Next Generation Nissan Leaf to Have Double the Range - Disclosed Again

As you probably know already, the Nissan Leaf is the best-selling electric vehicle in the world at the moment. It’s not as powerful and elegant as the Tesla Model S, but its versatility, affordability and funky looks turned it into the Prius of the EV world. And this is about to change soon, into better, of course.

Although the only thing we’d like to change about the Leaf is the frog looks, a bit more range won’t hurt anyone. In fact, it appears that it will almost double soon.

According to a Daily Kanban report, Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn said in an interview at Tokyo’s Business News Channel that the company is working on new batteries, which should offer double the current capacity.

How does this translate?

The Nissan Leaf will probably boast a 400 km (248 miles) range on a full charge, which is double compared to the current 202 km (126 miles) the car is rated to achieve in the city. It should roughly go as far as the Tesla Model S 85 kWh, which achieves its range only by using a bigger battery than the Leaf.

However, in Nissan’s case, the battery size should remain the same, but thanks to technology advancements it will double its capacity. Recharging times should also drop along with weight and costs as well. The automaker refused to provide further details about the type of battery they’re working on.

Rumors about Nissan doubling the range of the Leaf actually started earlier this year when former Nissan executive vice president and chief planning officer Andy Palmer, now CEO of Aston Martin, first mentioned about it, along with changes in the design department to make the car more appealing to a wider class of buyers.