New Nissan Leaf Officially Launched In Europe, Launch Edition Priced From £26,490 In The UK

Nissan launched the new all-electric Leaf in Europe at a special event in Norway, which now enters its second generation with a fresh design and plenty of new technologies, including Nissan’s ProPilot semi-autonomous system.

However, the key spec of the new Leaf is the driving range, with Nissan estimating that it’ll travel 235 miles (378km) on a single charge and according to the NEDC standards, 80 miles more than the outgoing 30kWh model. The Li-ion battery pack is also new and measures 40kWh in capacity.

Power is provided by a 147hp (150PS) electric motor that makes the new Leaf capable of a 0-62mph in 8.2 seconds, 3.2 seconds faster than its predecessor.

“The new Nissan LEAF is the most advanced and accessible 100% electric vehicle on the planet,” said Philippe Saillard, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Nissan Europe. “It is the icon of Nissan Intelligent Mobility, our vision for the future. This is a car that will make you feel more confident, more excited and more connected than any other mainstream electric vehicle in history.”

Nissan’s latest EV can be charged from empty to 80 percent in 40 minutes when using a 50kW fast charger, with the time dropping to 5.5 hours for a complete recharge if plugged into a 7.5kW supply and 16 hours when plugged to a domestic 3kW supply.

Thanks to the ProPilot assistance system, the new Nissan Leaf can steer, brake and accelerate by itself within a single lane in low speed traffic and highway cruising scenarios while the ProPilot Park function allows it to fully autonomously park itself.

There’s also the e-Pedal technology, where the throttle pedal isn’t just connected to an energy regeneration system but also enables the brakes when released, bringing the car to a full stop while harvesting energy to recharge the battery.

The new Nissan Leaf is available for order now, with the company offering a special 2.Zero Launch Edition for the price of £26,490 including Government Grant in the UK. The first cars are expected to be delivered to European customers in early 2018.

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