The average EV buyer may not know that the Nissan Leaf has been available at Nissan dealers for some time. The Leaf presented an affordable EV option with a decent range, and there weren’t too many other EVs that could compete with it. However, now that EV models are everywhere and growing increasingly more affordable, Nissan appears poised to leave the Leaf in the dust.
What’s New For the 2024 Nissan Leaf?
If you’ve been waiting anxiously for news on the new Nissan Leaf, there isn’t much to tell. Nothing is new for the 2024 Leaf. The only change is that the base model is more expensive by $100. There are only two trims for the Leaf. The base trim offers 149 miles of range on a full charge, and the SV Plus trim will give you about 212 miles on a full charge. The higher trim costs roughly $8,000 more than the base trim.
Why was the Leaf unable to hit its stride? It isn’t that it’s a bad car, in fact, quite the opposite. It’s also in a segment with only a few options. However, the Nissan Leaf has never been the best either. GM is about to discontinue the Bolt, and it too has toiled in mediocrity, despite offering a better range than the Leaf and an even more affordable price.
Nissan Supporting the Ariya
The path for the Leaf has never been easy. Even though it’s a decent vehicle, it’s always felt a little lacking. It’s still the only battery-powered EV with a CHAdeMO port, which means it can only support certain types of public charging terminals and it has a maximum charging speed. Inexplicably, Nissan has also insisted on continuing to rely on an air-cooled battery for the Leaf. This is unfortunate as it can strongly impact its range after some years.
Instead of helping the Leaf, Nissan has thrown all of its support behind the Ariya EV. This model competes in the EV SUV segment and it offers a starting price well below that of the average new car. Once Nissan moves the Ariya’s production to the United States to take advantage of incentives, the price is likely to fall even further.
Is the Nissan Leaf Worth Buying?
If you’re thinking about heading to your Nissan dealer to get a look at the Leaf, you might want to do it soon. The Leaf is a very viable entry in the EV segment. There’s really nothing wrong with it, except for its unfortunately placed armrest, according to a review by Jalopnik. The Leaf offers a decent range for the price, decent power at 214 horsepower and 250 pound-feet of torque, and it’s pretty affordable.
The bottom line is that the Leaf is a good vehicle overall, but it doesn’t really stand out either. If you want to grab a Nissan Leaf before it’s discontinued, you probably only have a year or so to hunt one down at your local Nissan dealer.
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