The new Nissan Leaf electric car will be available next year from 89 dealers across Australia, including 27 regional centres, as Nissan makes a concerted effort to take EVs to the mainstream.
Despite the small number of EV sales in Australia, over the past eight years Nissan has sold 360,000 Leafs in 51 markets. The new Nissan Leaf has a 40kWh battery (up from 24 kWh), giving it an average range of 270km, according to Nissan’s testing. It’s also more powerful, a 110kW/320N powertrain propelling it from 0-100km/h in 7.9 seconds.
The company commissioned a great deal of market research in Australia, which found attitudes to EVs have changed markedly in the past five years. Almost two-thirds of Aussies say they’re more willing to consider an EV for their next purchase than they were in 2013. A similar number say they’d only consider buying one from an established manufacturer (such as Nissan).
The company’s research reveals that Australians drive a daily average of 38km, meaning a Leaf owner might ideally only need to charge their car once a week.
So what do you think? Will the new Nissan Leaf be on your shopping list?