2019 Leaf "e-Plus" (60kWh)

The announced pricing on the 60kWh models is blowing my mind. They're on par with what local dealerships have been charging for months on the 40kWh models. Becoming clearer that I'll be going for the E+ in the fall, the price is too good after tax credit compared to M3 and Bolt (the only other EVs available around here).

 

While I'm very pleased with my 2018 40kwh Leaf S, I must say that I'm already drooling over the possibilities that will be there 3-1/2 years from now when I've taken the depreciation on it through my business. I think Nissan just had the rug pulled out from under them with the lower priced M3 finally hitting the market. I do hope Nissan can compete and make a profit as they were the first traditional ICE car maker to go whole hog into EVs. Go Tesla! Go Nissan!

 

Still waiting for confirmed UK pricing... The $40,050 price seems to be a mistake as it pushes the car into the taxable bracket. For the sake of £51 that is crazy.

Disappointed that they didn't update the dashboard. The old-fashioned analogue speedo was a massive downgrade from the original Leaf 24/30 models. Overall though the Leaf is a nice car and it's one of the quietest EVs, much better than the Model 3 for example. Can't quite match the range of the Kona/Niro but it's decent enough.

 

Okay, it's about £36k in the UK.

You don't realize how important a big, clear speedo is until you drive a car where there is next to no feedback on how fast you are going.

 

When I test drove the Leaf, this was something I hadn't anticipated. Without the engine's noise or vibration filtering into the cabin, I found myself going 80 on the highway (limit 65) one second, then overcorrecting to 55 the next.

 

People don't appreciate just how good the original Leaf was. Nissan really thought about what the needs of EV drivers are and found some clever ways to meet them.

The odd shaped headlights, for example, are to deflect wind away from the wing mirrors because it was found to be too noisy once the engine noise was removed. They also set the standard for energy management and display for the driver. Before that every car just had a simple battery gauge and vague, inaccurate range display. The guess-o-meter might not have been perfect but it was a huge step up over what went before.

Having the charge port at the front was another great idea, something many other manufacturers have not cottoned on to yet.

 

I agree with the others that the analog speedometer is better. I'm glad they put a Max of 120 MPH compared to other cars that have 160 MPH for no reason. The numbers are bigger and easier to read.

Kenneth is right, if you prefer the digital, you can set it on the left display.

 

The little display on the left is too small and badly positioned, and means you can't see other data there.

The analogue speedo is imprecise and far less noticeable, a major downgrade.

 

Imprecise? Must be user error then. It has been working fine for 100 years.

 

Do you have any links? I'd love to see some tests of multiple rapid charges in a day, although since there are no 100kW CHAdeMO chargers outside Japan AFAIK it might be difficult to do a proper one.

 

Thanks, that was interesting but very light on detail. For example it says that the temperature gauge stayed "in the middle", but doesn't state the actual temperature. And they charged in the freezing cold, and only for 30 minutes, and don't say how fast it was so it might have been ~40kW.

I think we will have to wait to see if it is really fixed.

 

Looking forward to it. Please try to test out ProPilot, as lots of review have missed it on the 40 and on other cars like the Niro and Kona.

Are there actually any 100kW CHAdeMO pumps anywhere? I guess you will be limited to testing at 42kWh or so.