New Nissan Leaf revealed with semi-autonomous driving capabilities
All-electric car now has more range, managing 235 miles on a charge in testing
Nissan has revealed the new all-electric Leaf, which comes with even more range and advanced driver-assistance technologies.
This is the first time the Japanese manufacturer has overhauled its popular EV, giving it a new look and plenty of innovative technology.
Of most interest to prospective buyers will be its electric range. In official testing, it recorded a distance of 235 miles on a single charge, up considerably from the current top-spec battery’s 155-mile range.
The new Leaf will benefit from Nissan Intelligent Driving technology, which offers semi-autonomous assistance to make the drive “easier, less stressful and more relaxing”. It will also come with an autonomous parking aid, which takes over all control of the car to guide it into a space.
An intriguing new technology is ‘e-Pedal’, which should drastically cut the amount of time motorists use the brake pedal in normal driving. Acceleration and braking are both largely dictated by how much the driver is depressing the accelerator pedal, with energy regeneration and braking happening when the driver lifts their foot off the pedal. The brake pedal will still be needed in harsher braking situations, though.
Hiroto Saikawa, president and chief executive of Nissan, said: “The new Nissan Leaf drives Nissan Intelligent Mobility, which is the core brand strategy for Nissan’s future.
“The new Nissan Leaf, with its improved autonomy range, combined with the evolution of autonomous drive technology such as ProPilot Park and the simple operation of the e-Pedal, strengthens Nissan’s EV leadership, as well as the expansion of EVs globally. It also has the core strengths that will be embodied by future Nissan models.”
