Following the launch of the new Nissan Kicks earlier this year, the company is now getting ready to launch the Leaf electric car in India. The car is currently on test, and was recently spotted by automotive enthusiast Sushesh Patel near Mumbai-Pune expressway.
Already on sale in many countries around the world, the Nissan Leaf EV has gained immense attention with a total of over 3.80 lakh units sold till date. It is sold in most Asian markets besides counties like Bhutan, while it is the best selling electric vehicle in Europe.
Nissan Leaf EV will not be manufactured in India but will be brought into India via the CBU route and hence pricing should be in the range of Rs.40 lakhs where it will be marketed as a lifestyle product.
The new Nissan Leaf EV, coming to India, sees an improvement in terms of design and performance. It is fitted with an Advanced Driver Assistance System and ProPilot single lane autonomous driving along with semi-autonomous driving system and e-Pedal mode for one pedal driving.
Other safety features include traffic signal recognition, intelligent lane intervention, emergency braking and all around view monitor. It also gets lane departure warning, blind spot warning and emergency braking system along with rear cross traffic alert.
The Leaf EV hatchback is powered by a 140 hp engine with a 40 kWh battery pack. It claims range of 240 kms as per NEDC. Charging is possible in a matter of 8-16 hours depending on power capacity while a quick charging facility will allow the battery to be charged upto 80 percent in 40 minutes.
With the new Nissan Leaf EV, the company is targeting institutional and government sales for a start as targeting the mass segment with electric cars will be difficult due to higher costs. Apart from the Leaf EV, the company is also planning other electric vehicles in India in the future.