At This Point, Nissan Is Just Daring Me Not To Buy A Leaf
Nissan announced Thursday that the 2016 Leaf would run more than 100 miles on a single charge in SV and SL trim, increasing its range by 25 percent over last year. The base S model will keep the 24 kWh battery that manages more than 80 miles on a charge.
For the dozens and dozens of 2015 Leafs wilting on lots around the Denver metro area — where a combination of tax credits and cash back from the manufacturer makes the Leaf the least-expensive new car in America — I can hear them calling. And after Nissan sweetened its own deal this month with no interest for 72 months, it’s getting louder.
Let’s get down to brass tacks here: not since Cash for Clunkers can I remember a new car being so affordable. In 2009, I was a fledgling newspaper journalist who didn’t make enough to pay attention so I missed that boat.
Six years later, and I’m still not the Sultan of Brunei, but even I can do the math:
$29,010 — Base price
Beyond the increase in range, not much has changed for the Leaf from 2015. It still has four wheels (five if you count the steering wheel) and some seats. The Leaf faces an uphill battle after Chevrolet announced that its 2016 (nay, 2017) Volt would increase its all-electric range to 53 miles, and the 2016 Toyota Prius will reportedly go 34 miles on electrons alone.
Basically, what I’m saying is I have a date at a Nissan dealer later today.
More by Aaron Cole
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How easy is an EV to repair after an accident? Say a t-bone on the passenger side by someone running a stale red. Say EV needs to see the rack for unbending $12 K in OEM parts. Does the insurance industry handle claims on EVs any different?
I've had one for 15 months now, and it is an exceptional commuter. Quiet, rides well, good seats, and a generally nice feature set. Best "tank" has been 104 miles with about 10% battery remaining. But this was in summer with warm weather. Here in the PNW, the charging infrastructure is pretty good, although I rarely use it since I can just charge overnight at home. The actual running costs, needless to say, are low. I have the same OBDII monitoring software mentioned above, and have yet to see any degradation in 13k miles. Worth noting that the 2013 and later have modified battery chemistry to better deal with heat, with a further (some say bigger) upgrade for 2015+ models. Given the 2016 models now have a longer battery warranty with the same chemistry as the 2015, I'd say Nissan has some confidence that the improvements are working in the real world. So if a great deal could be worked on a 15, it could be a no-brainer.