EV race heats up with Leaf E Plus

The base trim of the new extended-range Nissan Leaf electric sedan could offer about 25 additional miles of EPA-advertised range compared with higher trim models, according to a test certificate from the California Air Resources Board. That would be the equivalent of the entire battery range of the Ford Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid.

Nissan downplayed the CARB estimates, noting the EPA has not yet announced the official range for the new Leaf E Plus, which will be sold in the U.S. and Canada under the Leaf Plus series.

Even so, with the Leaf E Plus blowing past the 200-mile-range barrier, Nissan finally has a competitive response to the wave of modern EVs produced and promised. Nissan estimates the extended-range Leaf to have an EPA range of up to 226 miles, allowing the grandfather of affordable EVs to keep pace with the Chevrolet Bolt (238 miles) and Tesla's elusive base Model 3 (220 miles).

Nissan was roundly chided a year ago when its redesigned Leaf debuted, focusing on the lower end of the price spectrum with a more modest battery.

Having more than 200 miles of range is competitive for EVs today, said Sam Fiorani, vice president at AutoForecast Solutions.

"The competition has raised the bar for an entry-level EV," Fiorani said.

The Leaf's base S Plus trim earned a 364-mile rating under the Urban Dynamometer Driving Schedule testing cycle, according to calculations on the CARB certificate. The SV and SL models scored a 330-mile rating under the UDDS testing cycle, which simulates mostly city driving.

Generally, the EPA-advertised range is rated at about 70 percent of the UDDS range, according to Inside EVs. That calculation would peg the S Plus range at about 255 miles and the SV and SL at about 230 miles.

Nissan, however, is more conservative, estimating the driving range of the S Plus at up to 226 miles and SV and SL models at up to 215 miles.

At 3,780 pounds, the S Plus trim is 73 pounds lighter than the top trim.

The EPA calculation is meant to reflect more "real world" range because it involves five test cycles vs. the two test cycles used by California to calculate city, highway and combined efficiency ratings.

"The rigor of these additional EPA tests and desire for 'real world' testing results in reduced estimated fuel economies and driving ranges for light-duty vehicles across the board," a Nissan spokesman told Automotive News. "A 30 percent difference in estimated gasoline vehicle range is very common; an even larger difference occurs for [zero-emission vehicle] ranges."

The Leaf E Plus will arrive at U.S. dealerships this spring. Pricing has not been disclosed.

The Leaf, launched nearly a decade ago, cemented Nissan's reputation as a leader in electric vehicles, long before EVs were being widely discussed around the industry. Electrification goals now account for the bulk of Nissan's new product plans as it responds to an onslaught of electrified competitors. Nissan plans to launch eight new EVs and generate annual sales of 1 million electrified vehicles by 2022.

Despite relatively low gasoline prices, U.S. sales of EVs are growing. In 2018, battery-electric vehicle sales rose 199 percent, according to the Automotive News Data Center, although not every battery-electric sold is in that tally. The surge was based in large part on the popularity of the Tesla Model 3, with an estimated 138,000 U.S. sales for the year. Leaf sales were up 31 percent for 2018, hitting 14,715.

The Leaf E Plus is powered by a 62-kilowatt-hour battery pack that promises faster charging. Nissan said that with its new 70-kilowatt Quick Charging system, owners should expect to charge their vehicles in the same amount of time as short-range Leaf owners, despite having a 55 percent larger battery storage capacity.

The high-capacity battery combined with a 160-kilowatt motor in the extended-range Leaf should result in quicker acceleration at high speeds, Nissan said. Accelerating from 50 to 75 mph will be nearly 13 percent faster.

The battery is physically almost the same size as that of the original Leaf, Nissan says. Other than a 5-millimeter increase in height, the car's dimensions are unchanged.

It will come equipped with technologies including the ProPilot Assist semi-autonomous driving system and e-Pedal mode for one-pedal driving.