The Nissan Leaf is probably as synonymous with all-electric vehicle technology as the Toyota Prius is with hybrid technology. So, even though the amount of EVs in the market is about to expand exponentially, the Leaf is still the biggest-selling electric vehicle in the world, and the all-new second-generation of the Nissan EV has just gone into production in Europe, with deliveries to customers across the continent set to begin in February 2018.
Probably the most important enhancement with the arrival of the new model is the increased range it offers drivers on a single battery charge. The new model has a range 235 miles, up from the previous best of 155 miles, but Nissan isn't pinning all its hopes of further success with the new model on extended range alone. The all-new Leaf will also have a healthy dose of the latest Nissan advanced driver-assist and connectivity technology onboard too.
Production of the car has now got underway at Nissan's plant in Sunderland in the UK, which follows in the tire-tracks of the first-generation model that's been in production in the UK since 2013, and has sold more than 85,000 units across Europe since it first arrived as an import from Japan in 2011.
Although the car has yet to find its way to European consumers, it can already claim to be a multiple award-winner. At the CES (Consumer Electronics Show) annual CES Unveiled ceremony in New York recently, the new Leaf was named Best of Innovation award winner for Vehicle Intelligence and Self-Driving Technology, and honoree for Tech for a Better World.
Among the technological innovations, the new Leaf features a new e-Pedal to allow the driver to start, accelerate, decelerate and stop the car by nothing more than increasing or decreasing the pressure applied to the accelerator. It also includes ProPILOT advanced driving assistance, which is a cutting-edge take on an adaptive cruise control, and ProPILOT Park, which is a fully-automatic parking system.
