The Nissan Leaf is now in its third model year. The 2013 Nissan Leaf is now assembled in the USA at Nissan’s Smyrna TN assembly plant, and the battery pack is produced right next door in the country’s largest lithium-ion automotive battery plant.
Among the changes to the 2013 Nissan Leaf is improved efficiency due to refined aerodynamics, a wider range of brake regen settings, and a new 6.6kW onboard charger that reduces charging time to approximately 4 hours for a full charge.
Nissan has added a Leaf S grade that will be a lower priced entry level model that will join the previous SV and SL models.
The 2013 Nissan Leaf is expected to offer improved range and EPA testing will be announced closer to the 2013 Leaf’s sale date. A new ‘B’ drive mode allows for more intense regenerative braking and an available hybrid heater system is more efficient in cold weather.
Said Nissan Division Vice President and General Manager Al Castignetti: “The refinements and enhancements for 2013 hit at the core of customer requests during LEAF’s first two years – available features providing quicker charging, improved range expectations and the ability to fine-tune the equipment levels to exact owner needs, whether they desire fewer standard features for an even more affordable car or more luxury amenities like leather-appointed seating and premium audio.”
The Nissan Leaf uses a dedicated electric vehicle platform with the batteries housed in the floor. This gives the Leaf optimum interior space and vehicle handling, and allows for greater body rigidity compared to a conventional compact car.
It’s nice to see advancements in technology being applied and refinements, but Nissan needs to do more marketing and other styling.
styling – The car still looks like an econo car. It’s sad since Nissan has such beautiful cars in it’s line up and this is just basically a versa with cool tech. Interior design could use some work, look at what Toyota has done with the Prius as of late, feels like you’re kinda in a Star Trek shuttle. very cool.
Marketing – Nissan needs to broaden it’s marketing efforts to beyond the green folks (I love my leaf, but I am not a greenie, not that there’s anything wrong with that). First step should be a gradual change in name. Start calling it the Nissan Electric Leaf, then maybe at some point calling it the Nissan EL. that seems to me to be more tech sporty sounding.
Perhaps a drastic price drop will help?
https://evfuture.io/2013-nissan-leaf-6400-price-drop/
Headlights are UGHLY!