Nissan announced a while back that the 2013 Nissan Leaf would go further in cold weather thanks to an improved battery heat management system. The Leaf affected would be the new ones that will be built in the Smyrna TN plant later this year.
According to the Sankei Biz site (in Japanese), the new Leaf, at least the version of it destined for Japan, will have a range of over 250 milometers in any weather. That converts to a range of 155 miles, of course on the more lenient Japanese test cycle however. The new Leaf should get a new range of around 25 percent or 91 miles of EPA range due to improved motors and more efficient batteries.
More interesting, according to the Sankei Biz site, is that they report Nissan is also considering an entry-level Leaf for release by the end of the year. After converting everything from Yen to US dollars and Japanese to English, the site reports the entry-level Leaf would put it at around $27000.
I would love to see a Leaf that has better range and is less expensive. Even more important, they are planning a redesign of the exterior. I have always hated the Leaf’s styling and I know Nissan can do much better.