steering wheel and battery heater. A Level 1/Level 2 (120v/240v) charger cable is also standard in Canada.

To date, Nissan LEAF sales in Canada total over 5,400 and more than 283,000 globally. It’s new ProPILOT Assist, Nissan’s advanced single lane driver assistance technology, helps ease driver workload by reducing the amount of driver acceleration, steering and braking input under certain driving conditions. While a “hands-on” system, it previews Nissan’s ongoing development of future leading edge autonomous drive technologies.

The LEAF’s revolutionary e-Pedal technology transforms the driving experience. It lets drivers start, accelerate, decelerate and stop by increasing or decreasing the pressure applied to the accelerator. When the accelerator is fully released, regenerative and friction brakes are applied automatically, bringing the car to a complete stop. The car holds its position, even on uphill slopes, until the accelerator is pressed again. The reactiveness of e-Pedal helps maximize driving pleasure. “We believe the new LEAF will be another game changer for Nissan in North America, just as the redesigned Rogue has been in the last year and a half, hitting the “sweet spot” in the growing EV segment,” said Muñoz. “It takes everything we’ve learned from our loyal first-generation LEAF owners to the next level.”