However, even with only 74 kilometers of rank, it was at least semi-adordable, around $ 40,000. And in the following 15 years, Nissan would continue to sell more than 650,000 leaves worldwide, with 150,000 from the United States. But the low and strange aspects were not an attractive combination, albeit affordable, and the elegant lines, the amazing acceleration and the 200 miles range from all miles Tesla model s Soon he surpassed the modest small sheet.
Worse, the heel of the leaf Achilles turned out to be the decision to save on propulsion engineers for abandoning active thermal conditioning for its battery, which means that the package had no cooling or liquid heating. This operated properly in most circumstances. But a small number of leaves of leaves in places like Arizona, where the pavement temperature only 6.3 inches below the battery can reach 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celsius), found that the batteries lost their capacity within months or they failed directly.
Generally, according to Owners’ telematic data From the Health firm of the recurring battery, from 2011 to 2016, the leaves have worsened significantly in the conservation of the battery that the next large EV to reach the market, the Tesla Model S. The average leaf of this period, says recurring, only retained 83 percent of its rank of batteries, versus almost 93 percent of the Middle S. The batteries were replaced, nor the EVs that the batteries died completely and were scrapped.
By 2026 Nissan Leaf and in 2023 Ariya before, Nissan learned his lesson. The new leaf battery pack is cooled by liquid; Arizona EV conductors can easily rest.
Lose your advantage
The first generation leaf has had an impressive 15-year model life, although with a major redesign in 2018 to make it less strange, which was successful, as it is now largely similar to all the little Nissan. During this time, the battery capacity went from 24 to 62 kilowatts-hours in various iterations. An EV launched with a 74 mile range ranked with the EPA up to 212 miles for the plus leaf model. North -American production began in 2013, although it is expected to end this year.
The former -Nissan Chief Executive Center Carlos Ghosn was a first champion of EVS. However, it was also a relentless cost cutter, and elaborated several new models proposed for EV, with the intention that the leaf would show that EV could be profitable. Each leaf sold for many years probably lost more money for the company; Instant profitability is a high order for any new technology. Toyota acknowledged that he lost money for almost 10 years in his first two generations of prius.
Ghosn was arrested and imprisoned in Japan for a financial misconduct in 2018, and then fled the country to Lebanon while in a home arrest. Nissan has never regained his foot. The EVs were not frankly their biggest problem. And this is where we stay today, with Nissan now plans to close mounting plants, work at the back to survival Following a failed fusion of Honda.
During these 15 years, Nissan completely missed his advantage in the first movement. Could you have taken Tesla lessons and launch a longer and longer EV to establish a range of electric vehicle options? I could have it … but he didn’t. With nearly 100 EV models separate for sale in the United States today, the leaf faces hard competitors around the world, if it is not yet China. The new leaf will compete with a smaller crossing score of Hyundai, Kia, Chevrolet, Volkswagen and others. We will wait for a first unit to see how it accumulates.
Most likely, the 2026 Nissan leaf will probably be a smaller and more competent EV crossover. But it is difficult not to think about what could have been if Nissan had been the course.
