In the e+ the DC charging capability has doubled to 100kW. Like the Leaf, the Leaf e+ gets two charging ports: CHADeMO for 100kW DC charging and Type 2 for 6.6kW AC charging That’s because CHAdeMO is currently the only solution for V2G/bi-directional charging. The Leaf e+ maintains the regular Leaf’s dual charging strategy: CHAdeMO for DC charging and Type 2 for AC charging. So, relatively comfortably and day-to-day liveable but far from exciting. That’s in part because of the near-instant responses, something that adds to the Leaf e+’s fun factor. The suspension is more soft than sharp and the tyres don’t take much provocation to slip if powering out of a tight corner. It’s the first hint the Leaf is less about dynamic excellence and more about basic motoring. 2021 Nissan Leaf e+Ĭhanneling that newfound grunt through the front wheels does bring in one negative, though: torque steer, whereby accelerating hard while steering at low speeds can pull the car towards the inside of the corner. It makes for zippy around town running and allows faster acceleration on the open road. The 0-100km/h time drops by one second to 6.9 seconds. It’s a big step up and one that significantly steps up the Leaf’s perkiness. Outputs have increased from 110kW and 320Nm to 160kW and 340Nm. The electric motor of the Leaf e+ is unchanged but the bigger battery allows it to produce more power However, because the bigger battery can supply more current, the single motor can produce more power. And the foot-operated park brake lives on… e+ gets more powerĮven the electric motor is the same between Leaf and Leaf e+. There’s only one USB port, though, and no rear air vents. Safety extends to auto braking, blind spot warning, tyre pressure monitors and traffic sign recognition. Look carefully: a blue stripe at the lower edge of the bumpers is the only visual differentiator between Leaf and Leaf e+
Both get the same 17-inch alloy wheels, heated seats, heated steering wheel, sat-nav, leather, 8.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and seven-speaker Bose sound system. The main visual difference between the two is a iridescent blue stripe at the lower edge of the bumper on the e+.Įquipment levels are identical, too. 2021 Nissan Leaf e+īoth get the same alloy wheels and the same five-door hatchback styling. And both have the Bose sound box on the floor of the otherwise spacious boot. Other than the battery there’s very little difference between Leaf and Leaf e+.īoth share the same basic design, although the e+ sits 5mm higher to account for the larger battery pack underneath.īoth have decent interior space, albeit with a higher rear seat impacting back seat headroom for adults.
Currently the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is the only other electrified model that can be used for vehicle-to-grid applications. “Wwe can be collecting through a solar array energy and then recharging employees’ vehicles or using the energy of employees’ vehicles to run the office.”Īll of which gives the Leaf and Leaf e+ a big advantage over most EVs on the market. “There are lots of places where that can be now produced at scale,” says Nissan Australia managing director Stephen Lester. It’s a thought not lost on Nissan Australia, which sees potential for fleets that could use their parked cars to power their factories or offices. Washington’s thinking is that some could still get all their daily driving needs while also having loads of home battery storage parked in the driveway at night.
2021 Nissan Leaf e+ attached to a bi-directional (V2G) charging box
The regular Nissan Leaf is unchanged and still on sale for $49,990 plus on-road costs, making it one of the most affordable EVs on the market.īut with a 40kWh battery and 270km of range it needs more charges than most EVs.Īt $60,490 for the Leaf e+ you get a 62kWh battery with 385km of range only 56kWh of that battery pack is usable. One of the first on offer – once regulatory approval is granted – is the Wallbox Quasar, which is expected to cost about $8000 initially (prices are exected to come down over coming years). Owners will need to fit additional hardware to their house or business. That’s one reason Washington believes the Leaf e+ makes a viable alternative to home charging solutions such as the Tesla Powerwall. “Why would you have a home battery when you can have literally five times as much capacity ?” he says.