The Nissan LEAF was one of the great pioneers of electric mobility at the beginning of the last decade. The Japanese compact, launched on the market in 2010, is considered by many to be the first mass electric car in the world since up to now it has accumulated more than half a million units sold all over the planet (North America, Europe, Japan… ).
However, in recent years its sales have been languishing. The second generation did not solve the main problems of the original model (battery without active cooling, CHAdeMO charging socket, etc…), which, together with the arrival of new generation models such as the Tesla Model 3 or the Volkswagen ID.3, has precipitated his fall.
Despite its poor commercial performance of late, Nissan’s head of EV sales strategy and marketing Aditya Jairaj has confirmed that the LEAF is “here to stay”. This would mean that, contrary to previous rumors, the Japanese firm would have decided to keep the iconic name for the next generation.
Guillaume Cartier, head of Nissan in the AMIEO region (Africa, the Middle East, India, Europe, and Oceania), announced at the time that the current LEAF will be replaced by a crossover that will be manufactured in Sunderland (United Kingdom). This model will be based on the CMF-EV platform of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance.
The new Nissan LEAF could derive from the Renault Megane E-TECH
Everything indicates that the new Nissan LEAF, which will be released in 2024-2025, will derive directly from the Renault Megane E-TECH, so it will be a proposal halfway between the B-SUV and C-hatch segments. Its design will be based on the main lines of the Chill-Out Concept prototype, which mixed fastback and SUV features in a compact body.
If its relationship with the Megane E-TECH is finally confirmed, the new Nissan LEAF could have two engines (130 and 218 hp) and two batteries (40 and 60 kWh). However, since at the time of its launch the smaller pack is likely to be outdated in a model of its size and price, it will probably only be offered with the larger capacity.
Given its crossover nature, the third-generation Nissan LEAF’s main rival will be the Citroën ë-C4. The Frenchman will receive a new 156 hp (115 kW) engine and a 51 kWh battery next year that should allow him to achieve a range of approximately 400 km WLTP, somewhat below the 450 km WLTP of the Renault Megane E-TECH. of 218 CV and 60 kWh.
