Nissan Improves Base Leaf But Tells No One

by Matt Posky

Published: October 11th, 2016

nissan improves base leaf but tells no one

Suppose an automaker improved a terrible-selling vehicle but didn’t bother to tell anyone about it. Chances are they didn’t just forget, so there has to be some fundamental reasoning behind that choice. This is the mystery Nissan has left us with after silently and suddenly replacing the battery in their base model Leaf with a larger one.

We only know about this change due to an eagle-eyed staff member at Green Car Reports, who noticed that Nissan increased the size of the Leaf S battery in a September order guide.

The Leaf is one of fastest depreciating vehicles money can buy, and its sales have fallen dramatically since a 2014 peak. The model is desperate for any edge it can get, and effective range is one of the most important factors a person considers when choosing any electric vehicle. So why Nissan opted against notifying the press that they were replacing the old 24-kilowatt-hour battery with the superior 30 kWh one — already found in the SV and SL models — is bit of a conundrum.

The larger battery pushes the Leaf’s EPA-estimated range up from 84 miles to a much improved 107. But there’s a trade-off — Nissan has increased the price quite a bit. A base model Leaf S now starts at $32,450, up from the $29,000 range. This increase includes the Quick Charge Package and places it a couple thousand dollars behind the slightly nicer Leaf SV. The new price also places it dangerously close to base models of the Kia Soul EV and Fiat 500E, while actually making it more expensive than a basic Volkswagen e-Golf or Ford Focus Electric.

However, if you still want the shorter-ranged, cheaper version, there are still plenty of 24 kWh cars left over at dealerships. Actually, come to think of it, that may have something to do with Nissan’s silence.

[Image: Nissan]

#ElectricVehicle #EV #GreenVehicles #LeafRange #Nissan #NissanLeaf

Matt Posky

A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.

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4 of 31 comments

Jmo on Oct 11, 2016

Matt, If a new Leaf is $13k can you explain your deprecation math for me? http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2016/10/04/so-i-bought-an-electric-car/

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- Ajla on Oct 11, 2016
  
  That includes $4653 in Colorado tax credits. I don't live in Colorado. And $6000 of his discount seems to depend on the ability to qualify for 0% financing. AND he is counting the full $7500 federal tax credit as a discount, which less than 100% of new Nissan buyers can take advantage of. ANNNNND Mr.Mustache also didn’t post his paperwork so he could be stretching his awesome deal in order to impress readers of his financial blog.
  
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- Here4aSammich on Oct 11, 2016
  
  Again, it's not. He financed the car, his loan is $28k. Yes, he will get tax credits that offset the cost. But he drove it off the lot after agreeing to pay $28,000 for the car.
  
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Seth1065 on Oct 12, 2016

ugly as sin or not I still see this as a great car for a collage student or high school kid, used ones are dirt cheap, now getting kids to make sure it is plugged in may be a problem but if someone could figure out to do the charging via a app collage kids would be fine.

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