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Leaf now up to speed on range
Richard Bosselman
June 18, 2025
Requirement for frequent replenishment stops is no longer the bane of ownership.
WHILE the wholly new styling - goodbye frumpy hatchback, hello chic crossover - will command lots of ongoing attention, really the equally important story about the new Nissan Leaf is the enhanced performance promise.
With the car now fully unveiled, Nissan has at last also told the full story about the batteries and range. And it’s surely great news for when it arrives here, in 2026. We assume. Nissan New Zealand has said absolutely nothing.
The previous Leaf had an official range of 385km from its biggest 62kWh battery, but that battery - and the smaller 40kWh unit - were both derived from the original 2010 Leaf's 24kWh unit and thus used older technology.
Now, the Leaf is fully up to date in battery terms, and that's demonstrated by the fact that the entry-level 52kWh battery will provide a range of up to 436km on a full charge - a better range than the old 62kWh unit managed.
There’s also a big-battery version, which gains a 75kWh pack and a quoted range of up to 604km, thanks to average energy consumption of just 14.2kWh/100km. That's a huge range boost for Leaf owners.
They'll be able to charge much more quickly too. The outmoded CHAdeMO charging system used previously is ditched and no surprise why - it limited to 50kW at its fastest. The new Leaf promises 150kW for the 75kWh battery (and 105kW for the smaller battery).
That charging speed, and a relatively flat charging curve, means that Nissan can claim an extra 417km of range for 30 minutes of charging on a DC rapid charger. The 20-80 percent charge time is also now less than 30 minutes, the brand vows.
For sure, 604km is the official WLTP figure. Nissan recognises that dwhile WLTP is the best of any of the scales - certainly a lot better than the NEDC calibration that a lot of China’s EV makers still spout - it doesn’t reflect real-world driving very well.
It says it has tested the Leaf at 10 degrees Celsius at a constant 130kmh and says that in those conditions it will cover 330km on a full charge, with a reserve of 25km to reach a fast charger. The 52kWh battery will manage 224km in the same circumstances.
The company's stated mission is to turn the new Leaf into “a compelling alternative for internal combustion engine buyers.”
To lend credulity to this, it cites that over a theoretical journey of 800km, the Leaf will only be slightly behind a conventional combustion car in terms of journey time, assuming replenishment and refreshment breaks are factored in.
The new look has already been previewed; what remained a mystery until last night’s big international reveal were the actual dimensions.
Because it is based on the same 'CMF-EV' platform used by the larger Nissan Ariya, a growth spurt wouldn’t seem undue.
Now it’s clear that the new car is almost 10mm taller than the outgoing hatchback, yet is shorter and touch wider.
Nissan claims improvements in cabin space; it cites 80mm more rear legroom and the boot capacity grows by 50 litres to 437 litres.
The car’s Vehicle To Load (V2L) capability has been discussed. It will power other electrical devices at up to 3.6kW. The Japan market car has vehicle to home; but that’s not signed off for international use. Vehicle To Grid (V2G) charging is coming, but Nissan admits that this is still a work in progress.
For slower-speed charging, 75kWh battery versions of the Leaf get 11kW AC charging, but that's an option for the 52kWh battery, which charges at 7.4kW as standard on AC outlets.
