Hello all, Nissan USA just announced that the 2019 Model Year of the 40kWh Leaf will be offered in same three trim levels with no pricing changes. Prices will remain the same. Good news for the continuance of net new EV adoption as the 40kWh version appeals to a vast majority of use cases where the existing range and features come with an affordable price compared to many other BEVs. A smaller potential market exists today for the more costly models like Model 3, Bolt, Kona, Kiro, and the coming 60kWh Leaf. There is still good demand but when you look at a global market, the 40kWh Leaf (and the current Ioniq and e-Golf) fill a sweet spot for consumer needs versus budgets.
Nothing official yet, but I am guessing the launch/announcement coming within the next month or so, with preorders opening this CY for existing owners, then GP in early next year. With deliveries in Q2 of 2019. Similar format to the MY2018 Leaf. That is purely my guess.
My dealer is whispering March 2019. As an owner of a 2012 24 kWh Leaf that has lost 1/3 of its range (so far), I find THAT a compelling reason to target the 60 kWh entry point as the new minimum for those that plan to keep the car for 10 years. If you only keep the car 4-5 years, 40 kWh yields ample daily range.
