Nissan adds range to its all-electric Leaf e+

Nissan is adding range and power to its well-known Leaf all-electric vehicle. 

At the CES tech show in Las Vegas, Nissan unveiled the Leaf e+ on Tuesday with 40 percent more range than its predecessor. The car will now run up to 226 miles on a single charge, easing range anxiety from the current Leaf’s roughly 150-mile range.

It still looks like a traditional Leaf vehicle, but the “e+” hints at the car’s battery pack with a higher energy density. Yes, there’s some nominal changes to the design like the front of the car has blue highlights and there’s an “e+” logo plate on the backside of the charge port lid. 

The upgraded EV will be available to buy in the U.S. this spring. The car was supposed to make its debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show back in November, but instead it was pushed to CES because of the former Nissan chairman’s arrest. Whoops.

The Leaf was Nissan’s first all-electric car when it debuted in 2010 and remains the Japanese car makers only all-electric option. The Leaf has spurred a lot of electric vehicle sales: 380,000 worldwide since it entered the EV scene more than eight years ago.

The battery capacity of the newest Leaf is what its drivers have been itching for, along with quicker charging. The first generation had a 24 kWh-battery. The next generation leaf Leaf is at 40 kWh. And now the e+ is at 62 kWh. Tesla’s most modestly priced sedan, the Model 3, starts with a 50-kWh battery with a 250-range, but a $45,000 price.

The Leaf e+ doesn’t have a price tag yet, but the current leaf starts at just under $30,000. 

So while it’s not the most earth-shattering EV announcement, anyone eyeing a Leaf just got some extra miles on that charge.